Friday, November 13, 2009

Six Ways to Assess a Potential Oil and Gas Investment

By Terry Stanfield

When you look at oil and gas investing there are many ways you can look at the market and the potential investment. You should do plenty of research so you know you are making a good decision with your money. Here are 6 things you can look at to be sure you are about to make a good decision or you should back out.

1. The company. If you are looking into investing in a particular company you must look at everything about them. Check out the history of the company, the executives and board members, and the description of the business. It is also important when researching a business for oil investments to check out the locations and subsidiaries.

2. If recent mergers and acquisitions have occurred you need to research both of the businesses that have combined. Find out about all equity, ventures, and everything about the businesses involved.

3. Research the debt. Debt is a really big deal when it comes to gas investments. How much money does the company owe to other investors, banks, and others. The debt should be less than half of the revenues. This should include liabilities for the company also.

4. Competitors. When you are assessing oil and gas investing it is important to find out about the key competitors. Does the business have a foot forward in front of the other competitors?

5. The market placement. When you look at oil investments it is important to look at the entire market. You cannot just research the investment you are looking at but you need to be able to look at the overall prospect of the market. Where does the company you want to invest in sit with the entire market? You should compare numbers and feel the company is doing very well before you get started with your investment. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the company of choice versus the competitors and see where they all stand.

6. Potential profits. If you invest in the company of choice what is the potential of profit you stand to make? You will need to look at the history of the gas investments and how much money other people made on the profits. Be sure a profit is what is being made and people are not just breaking even.

When it comes to oil and gas investing there are many ways to assess the investment. You need to look at the company as a whole. However, you also need to look at the entire industry, including the competitors, the products, profit, and more. - 23309

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Day Trading the Night Away

By James Pynn

Remember the'90s? The Seattle scene crackled through the air waves while home computers took up an entire desk. PULP FICTION, Bill Clinton, and O.J. Simpson captured our imaginations and made us think twice about basements, cigar smoking, and leather gloves. As the Internet boom swelled and everything we had been taught in 8th grade computer science class went right out the window, one thing became abundantly clear: making money was easy in Dot Com World. Being the next Bill Gates or Mark Cuban was just a matter of time.

Computers became so popular even my dyslexic uncle had a laptop. He managed a local greasy spoon by day and welcome freeloaders lie me. While I snarfed my fries, he'd day trade away like a regular Aristotle Onassis. Tool bad he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. So, I was actually shocked to discover he was making money. With a few more trades, we was set to become a regular Gordon Gekko.

My father was so amazed his kid brother was making a buck clicking on the computer, he decided to get a laptop and start making some easy money too. I can't remember if he blew our family savings in a week or ten days. Yup, fifty grand -- ten years of saving -- gone with a click of the mouse. Thanks, dad.

My slick, computer-savvy cousin had recently graduated with a useless major in English. naturally, he moved back home right after graduation. The days I wasn't commuting to school on the bus, I spent with him. Back in those days he was spending his time sleeping until noon and beating me in tennis. But most of the time he waited for the inspiration to write the great American novel. As the months ticked by, his family grew less patient. No deadbeat son of theirs was going to play tennis all day and write all night.

Piling onto the busted bandwagon, he started day trading. Using what was left of his trust fund; he bought up stocks in some up-and-coming Internet companies and hoped for the best. As Y2K loomed, the money began to dry up on the Internet. The glory days for we mortals are short-lived. Like in Vegas, the allure of rolling the dice one more time is too strong. Maybe he would have been better off writing that novel. - 23309

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