About Us
Brian Schenk, Senior Editor
In 1999 while completing my associates degree, I invested $6,000 in a cancer detection company which later increased 3,000% within a 6-month period. I was rich, or so I had thought! It never occurred to me that I was in the peak of the largest technology bubble the market had ever seen. Two years later and after an agonizing performance since that time (the tech bubble burst!), the company’s stock later drizzled down to a worthless value, consequently wiping out any principal I hoped to possibly recoup. Fast forward 10 years later and I now find myself using my career experiences to direct my investment decisions towards a more sustainable, succesful approach that has increased my personal portfolio as well as that of others.
At first glance my resume speaks of experience as a financial analyst. My first years in the job market involved corporate finance for two large privately owned companies with revenues exceeding $700 million annualy. From the inside perspective, I learned how to develop and maintain expense and capital budgets, and apply such techniques as discounting future cash flows in order to determine business/enterprise values.
Later, I acquired a position as a Sr. Credit Analyst in commercial banking at one of the largest banks in the America. In banking, I monitored the risk/performance of clients both public and private with revenues between $20 million and $1 billion. I reported their performance as it related to balance sheet and income (recurring cash flow) strength, quality of assets and management strategies.
Along my journey, I have not only learned financial principles; I have learned first and foremost that I am an entrepreneur with a real passion for investing. So much so, that I have dedicated countless hours to researching not only individual companies, but also how to temper the so called “investors’ enthusiasm” so that portfolio decisions can be made based upon reasonable judgment instead of the crowd mentality. I have read every legitimate investment book imaginable including The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham (yes..all 600+ pages) and Lessons for Corporate America (Warren Buffet’s shareholder letters). I have put in to practice my experience since the loss of my first $6,000 and learned how to be successful in investing while others sometimes watch their portfolios dissipate and give up hope.
My intent in writing this blog is to share with my readers educational insights on how to select the right stocks for your investment portfolio. In addition, I will apprise you to new companies I am discovering, with beneficial information such as managment interviews, conference call highlights and new announcments on their performance to-date. Enjoy!
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Joseph Nicolay, Staff Editor/ Analyst
My interest in the financial markets was piqued in 1996 after listening to a securities broker lecture on the fundamentals of Wall Street. Since that time I met two accountants; both accomplished intelligent men. One had purchased his home entirely from market gains, while the other contended that wanting more than a regular savings rate was “greedy” and fraught with danger. The latter accountant’s retirement was unimpressive for a lifetime of compounding savings. From that time I studied the teachings of Wall Street’s most successful investors, and applied those lessons to realize superior gains–even in the face of the receding markets. As an accounting major preparing to sit for the CPA exams, I don’t profess to know all there is about finding the greatest investments. My secret is to network with champion investors and further refine their selections down to the best companies.