Dear Dr Stock

Hi,I own 20 shares of Exxon stock. I am in a horrible financial situation and need to sell. What are my best options? Should I turn them into Exxon? I know you are very busy, but, I desperately need your help.Sincerely,Jane

Stocks like Exxon are liquid and you can sell it anytime you want. Just remember that there will be a commission to sell it and there are taxes you MAY have to pay at the end of the year. It depends at what price you purchased the stock. Did you make a profit or was it a loss. If it was a loss you will have a tax write off. Ask your financial advisor.

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From:Rory Gallagher 8/26/05

If were to own stock in Kmart before the bankruptcy and are my shares
worthless now even though they have reorganized? I would think I would get
reissued new shares but is that the case?

All the shares that were traded on the NYSE are worthless. No new shares were reissued to the LOYAL shareholders like yourself. I'm sorry but right now you have a tax-writeoff.

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From: Drop2000 Saturday, August 27, 2005 09:36 AM

What happens to the stock I bought in a Company once that company files for bankruptcy? Is the stock still active once the Company resumes normal operations, or do I write it off?

It depends on several factors. Sometimes the company does resume trading but if it was a NASDAQ stock there is a good chance it will be de-listed to the Bulletin Board or Pink Sheets. It could stop trading and the shares are dissolved and the company closes shop or opens under a different name and the stock holders get nothing. Check with your broker to see what the status is or contact the company.

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From: mcdadd99 Thursday, August 25, 2005 03:44 PM
what happens to a stock if the company is bought out? example nextell is merging w/ sprint what can a shareholder expect from a merger

With any merger it can be a straight out cash deal where you stock will disappear and all you will see is a cash balance. Or sometimes it can be an all stock deal where you will get shares of the new company in exchange for your shares. It can be a combination of stock & cash.

As far as Sprint & Nextel goes a deal was negotiated for a buyout but Sprint doesn't agree on the market price. Basically they are trying to low ball the final price. It likes buying a house and now an appraiser will "try" to determine fair value. Things are going to get sticky.

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From: Polly.Jones Thursday, August 25, 2005 05:25 AM

I have Enron stock that I would like to claim as a loss on my taxes. Where would I get a notice stating the stock was worthless?

Just contact your broker or CPA and they can get you a "worthless stock certificate" form.

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From: cnote332 Wednesday, August 24, 2005 06:32 AM
I just bought shares of Premcor stock. With the impending sale of Premcor to Valero, what will happen to Premcor's stock? does it stay on the exchange for an indefinite amount of time? or is it dissolved completely?

After the closing bell on Monday August 29th shareholders will either elect to get cash or stock in Valero. You do not have to wait for this election you can always sell part or all of your shares on Monday. Bottom line Premcor will no longer trade.

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From: lratim Tuesday, August 23, 2005 11:03 PM

I have shares in Global Crossing and Enron that are now worthless. What is my next step, do I declare them as worthless for tax purposes or is there some way I can get money from the settlements ? Either way please let me know what I need to do to get it done. Thanks

I always feel bad when I have to answer these questions. Yes I have been there as well. Right now just have your broker or CPA get you a "worthless stock certificate" form and write it off.

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From: jamesjazie Tuesday, August 23, 2005 11:18 AM

annual reports on companies

I don't understand your question. If you are asking me if I use the reports to pick out my stocks no I don't. I feel looking at a technical that shows you the price & volume tells you everything.

Although my 2 long-term stocks VMII & ZANE I have put a lot of research into.

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From: creokits Monday, August 22, 2005 01:35 PM

if a company has the highest number but has a history of splitting stocks when it attains this level is it a good idea to gamble and buy the stock at this higher price?

On Wall Street stocks are like creature of habits when it comes to splitting stocks at certain prices. I agree with you. The problem you have is that each time a stock splits there are more shares in the float and if the stock falls out of favor that stock will drop like a rock and never regain its glory. Look at Microsoft for example. That company use to trade in the $100 range. Never again in my opinion. There are to many shares out there. The last time they split was in 2003 at around $50 and it has never come close the high has been $30.

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From: drumster113 Monday, August 22, 2005 01:29 PM

what should i do with my stock (EYET)once its been announced the company is being sold. My stock has gone up 22% overnight. Until now i wanted to unload it the stock has been a dud. The acquiring company is weak in the same sector. Should i sell now?

If you wanted to unload it before and now you are up 22% it seems like a no brainer. Many on Wall Street feel OSI is making a big mistake with the acquisition of EYET so it may start to pullback especially if the shareholders of OSI start screaming. I tell all investors you no matter what stock you invest in before you buy you must have an exit price in mind. As you get closer to that price you can always liquidate a few shares as you go along. You can never get hurt taking a profit.

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From: bride91 Monday, August 22, 2005 12:15 PM

My Worldcom common stock was purchased before the"Freud Period". Was common stocks declared part of the bankruptcy settlement for Worldcom/MCI or is MCI recognizing our stock shares currently?

Unfortunately Worldcom stock was part of the bankruptcy. Have your accountant write it off.

