The Motley Fool: The Boring Portfolio

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Feb. 20, 1998) -- Options expirations added a dab of volatility to U.S. stock markets Friday. After being down for most of the day, the benchmark averages closed higher: the Nasdaq tacked on but one point (+0.06%) but the S&P 500 rose better than one-half percent.

The Boring Portfolio rose 0.11%, with gainers outnumbering losers four to two. Thursday's and Friday's modest gains could not offset losses in the preceding two sessions of the holiday-shortened week, however, and the Borefolio fell modestly for the week.

Not a whiff of Borefolio-related news crossed the wires Friday. The day before, however, Cisco Systems <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: CSCO)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: CSCO)") end if %> announced yet another acquisition. The Kid is acquiring WheelGroup Corp., based in San Antonio, Texas, for $124 million in Cisco stock.

WheelGroup provides software that helps to detect and prevent unauthorized access to computer networks. According to a press release, the majority of WheelGroup's 75 employees will remain on the job in San Anton' following the transaction, which is expected to be completed next month. Cisco anticipates taking a one-time charge of $0.08 to $0.13 a share in its current fiscal quarter.

Cisco's quarter will also see a charge of between $0.16 and $0.18 a share in connection with the company's acquisition of LightSpeed International of Sterling, Virginia. That transaction closed on Feb. 10. LightSpeed is an innovator in voice signaling technology and will bolster Cisco's efforts in integrating data and voice communications.

Cisco stock rose $3/8 to a bid of $65 3/4. Also inching up fractionally were shares of Andrew Corp. <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: ANDW)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: ANDW)") end if %>, Borders Group <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: BGP)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: BGP)") end if %>, and FelCor Suite Hotels <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: FCH)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: FCH)") end if %>.

Other than the fact that it rained for the fifth consecutive day here in southern Michigan and that the carpet guys have taken over Casa Boring, requiring that I tap out tonight's recap on my laptop in a small corner off the kitchen, I have nothing more to report.

So how 'bout we kick back and see if we can spot any coverage of some reasonably current Olympic events interspersed between the previews, prologues, retrospectives and, of course, commercials larding up CBS's coverage of the Nagano, um, games?

TODAY'S NUMBERS

Stock  Change    Bid 
 ANDW  +  3/16  28.38 
 CGO   -  1/2   28.06 
 BGP   +  5/16  32.88 
 CSL   -  5/8   46.44 
 CSCO  +  3/8   65.75 
 FCH   +  1/4   35.50

                   Day   Month    Year  History 
         BORING   +0.11%   2.82%  -0.71%  24.93% 
         S&P:     +0.58%   5.50%   6.57%  66.37% 
         NASDAQ:  +0.06%   6.72%  10.05%  66.01% 
  
     Rec'd   #  Security     In At       Now    Change 
   2/28/96  400 Borders Gr    11.26     32.88   192.06% 
   6/26/96  150 Cisco Syst    35.93     65.75    82.98% 
   8/13/96  200 Carlisle C    26.32     46.44    76.40% 
    3/5/97  150 Atlas Air     23.06     28.06    21.70% 
   1/21/98  200 Andrew Cor    26.09     28.38     8.76% 
   11/6/97  200 FelCor Sui    37.59     35.50    -5.56% 
  
     Rec'd   #  Security     In At     Value    Change 
   2/28/96  400 Borders Gr  4502.49  13150.00  $8647.51 
   6/26/96  150 Cisco Syst  5389.99   9862.50  $4472.51 
   8/13/96  200 Carlisle C  5264.99   9287.50  $4022.51 
    3/5/97  150 Atlas Air   3458.74   4209.38   $750.64 
   1/21/98  200 Andrew Cor  5218.00   5675.00   $457.00 
  
   11/6/97  200 FelCor Sui  7518.00   7100.00  -$418.00 
  
                              CASH  $13182.97 
                             TOTAL  $62467.35