First Night, First Light

I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders. - Jewish Proverb

Most Texans think Hanukkah is some sort of duck call. - Richard Lewis

The last two evenings have been an interesting contrast in life. You see, I live in Greenville, SC. The “buckle” of the Bible Belt. Thursday evening, I attended my corporate “holiday” party, although I was the only one who considered it as such. It’s a relatively new company and there are not many employees, but I am the only Jew. The assumption that everybody celebrates Christmas can sometimes be a frustrating one.

Last night, my family went to our Rabbi’s house for a Hanukkah party. The community is not a large one, but we do what we can. We filled ourselves with food and fellowship and the children all played Dreidel. Both events were a time to come together and enjoy this time of year. It was time to forget about the struggle to pay bills or the worry about a promotion. Getting to know both my co-workers and the members of my community a little better was a most enjoyable experience. I’d like to think that, when all is said and done, it’s not about how many things you have. It’s about the relationships you have created and how you treat your fellow man and woman.

But we all still want to give Bernie Madoff a new circumcision!!!

On to the latest and greatest from ZepInvest. I have three new publications today. The Buyback Letter is a monthly newsletter that focuses on companies that repurchase their own shares. Written by David Fried, it prides itself on straight forward analysis and stock recommendations. In the “December 2009 Hot List,” we have a list of “today’s most compelling buyback stocks.” A few of these have made it into the Buyback Premium Portfolio that has outperformed “the S&P 500 by more than 63% since its inception (8/2/2000).”

The Blue Chip Investor is another monthly publication that recommends established stocks, both U.S. & international. It also provides analysis, commentary and model portfolios. In the latest release, editor Steven Check asks “Is the Market Getting Ahead of Itself?” We also get updates on the holdings in the “Quality Growth Account” and close-ups on Automatic Data Processing (ADP) and Hewlett Packard (HPQ).

Our last piece for the day is 2 for 1, The Stock Split Newsletter. This is also a monthly piece that tracks stock split announcements and provides strategies on those stocks. In the latest, entitled “Back to Full Strength,” editor Neil Macneale discusses the current landscape of stock splitting companies and offers a buy and sell recommendation. He also provides an update on the 2 for 1 model portfolio.

As you enjoy Hanukkah or prepare for the other holidays around the corner, remember why we do all the things we do at this time of year…because Hallmark tells us to!!!

For more information, please go to http://www.zepinvest.com.

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