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From: thinkgrape Saturday, August 20, 2005 01:44 PM

I inherited a fairly large and complex portfolio in 2003 consisting of an IRA, an active assets account, a brokerage "trust", lots of stocks and mutual funds, and two or more lots of REMICS. When I sold the portfolio in July 2003, upon reflection, it looks like the FNMA REMIC mortgage securities disappeared, and $200,000 was left in the margin cash account that wasn't disclosed to me. My Father died blind and as I look through the statements I see in 2001, $167,000 of stock was sold and just disappeared. My probate lawyers knew this and instead, took more stock themselves, before I fired them. I can't hire more lawyers. Now the estate is insolvent and I am tired. I don't know what to do.

Try to see if you can hire a local attorney who can do the work "pro-bono". I'm sure if it can be proven that "they" sold stock for their own pockets any lawyer would take the case. I'm sure they will claim that they sent you a bill for services rendered and this was their payment.

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From: Bill Riley Saturday 8/20/2005

Hi Dr-Stock,I have a broker who I have been using for about 10 years and when I started with him I told him that I wanted him to invest our hard earned money in nothing but safe things that would not loose any of our prinicipal . He assured me that he would do this. Now 10 years later he has lost over 70 thousand dollars in things he told us to invest in. The most recent was a Delta Airline preferred stock which is almost worthless that we still own. He assured me that this preferred stock would not go down to nothing as it has done and even if it did that the preferred stock peolpe would be the fist to get their money back if they filed for banrupcy. Is there anyway to recoup my losses due to his lying to me about the safety of all these various stocks that have lost over 70 thousand dollars of our money. Thanks Bill

The only thing you can do is hire a securities lawyer and go to arbitration. Be prepared for them to ask you why it took 10 years before lodging a complaint. Did you ever question the manager or did the firm have a "compliance officer" to discuss your objectives. When you signed to open an account you had to fill out a form if you don't have a copy then request one. On the form it asks what your "investing objectives" are make sure you didn't check off "speculative" or make sure HE did not check it off.

He is wrong with regard to DELTA and the Preferred stock. First of all he invested in a bankrupt company which is speculative. The "creditors" get paid first, then the "bondholders", then the "preferred shareholders" and then the "common shareholders" and that is based on if there is any money left-over.

Go to this Web site to see if this broker has had any prior complaints:

www.nasd.com

Click on top "Investor Information" then on the right hand side click on: "Check out brokers & advisors".

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From: A.J.Michaels Saturday 8/20/2005

Hi! Am looking for the site I somehow lost wherein you could see the last ten trades of the day of any given stock. can you help? I wrote down 'streetsmart Pro" And Businessweek. I tried to go online to locate this site , using the info above to no avail. I never copied what I had viewed and am mad at myself.Hope you can help. I've been trying to find a way to trace trades when there is no way to prove W-H-E-N any certain stock hits it's peak of the day and shows how many SH purchased.

Go to: www.otcbb.com

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From: tttamiii Friday, August 19, 2005 06:48 PM

Can you please enlighten me on the stock possibility?

I understand that a corporation can issue stock to raise funds. I also understand that a corporation can buy their stock back. But I guess I don't really understand how this helps or hurts the corporation. Also, when the decision to offer additional stock is made, how are the number of shares to offer determined?

Also, if it is not to far out of the scope of the class. When I sell a companies stock (as an individual I know I have to go through a broker) who buys that stock? Is it another individual, the corporation, a ghost?

The simplest answer is: every stock is based on "supply & demand". If there are buyers out there then the stock will remain at its current price or even go higher but if shares are sold and no one is touching it then the price goes down. A company usually has an investment banking deal in place when they are looking to raise funds. The firm goes to their clients to see where the interest is and if it's strong enough then they will do it and release shares. As far buying back shares that is a very good signal because its about less shares in the float.

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From: john-lori-cotsis Thursday, August 18, 2005 06:02 PM
Can a stock account be frozen without the client being notified? If not, what can the client do as recourse?

It happened to me where my account was frozen. Of course the firm claimed they emailed me and sent me a letter which they could not prove because it was supposedly sent by regular mail not registered.

The way an account can be frozen is if you bought a stock and there was not enough cash in it and then you sold it with or without a profit and never sent in the money. If you day-trade and buy the same the same stock several times it can be frozen. Another example is if you bought a stock and were maybe $100 short the brokerage firm can take an "extension" meaning they will give you 3 extra days to get the money in and you do send them funds. The problem is you can only take 3 extensions a year even if you have 10 brokerage accounts. There is a list that is kept and once you go over the account gets frozen.

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From: mjcornell02 Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:17 PM

I was given a stock as a spinoff from another company. I have now sold the new stock. What is the basis I use when I figure the taxes

Your cost basis is whatever you invested in the original company lets say $5,000 and then what you sold the new stock at $8,000 you've made $3000 and that is what you must pay tax on. Of course you can always off-set it with any stocks you may have lost on. The IRS just wants to know the bottom-line result.

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From: Laird_Ferguson Thursday, August 18, 2005 03:36 AM

What are your thoughts on one of the network marketing companies going public?

I have no opinion on them. If the companies can show a profit or expand their business to give good shareholder value then all the power to them.

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From: phonix712003 Wednesday, August 17, 2005 09:56 PM

should the managers of a company own sizeable amount of shares in the company?what are the pros and cons?

