The Boring Portfolio Report - Monday, March 10, 1997

Boring Portfolio Report
Monday, March 10, 1997
by Greg Markus (MF Boring)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (March 10, 1997) -- Monday smiled on the markets and especially on the Boring Portfolio. As has been standard procedure for some time now, market indices rose in accordance with the density of large-capitalization stocks dwelling within them.

The Dow gained 79 points, or 1.12%. The S&P 500 was right behind, up 1.08%, with the Nasdaq next, + 0.89%.

Wonder of wonders, the Borefolio advanced 1.59%: seven stocks up, two down, and one -- CARLISLE <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: CSL)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: CSL)") end if %> unchanged.

I wonder what folks are saying to PaineWebber analyst Paul Weinstein tonight. After watching CISCO SYSTEMS <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: CSCO)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: CSCO)") end if %> fall 20 points in recent weeks, Weinstein chose this morning to cut his rating on the stock to "neutral" from "buy."

That sent Cisco shares tumbling into the $40s ... for a while. Then the stock turned around and started rising, eventually surpassing Friday's closing mark and gaining $2 1/8 on the bid-side, to $53 1/4. Trading volume was a staggering 30 million-plus shares.

Back to Weinstein. The story on the wires said that "No details were immediately available on the downgrade." That's fine with me, because as far as I'm concerned, there are no details. There is no new news on Cisco that would justify revising one's position on the stock to the downside -- hasn't been for months.

There may be interesting news come Wednesday, however. Cisco says they'll hold a press conference that morning at the Internet World '97 convention in Los Angeles to announce new strategic alliances. I'm told that an audio playback of the presentation may be heard at 1-800-683-1535 after 4pm EST that day. The story will also be covered right here, as always.

BORDERS GROUP <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: BGP)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: BGP)") end if %> gained a dollar to establish an all-time high at $45 3/4, becoming a 103% gainer for the Borefolio. The company releases its fourth quarter results tomorrow prior to the market opening, with a teleconference to follow later that morning. I'll be covering that call and reporting back here tomorrow night.

OXFORD HEALTH PLANS <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: OXHP)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: OXHP)") end if %> continued its impressive advance, gaining $3 to set its own new high, at a bid of $64 3/4. I saw no specific news.

The clouds lifted for ATLAS AIR <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: ATLS)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: ATLS)") end if %>, too. The stock gained $2. No news.

In contrast, SOLECTRON <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: SLR)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: SLR)") end if %> continued lower, falling $7/8. There's no news from Solectron, either, and so I'm supposing that Solectron must be falling in sympathy with SIGMATRON <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: SGMA)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: SGMA)") end if %>, a smaller electronics assembler. Shares of Sigmatron had been falling on rumors in advance of the company's earnings report, which today fell short of analyst expectations.

Solectron reports its results on March 17. The Motley Fool will cover the follow-up teleconference.

Finally, ORACLE CORP <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NASDAQ: ORCL)") else Response.Write("(NASDAQ: ORCL)") end if %> gained $1/8. Oracle reports results on Thursday, March 13, after the close of the market. We'll be covering that one, too.

Busy, busy, busy.

(c) Copyright 1997, The Motley Fool. All rights reserved. This material is for personal use only. Republication and redissemination, including posting to news groups, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of The Motley Fool.

Today's Numbers

Stock  Change    Bid
--------------------
ATLS  +2       22.38
BGP   +1       45.75
CSL   ---      32.00
CSCO  +2 1/8   53.25
GNT   +  3/8   39.25
ORCL  +  1/8   35.88
OXHP  +3       64.75
PMSI  -  3/8   10.75
SLR   -  7/8   47.63
TDW   +  1/2   44.75

                   Day   Month    Year  History
        BORING   +1.59%   1.43%   1.40%  16.69%
        S&P:     +1.08%   2.89%   9.84%  30.89%
        NASDAQ:  +0.83%   1.05%   2.45%  27.07%

     Rec'd   #  Security     In At       Now    Change
  2/28/96  200 Borders Gr    22.51     45.75   103.22%
  5/24/96  100 Oxford Hea    48.02     64.75    34.83%
   2/2/96  200 Green Tree    30.39     39.25    29.17%
  8/13/96  200 Carlisle C    26.32     32.00    21.56%
   3/8/96  400 Prime Medi    10.07     10.75     6.77%
  6/26/96  100 Cisco Syst    53.90     53.25    -1.21%
   3/5/97  150 Atlas Air     23.06     22.38    -2.96%
 10/15/96  100 Solectron     54.52     47.63   -12.65%
 11/21/96  100 Oracle Cor    48.65     35.88   -26.26%
 12/23/96  100 Tidewater     46.52     44.75    -3.81%

     Rec'd   #  Security     In At     Value    Change
  2/28/96  200 Borders Gr  4502.49   9150.00  $4647.51
   2/2/96  200 Green Tree  6077.49   7850.00  $1772.51
  5/24/96  100 Oxford Hea  4802.49   6475.00  $1672.51
  8/13/96  200 Carlisle C  5264.99   6400.00  $1135.01
   3/8/96  400 Prime Medi  4027.49   4300.00   $272.51
  6/26/96  100 Cisco Syst  5389.99   5325.00   -$64.99
   3/5/97  150 Atlas Air   3458.74   3356.25  -$102.49
 11/21/96  100 Oracle Cor  4864.99   3587.50 -$1277.49
 10/15/96  100 Solectron   5452.49   4762.50  -$689.99
 12/23/96  100 Tidewater   4652.49   4475.00  -$177.49

                             CASH   $2662.96
                            TOTAL  $58344.21