Dueling Fools
October 21, 1998
Good News, Bad News Duel
News Corp. price (10/20/98): $25 1/16
When Mark McGwire hit number 62 out of the ballpark, News Corp. <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: NWS)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: NWS)") end if %> was there. But is Rupert Murdoch's media empire a homerun? Fox has brought us dingers and Bart Simpson zingers, but will its investors be able to count the capital appreciation on more than just fingers?
This week Dueling Fools is proud to deliver the News. Yi-Hsin Chang (TMF Puck) is bullish over the entertainment conglomerate that brings X-Files into your home on Sunday nights. Meanwhile, Chris Rugaber (TMF RFK) is the captain of the bad News bears. Tune in or tune out -- the Duel is out there!
And don't miss this week's Duel Flashback, where we take a look back at the most taxing Duel of all -- H&R Block <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: HRB)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: HRB)") end if %>.
You Get to Vote!
Once you've read the arguments and the rebuttals, it's your time to cast your vote. We'll tabulate results each week and revisit them from time to time to see whether you were right! As always, we invite you to join us in the Dueling Fools Message board to continue the duel.
[Any suggestions, comments, praise, or flames, please send them along to the Dueling Fools Team.]
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The Bull... Late one night in Washington, D.C., FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are sharing a four-cheese pizza and a bottle of Chianti at Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont Circle. Assistant Director Skinner has just assigned them a new case, one that Mulder thinks has little to do with the X-Files and, in fact, may be a diversionary tactic to keep them from finding out the truth about the government's involvement with UFOs and extraterrestrials. Continue... |
The Bear... Investors who want a wild ride with a high profile, high-spending business mogul operating in a viciously competitive industry should definitely consider News Corp. Those who want a reliable company with clear growth prospects ought to invest elsewhere. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is certainly an interesting story. Huge, diversified, and far-flung, News Corp. is one of six major media companies that are currently building what amount to worldwide empires (the others being Viacom, Seagram, Disney, Time Warner, and Sony). Continue... |
Results for last week's Novell Duel
| Answer | Percentage |
| I can't make up my mind | 2% |
| TMF Seymor's Bull argument |
61% |
| TMF Bogey's Bear argument |
22% |
| They were both excellent |
12% |
| They were both lame |
2% |