The owners, President, VP, CEO's, CFO's should own a sizeable amount of shares. It shows conviction in the company. Most will take a small salary but are allowed to sell some shares based on stock price performance or have stock options. I would be worried if they did not own a lot of shares.

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Wednesday, August 17, 2005 12:59 PM

I have some worthless stock, How can I deduct the loss on my taxes

Ask you stockbroker to send you a "worthless stock certificate" form and have your CPA fill it out at tax time.

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From: JeBaguette3 Wednesday, August 17, 2005 12:20 PM

I am new to the stock game and I want to know what are some good stocks that I can buy for around $1 per stock or low costing stock.

The only stocks that I like under $1 is VMII.OB & MYRG.PK

Go to Yahoo Finance and read about the companies get a Due Dillegence package. Also consult a financial professional before investing.

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From: mjsharp Wednesday, August 17, 2005 11:33 AM
Dr. Stock, My parents had stock certs. stolen and sold by my brother-in-law. We have the date, cert #'s, #shares, the transfer agents name.
How do we find the 'brokerage' firm my brother-in-law used to sell these stocks? Is there a website providing a list of sold stock? The transaction occurred on 12-10-98. Thank you.

There is no Web site but I would consult a lawyer who could request your brother-in-laws accountant to provide his tax returns for that year. That should tell you who the brokerage firm was.

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From: starkloff Wednesday, August 17, 2005 11:07 AM

I'm working for At@t and being SBC is buying us out. I was wandering what can happen to my 401K.. I've asked the company and all they can tell me is SBC hasn't shared that information to them yet ! ? Do they have any legal rights to the full sum ?

Here is the terms of the transaction taken from the AT&T Web site:

Under terms of the agreement, approved by the boards of directors of both companies, shareholders of AT&T will receive total consideration currently valued at $19.71 per share, or approximately $16 billion.

AT&T shareholders will receive 0.77942 shares of SBC common stock for each common share of AT&T. Based on SBC's closing stock price on Jan. 28, 2005, this exchange ratio equals $18.41 per share. In addition, at the time of closing, AT&T will pay its shareholders a special dividend of $1.30 per share. The stock consideration in the transaction is expected to be tax-free to AT&T shareholders.

The acquisition, which is subject to approval by AT&T's shareholders and regulatory authorities, and other customary closing conditions, is expected to close by the first half of 2006.

Your 401 K will be converted into the SBC shares.

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From: flwrmom Tuesday, August 16, 2005 09:23 AM

I HAVE ABOUT 7,000.00 IN WALMART STOCK DO I NEED TO SELL

That is up to you. Find out how much your cost average is. For example if you have invested $4000 and now its worth $7000 make a decision if that is an acceptable profit. You do have to pay taxes on the capital gains so consult your accountant.

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Dear Dr,
I have recently bought shares from some of my friends. These friends have received dividend AC payee only checks on their names, but they have not claimed these dividends.How is it possible to transfer those dividends in my name as these friends don't want to deposit such a small amount of dividends to their account because they will not get anything out of it. BR

You are going to have a problem cashing in the dividends that were already mailed out. But for the future have these same friends sign over the "stock" certificates to you this way going forward the checks will be in your name.

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From: Drummerlawman Monday, August 15, 2005 05:35 PM

What happened with AT&T Wireless stock when Cingular bought them out? My mother had 54 shares of AT&T Wireless stock after the AT&T splitoff. I am trying to figure thos out for her.

Go to this Web site as it will explain pricing and cost average:http://www.att.com/ir/ss/tbi/faqwireless.html

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From: JEHCWH Monday, August 15, 2005 01:47 PM

I HAVE 7 SHARES IN COLUMBIAN NORTHLAND EXPLORATION LTD. WHICH TOOK OVER GREAT BASINS PETROLEUM ARE THEY WORTH ANYTHING, OF HOW CAN I REACH THE COMPANY?

The stock has not traded since May 3rd and appears to be de-listed. No longer trading.

You have nothing to lose by depositing the stock certificates into a brokerage account.

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From: tomconception Monday 8/15/05 12:49 pm

I bought 100 shares of greyhound stock on 2/9/1970. I hold the certificates. What is my cost basis and what is the stock worth now ?

I would deposit the shares in a brokerage account but here is a link to a company that purchased Greyhound. I would email them.

Link: http://www.ges.com/about/viad.asp

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Froml: golddustwoman555@aol.com Saturday, August 13, 2005 03:55 AM

Good Morning Dr. Stock...I am totally ignorant to the stock market,or anything to do with it...how would I find out how much 60 shares of stock, purchased in 1977 from Depositors Saving (Bank) who is now AmSouth (I was told)?

AMSOUTH BANCORP has split 5 different times since 1986.

Taking your 60 shares and then adjusting it for the splits then you would have:
456 shares. On Friday August 19th, 2005 the stock closed at $26.69.

If you multiply the $26.69 by the 456 shares you have a total of: $12,170.00

You can look up on Yahoo Finance and type in the symbol: ASO

I would deposit the shares in a brokerage account. You do not have to sell them but it will be easier to track because you will get a statement

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From: katherine.bradley Friday, August 12, 2005 01:04 PM

if I was granted shares from my employer and separate from the company do I have to return those shares back to the company?

