The Investment Pecking Order
The economy is in a slow period, and bankruptcies are making headlines. So, lately, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions about the pecking order investors assume when a publicly traded company goes into bankruptcy.
Inspired by his high school economics teacher, Rick Pendergraft fell in love with the markets at an early age. He entered his first investing competition at 17, and opened his first brokerage account before he finished college. At the age of 23, on the third options trade he had ever placed, Rick turned $1,800 into $22,000 in less than a week, when the company he bought became the target of a takeover. He admits it was a stroke of luck, but it was a memorable education as to the leverage that options can provide.
After a ten year career in banking, Rick decided to pursue trading full-time. To get his foot in the door, he started out in the sales department at Schaeffer's Investment Research. It was not long before his talent was recognized and he was invited to apprentice under Bernie Schaeffer, one of the top options traders in the world. Rick thrived in his new position and twice received the award for "Top Trader."
Rick has developed a loyal following of readers who are grateful for his timely warnings and profitable advice. He is widely recognized as a market expert and has been frequently quoted by Reuters, BusinessWeek, Forbes, USA Today, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Rick's primary focus is on identifying short and intermediate term rising and falling trends in the major market sectors. His analysis is based on technical factors along with indicators of market sentiment
Rick lives near Delray Beach, FL with his wife and three children.
Read Rick Pendergraft's previous newsletter articles below:
The economy is in a slow period, and bankruptcies are making headlines. So, lately, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions about the pecking order investors assume when a publicly traded company goes into bankruptcy.
By Rick Pendergraft | Wed, Sep 3, 2008
As Tony Robbins says, you don’t have to know how electricity works. All you need to know is how to flip the switch to get the light to come on...
By Rick Pendergraft | Thu, Aug 28, 2008
Commodity prices (especially oil, gold, and silver) have been falling sharply since July 15. Unfortunately, prices at the producer level and the consumer level are still rising.
By Rick Pendergraft | Sat, Aug 23, 2008
Over the last month, the intertwined relationships of the markets have been wacky, to say the least. On July 15, the SEC announced its protection plan for Fannie Mae (FNM), Freddie Mac (FRE), and 17 banks and brokerage firms. This move totally disrupted the natural ebb and flow of the market.
By Rick Pendergraft | Fri, Aug 8, 2008
The retail sector has been performing very poorly over the last year. The problems in the credit market have had a huge impact on the spending habits of consumers, and retailers have struggled as a result.
By Rick Pendergraft | Tue, Aug 5, 2008
As recently as last November, Google was priced at over $700 per share. But the one-time Internet darling seems to have lost some of its allure.
By Rick Pendergraft | Mon, Jul 28, 2008
What started last summer with news of credit problems and uncertainty in the mortgage industry has now claimed its first major bank. The FDIC took control of IndyMac Bancorp on July 13, in what is the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history.
By Rick Pendergraft | Mon, Jul 21, 2008
You may remember the old acronyms for Ford: "Found On Road Dead" and "Fix Or Repair Daily." People used them to make fun of the reliability problems Ford had in the past. But they could also apply to Ford's stock in recent years.
By Rick Pendergraft | Thu, Jul 17, 2008
Traders are mercenaries. They have no allegiance to the bullish side or the bearish side, only to the side that will pay the most money. This is the only way to be successful as a trader. Some of the more famous mercenary traders who played both sides of the market include Jesse Livermore, Bernard Baruch, and Joe Kennedy.
By Rick Pendergraft | Mon, Jul 7, 2008
If you've spent some time in the investing world, you have probably heard the terms "triple witching" and "quadruple witching." But that doesn't mean you know what they are or why they should concern you as an investor.
By Rick Pendergraft | Thu, Sep 4, 2008
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