Unless you had a contract with the employer that said you must forfeit the shares if you quit then those shares are yours.

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From: psk1087 Friday, August 12, 2005 06:23 AM
I was wondering why
ANII.OB is buying it's
own stock for $4.25/share.
should I sell or hold. Paid $2.60

I don't track the stock but on a technical level ie: charts- if it breaks $4.60 it can go to $6+ in my opinion only. I cannot tell you when to sell or if you should hold as everyone has a different ROI (risk on investment) level. But remember even if you sold half you can never get hurt taking a profit.

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From: RUELL1126@YAHOO.COM Thursday, August 11, 2005 10:53 AM

HOW CAN I LOCATE THE VALUE OF A STOCK ON A PARTICULAR DAY, EVEN FOR STOCKS THAT HAVE BEEN DEEMED WORTHLESS? FREE ON-LINE SEARCH BY CUSIP NUMBER.

For looking up stocks via a cusip number go to:

http://activequote.fidelity.com/mmnet/SymLookup.phtml

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From: ccssm Monday, August 08, 2005 07:38 PM

is there a Web site I can look up my initial statement of ownership of stockholdings. I purchased stocks when i was in high school 25 years ago. Moved to another state two years after I had purchased theses stocks and during this move we lost everything including my stock certificates. What can I do? the company is merging with another corporation and claims they have no record of my account. However over the past three years I have been receiving annual reports and proxy cards. I never received information on my stocks or any dividends or anything about my account. I only purchased a small amount of stocks, but I should have been informed about them,right?

Instead of speaking with the company themselves insist on finding out who the "stock transfer" agent is. The agent has a list of all the shareholders which must be kept on file.
There is no Web site that shows stock holders names.

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From: dvdla Saturday, August 06, 2005 03:52 PM
Dr-Stock:
I purchased some shares of a well-known company's stock back in 1975. The company is still in business. However, through numerous relocations, I have misplaced the stock certificates. Is there a way to confirm ownership of shares of stock by working with the company?

Thank you.

All you have to do is contact the stock transfer agent. They have a list of all the shareholders. They can re-issue you shares by providing proof.

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From: debbie0720 Sunday, August 07, 2005 08:54 AM

i own stock in nextel communications. with the merger of nextel and sprint, what happens to my stock options with nextel?

you can either exercise the option if its in the money or the with the merger they will have to be reissued under the new name.

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Froml: cmacpherson Sunday, August 07, 2005 02:10 PM
My family have found an old share cetificate for a golf course in England. How can we found out if it is still valid?

Just bring it into a brokerage firm and they can look it up or deposit it in your account. In a few days you will know if there is any value.

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From: JEbaguette3 Monday, August 08, 2005 10:56 AM
what happens when you own a stock and it goes bankrupt? If that company goes back on the board is your stock still good

The stock will be good only if they did not dissolve it and open the company under a different name. The best example is K-Mart. They filed for bankruptcy and the stock that traded under the symbol KM on the NYSE was dissolved. They had to pay all the creditors and that left the common shareholders with nothing. K-Mart reorganized and re-applied as K-Mart Holding and started trading on the NASDAQ. The previous shareholders got nothing.

See if the stock still trades under the old symbol or call the company up and see what the story is.

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From: toughwoman1 Monday, August 08, 2005 08:41 PM
how do i get a copy of my stocks and amount?

Do you have them at a brokerage firm? Or is this stock from a company you work for?

You should be getting a at least a quarterly statement from the company who has your stocks.

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My husband was working in the attic of a very old house and found two, "Option Warrants To Purchase Common Stock Of The Common Wealth & Southern Corporation of Delaware" and were issused on May 5 & 6 1931.

How can I find a value for these warrants? How can I find the owners heirs and return the certs to them?

Thanks, Wanda

The stock trades under the symbol of SO on the New York Stock Exchange. On August 10th the last price quoted was $34. Warrants have an expiration date so I doubt they are worth anything. You can contact the investor relations department and the "stock transfer agent" would have the list of shareholders. If you gave them the name on the cert's they can look it up.

Go to: http://investor.southerncompany.com/stockholder/overview.cfm

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1 Oracle Corp.’s hostile bid for PeopleSoft Inc. has been the most highly Visible tech deal. Why was it identified as a hostile bid? What can a firm do to make takeover less likely?

People Soft wants to get the best price for their company and ORACLE basically said "You are going to take this offer whether you like or not." But shareholders have a strong voice and if they like the deal or hate the deal it will be known. Companies can take what is called a "poison pill" which protects them against hostile takeovers. It's a somewhat stall tactic that can get the government involved if it has to.

2. There has been much debate over whether Google’s auction-based IPO was a success and if it will influence future IPOs. What is an auction based IPO? What prompted Google to take this route? In addition, why are most IPOs under priced?

The owners at GOOGLE felt instead of the brokerage firms handling the IPO & deciding on what price the stock should be priced at they wanted the public to decide. With the auction method investors will tell the company they want " X " amount of shares and the price they are willing to pay for it. Its very risky. GOOGLE was a very HOT IPO that everyone wanted and it was going to go up no matter what. But as far as more IPOS using the Dutch method I would say only if it's a deal that is "over-subscribed". This is where investors just "gotta have it". IPO'S are not as popular as they were 5 - 10 years ago. Sure you may get a GOOGLE once in a while but for the most part investors may take a few shares if offered but they are not going to beg for it like the past.

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From: gal0914 Tuesday, August 09, 2005 12:36 PM
I own several shares of adelq, should I hold these shares or sell them. Are they basically worthless or is there a chance for them to increase in value

just based on the price and volume of the stock if you go back to January it was trading millions of shares and the price was in the $0.40 - $0.50 range.

As of July and August it has been trading the $0.11 - $0.15 range.

You are going to have make the decision on your own as everyone has a different level of risk. The creditors are going to get paid first, then bond holders, preferred shareholders and if there is any money left the common shareholders.

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From: jbs Tuesday, August 09, 2005 04:27 PM

Is sirius a good long term stock to buy?

Its not a bad company in my opinion but look for more competition to come out which will hurt not only Sirius but XM. I would not be surprised to see the cable operators offering some form of radio later down the line. I think its a good short term play. The reason is that as we get closer to January and the debut of Howard Stern the stock is going to make a move up. But I also feel that the stock will drop as there is an old adage on Wall Street:

Buy on the rumor sell on the news.

I know its a fact that Howard will be on Sirius but once the excitement dies out the investors will be asking:

"So what's next?"

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Froml: cpnel Tuesday, August 09, 2005 09:14 PM
How can I translate the CUSIP number from my IRA annuity holdings into STOCK TICKER SYMBOL?

Go to this Web site by Fidelity and they will let you look up stocks, mutual funds, annuities.

Link: http://activequote.fidelity.com/mmnet/SymLookup.phtml

From: marsha_ashberry Wednesday, August 10, 2005 10:51 AM
I used to work for Wal-Mart and all I want to know is how much is the stock I invested in?

WAL-MART closed at $48.84 on August 10th, 2005.

You can click on this link to their web-site each day to get a stock price and other investor information.

Go to: http://investor.walmartstores.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=112761&p=irol-irhome

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From: sforest Wednesday, August 10, 2005 11:28 AM
What happens to my stock if the company files for bankruptcy?

The company will still trade but expect to take a hit as far as the price goes. In my opinion I stay away from companies like these. If you don't own the stock the low price will appeal to you especially if its a company you are familiar with but in general these companies never re-live their glory years.

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What happened to stock symbol AWE?

The stock was bought out by CINGULAR. Go to this link and it will explain everything including cost average prices.

Go to:

http://www.att.com/ir/ss/tbi/faqwireless.html

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Hi Dr. Stock,

I am wondering how to go about finding out if my father invested in stocks before his death. There has been alot of speculation that he did. He did not leave a paper trail. Any info you could give me on recovering this info would be greatly appreciated.Thanks, Pam

If he did have stocks unless he directed the estate to give you or any family members the shares you will have to spend a lot of money to fight it in courts to get the inheritance.

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From: ttoli Saturday, August 06, 2005 09:57 AM
how do i locate what stock my deceased father held. the interest off the stocks have been escheated to the state of ca.

Your fathers lawyers who handled the estate would be able to tell you what holdings he had.

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I just bought 5000 shares of Winn Dixie thinking they had emerged from
bankruptcy only to see the "q" listing on their symbol. Am I correct in
thinking that I have opened myself up to a major problem. Meaning, did I
buy the old stock that will be paid out to creditors and I will lose
everything? I think I made a huge mistake, should I sell? Thanks

You did not make a mistake as that is the only stock that's trading on Winn Dixie as it was "de-listed". They did file for bankruptcy protection but there are investors who feel they will eventually come out of it and some who feel they will not.

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From:: ken Saturday, August 06, 2005 07:48 AM
What do you think will happen to Adelphia stock?

only the government knows. The soap opera will continue but don't expect much of a payout as the creditors must get paid first, bond holders, preferred shareholders and whatever is leftover will go to the common stockholders.

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Saturday, August 06, 2005 05:56 AM
what does it mean when a stock gets an e put after it's symbol

The "e" after the stock symbol means the company has not filed their quarterly returns on time.

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From: klintcooper2003 Thursday, August 04, 2005 05:41 PM
Do you think wwdh worldwide holding will go up? Its at .0001

This is the profile I read on Yahoo Finance and it says they are out of business:

In May 2003, TRSG Corporation changed its name to Worldwide Holdings Corporation. Worldwide Holdings Corporation, which was engaged in the distribution of vitamin, nutritional supplements, and whole health foods mainly in the United States of America and Canada, sold all of its assets, selected liabilities, and all of its operations to Gateway Distributors, Ltd., in December 2002. As a result, it ceased operations.

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Thursday, August 04, 2005 02:54 PM
how long to convert otc to national

In order to go NASDAQ, NMS you have to be trading at $5 for at least a 30 day average and have market capitalization of $20 million.

From: ChelseaMay1966 Thursday, August 04, 2005 01:49 PM
My mother has some GTE stocks that were her aunt's she is now deceased. What must my mother do to sell these stocks. I know she needs to get them transferred in her name,but how does she go about doing that? Also, how can she find out how much they are worth?

First I would bring the certificate to a brokerage firm to see if it has any value. If it does then you will need a "probate" lawyer who handled your aunt's estate to have it transferred in your mothers name. Then she can deposit the cert in her own account.

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Froml: russellb Thursday, August 04, 2005 01:14 PM
How do I calculate my costs basis for Sears stocks bought in the early 70's and sold in the late K Mart merger?

I emailed SEARS and you can call their investor relations department for past prices:
If you have more specific dates we can provide you with historical stock
prices. Please call 847-286-7385 for assistance.

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From: wwhui Thursday, August 04, 2005 08:02 AM
I have stock certificates for Data General Corp that was bought out by EMC in 1999, do you know how I can cash out the certificates?

You would have to deposit the cert into a brokerage account and they would have to make the adjustments.

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From: cubbybare52 Wednesday, August 03, 2005 03:53 PM

we have a certificate for 1000 share of k-mart stock. is it worth anything since it merged with sears?

If you have the old K-Mart certificate from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) symbol-KM it is not worth anything. If you have the K-Mart stock from the NASDAQ - symbol-KMRT then it was worth a bundle as they merged with SEARS and goes under the symbol SHLD which is over $100 a share. Go into a local broker to find out which cert you have.

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Wednesday, August 03, 2005 11:49 AM
when is vmii going to start going up big time?

On March 21st news came out that AVAYA has signed a contract with a US telephone company and it would be installing VMII'S mailboxes. Once that name is released which could be at anytime then VMII will never see these prices again. Take advantage and buy more shares while it is under $1.

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I have discovered that my father's estate held 200 shs of KMart stock in 2004. Is there a Class Action Lawsuit that I should join to participate in and recover some of that money? Thanks Julia

I hate to say you cannot sue K-Mart as they were protected when the filed bankruptcy. Just have your accountant get you a "worthless stock certificate" form and write it off.

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I just learned that we have shares to Verizon…I didn’t not know this as I thought my father liquidated all these thing before he died but we have 29.00 shares somehow. I would rather sell these but I do not really want to sell them back to the company. Is there a way to sell them to someone else and would this possible make us more money on them (ie selling to someone who might be collecting Verizon stock as to get enough proxy for control issues etc). I want to make the most of these small stocks as we have little money now caring for my mother who lost her insurance and suffering through a fire last Christmas Eve. I did check into re-investing them but it seems that Verizon’s stock is starting to fall from what it was a month ago. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! J Sincerely, Cristi

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. If you have a brokerage account then deposit the certificates and liquidate them. If you do not have an account then see if your bank can sell the shares for you. I would not look for an individual investor as you then must transfer the stock into their name which will cost you time & money.

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From: crnatoobee Monday, August 01, 2005 06:16 PM
if a company you own stock in files for chap 11 protection and merges with another company, what happens to your stock in the chap 11 company?

If the other company is a publicly traded company then nothing happens. They are combining assets and whatever the stock is trading at that is the price. The public will either bid the stock higher or investors will cash out.

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From: twouofifans Monday, August 01, 2005 02:43 PM

I inherited Sears from my mother who passed away May 13, 1966. I have always taken a cash dividend. What is my cost basis?

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From: natmat Sunday, July 31, 2005 11:58 AM
I have received a few shares of stock from the following companies,
Gannaway International Corporation,American-Caribbean Oil
Co.,Central American Petrolium,and Equitable Development Corporation.
Could anyone tell me what the shares go for, if at all??

I could not find out anything on those stocks. The best bet is to just deposit the certificates in your brokerage account and in a few days they can tell you if there is any value.

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From: grabberlime Tuesday, June 28, 2005 03:51 PM
what happened to Woolworth Corporation

The company was sold in 1997. It was called Venator and then in 2001 Foot Locker which was a Woolworth owned store took over the few remaining stores and the symbol is: FL (NYSE).

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From: corpjati Thursday, June 30, 2005 09:32 AM
what does a no-par value issued stock certificate look like?

Its a regular stock certificate but has no price printed on it.

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From: sandislandhi Saturday, July 02, 2005 01:09 PM
What will happen to U.S. Airways stocks when they merge with American West Airlines.

Nothing has been determined as far the stock goes. The merge still has to get regulatory approval sometime in September or October at that point investors will get a better picture.

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From: kingcheapo Saturday, June 25, 2005 01:15 AM
Should I invest in the stock market and lose my money like
everyone else or buy safe ibonds and keep my money?

Who says everyone is losing their money in the stockmarket. There is risk in every investment it's just a matter of how greedy you are. If you take profits big & small you can't get hurt.

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From: happy34120 Friday, June 24, 2005 08:32 AM
I am thinking of buying UPTD.PK current price .01, and hopfully
sell it at .02 next week because it goes up and down a lot like
this. This way i could double my money but the stock's volume is
low, sometimes zero. Is it a good thought to buy it anyway?
Can you also tell me in brief what does stocks ending in PK and OB
mean? Scottrade doesn't even show their quotes but yahoo does. Why?

As far as the endings "ob" & "pk" go:

"ob" represents a stock that trades on the Bulletin Board.
"pk"- means it trades on the pink sheets.

These endings are only for Yahoo Finance. Whether its Scott Trade or any other brokerage house only type in the symbol to get a quote.

UPTD.PK is a pink sheet stock which means there is no "bid" (sell) or buy (ask) price. You have to put in a "limit" order of $0.01 and see if the market makers will give you that price. There is no guarantee you will get filled. Just keep trying and "if" you finally get $0.01 then you can put in an order to sell at $0.02.

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From: vanillag2002 Wednesday, June 22, 2005 04:30 PM
What will happen when bank of the west buys com fed how would this affect my com fed stock.

For each share of Commercial Federal Corp (NYSE: CFB) you will receive $34. Banc West will also be giving a special 50 -cents per share dividend at the closing of the deal.

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From: mhdow2000 Wednesday, June 22, 2005 04:25 AM

what does the .pk at the end of a stock ticker symbol mean?

The " PK " at the end of the stock means it trades on the pink sheets and is considered a penny stock.

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From: jobear Tuesday, June 21, 2005 12:25 PM
we have 4000 shares of adelphia do we sell now

There is not much value right now. I would wait to see what Time Warner & Comcast does for the shareholders.

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From: brm_5853 Monday, June 20, 2005 04:07 PM

a friend of mine recently made the statement that Walmart has sold out to China. Any truth in that? Thanks.

It was reported that Wal-Mart is planning on opening 10 - 15 new stores in China this year but they are not selling the company.

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Tuesday, June 14, 2005 09:08 AM

dr., there has been a big big buzz about a 2 cent stock infl.ob have you heard of this voip long distance carrier?? usa said it was the stock to watch and had a potential to be a boom soon....

I don't currently follow the stock.

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Friday, June 10, 2005 11:14 AM

Hello Dr.Stock How are warrents handeled in a corporate buy-out. They cant just dissapear, or can they ? Thanx

Warrants do have an expiration date.

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Friday, June 10, 2005 06:28 AM

What is Sears Roebuck & Co. Stock Symbol?

SEARS now trades under the symbol: SHLD on the NASDAQ.

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From: AmigoJoel Monday, July 11, 2005 7:44 pm
Do worthless stocks have to be claimed on your taxes within a
certain period of time after those stocks have become worthless. Sometimes its
difficult to know exactly when that is?
One of my large Internet bubble holdings ( paid approx $40 share ) was valued
on my Ameritrade statement at pennies for several years before
disappearing ???? Thanks Doc

Since the stock was trading for pennies it technically wasn't worthless. But I would write it off now. Ameritrade can always back you up with the confirmations on the buy side & sell side.

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From: gvanhorn10 Date: Sunday, July 10, 2005 07:24 PM
udlent in their bankruptcy. is there any hope at all?

Who is udlent? What is their symbol.

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From: galosh75 Sunday, July 10, 2005 08:19 AM
Doctor! Doctor!-- where is a good place to buy and sell private
stock? I am starting a busines, I think it will grow nicely. 1!
problem Doctor i dont have the capital or good credit (dam student
loans). Anyway Doc. I was going to incorporate and try to sell
stock in my company. Any better funding ideas? is there a place
thats good to buy sell and trade private company stock?

You can do what is called a private placement. It is very risky for investors as there is no guarantee the company will succeed or go public. These investors must be accredited, have a certain net worth and can show earings of $250,000 for the past 5 years plus other factors. I would look for a securites lawyer and find out more.

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From: James Peterson Saturday, July 9, 2005 5:02 pm
Hi Dr-Stock: Here's a good one !
I received a stock Dividend different from another stock in my
regular IRA account.
The div Stock is privately held, not traded & "restricted" !
I withdrew most from the IRA by a CERT which I now have.
Plan to use the par value of .0001 for withdraw Taxes.
I had to open my big mouth & ask others if it was OK to deposit
this in my Roth IRA.
Again using the par value of .0001 to figure toward the yearly
contribution. (expect a big pay-out some day, ha!)
My Tax man didn't know & the Broker hot-line said I can't deposit
Stock in a IRA, only cash ! Well I have already deposited 2 different stock CERT's into my Roth !
And I have receiver 4 different "restricted" Div's in my reg IRA !
So what's going on ???
Can you point me to something in writing to give to the Broker,
if it's good for me of course, ha !
Thanks, James

I did a little research, you can move shares from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA as long as you do not exceed the annual contribution limit. You pay the taxes on the value of the distribution from the IRA as you would if you sold the stock and withdrew it and as far as I can tell do not pay the 10% early withdrawal penalty. I got this information fromScottrade's IRA agreement. I trust this helps. Regards Mike

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From: "Harvey, Calvin IT2, C5I" Friday, July 8, 2005 2:43 pm
What are you predictions on the Prepaid Legal Services Inc. stock (PPD)since early may it has went up from $32.17 to %50.35 when the market closed on Friday. I already have a few shares but since I'm a newbie investor I don't have much money to put in. Also, what do you think about the stock (SIRI)? Thanks, Calvin

I don't personally track the stock. Looking at the chart since it hit a 52 week high we should see a pullabck of 10% - 15% - so anywhere from $43 - $45 would not be bad. There is also a chance they could announce a stock split since it's at an all-time high. Then you would have a buy opportunity.

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From: eGirl Investments Saturday, July 9, 2005 2:32 am
Dearest Dr. Stock, thank you very much for your time and your
service. I am looking to purchase a 'Delisted Stock Symbol' for
the cheapest price possible. Can you tell me where I can find one?
Thankx, :-) Kat

You have to purchase what is called a "shell". This is a company that once traded publicly and went bankrupt but still has the proper filing to go public under a new name. They can cost around $30 - $70,000 depending on how clean of a company you are looking for. I will try to locate someone and let you know.

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From: Harry Lawrence Friday, July 8, 2005 5:45 pm
I have recently purchased 20,000 shares of Kaiser Aluminum (KLUCQ)
which is currently in bankruptcy.
My purchase price was .04 per share.
The stock had climbed to around .09 and then suddenly dropped to
.012 within a couple days after they announced their
reorganization plan to come out of bankroptcy in the last quarter
of 2005. The price is back up to .05 today.
I thought that coming out of bankruptcy would be a good thing?
Should I sell now while there's still a chance to get my money back? Thanks

I don't track the stock personally. But when you have a speculative stock like that there were plenty of "traders" who purchased large amounts of shares and when you have a tremendous gain up to $0.09 that showed you no one really cares if they come out of bankruptcy or not. You may get another run up and if that happens be prepared to sell at least 50 - 75% of your position. You have to realize your cost average is $0.04 but there were plenty of traders who got in at $0.012 and now it's at $0.05 that is a nice score. The only reason I suggest to sell a portion is because if you get your original investment PLUS a profit then you have a win - win situation. If it drops again maybe you can purchase at $0.012 or if it continues to move up you still have shares. If you just like the stock then at least the pressure is off and hold for the long-term.

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slytyguy Wednesday, July 06, 2005 11:12 PM
I own a sizable holding of Westjet airlines WJA.TO. Should I hold
on to the stock or sell, Thanks!

I don't personally track the stock. Since you do own a sizable amount I would determine what percentage gain you have and if "you're" satisfied then sell 50 - 75%. Speaking for myself only I'm in the market to make money not hold the stocks until my 3 kids are ready to go to college in 9 - 12 years. Those days are gone where our grandparents or parents purchased FORD or BELL TELEPHONE 80 years ago and kept passing it along to each kid only selling a few shares at a time.
Looking at WJA they seem to be a very solid company but the difference between the 52-week low & high is only $7.10. It's a pretty narrow range.

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From: nwolff2 Sunday, June 26, 2005 7:29 pm
Subject: Walmart Stock
How can I sell my Walmart stock if I'm not the one holding my
certificate? How can I find out who is holding it?
Nancy Wolff

When you say "I'm not the one holding the certificate" is it in anothers person name or is it a part of a 401k plan. Let me know

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From: wmitchell Thursday, June 23, 2005 12:17 PM
If i have stock in UAIRQ and they merge with America West what
happens to my stock.

Wait until the merge occurs in September or October as it must pass regulatory approval

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From: fingersfish Tuesday, June 28, 2005 08:42 AM
I have bought stock in PFMS.OB and it is dropping quite low. Any
advise on this stock?

I don't follow the stock. It looks like someone is dumping shares based on the large daily volume. If you feel the company is good then look at the low price as a buying opportunity but wait for the dust to settle because it may drop lower

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From: mls14 Wednesday, July 20, 2005 01:18 PM
Can you tell me when Greyhound Corp was purchased by Dial Corp.? I
believe it was in the late 80's (1987?) and what was the ratio of
Greyhound common shares into Dial Corp.? Thanks for your help as
this has been really difficult to find.

Here is what I found:

In December 1986, Greyhound Corporation sold Greyhound Lines to an investor group but retained ownership of Greyhound Lines of Canada, MCI and TMC. This meant that the ties between MCI and its traditional largest customer and basically the founder of the MC range had been severed. In January 1987, Greyhound Corporation bought the GMC transit bus manufacturing, including RTS production in Pontiac, Michigan, and Classic production in Ste Eustache, Canada. The RTS production was transferred to the TMC Roswell facility, while the Classic production continued in Ste Eustache. An additional plant for the Classic was opened in New York State.

Several changes occurred during this period. TMC stopped production of coaches and concentrated on the RTS production in 1990. To avoid confusion between Greyhound Corporation and Greyhound Lines, which were now unrelated companies, Greyhound Corporation changed its name to Dial Corporation in 1991. In 1993 the Classic bus production was sold to Nova Bus. In August 1993, Dial Corporation divested itself from the bus production and established an independent corporation, MCII or Motor Coach Industries International. Included were MCI, TMC, Custom Coach Corp. and Hausman Bus Sales, among others.

In 1994, MCII merged with Dina from Mexico. As a result, RTS production and the Roswell plant were sold to Nova Bus, and MCI started marketing the Dina Viaggio coach in the US. Towards the year 2000 the integration of the two companies intensified and the new MCI F and G models are produced in Mexico

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From: bennethum Wednesday, July 20, 2005 07:30 AM
What does it mean when an e is added to the end of a stock symbol?

The "e" means they have not filed their earnings report with the SEC

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wmitchell Tuesday, July 19, 2005 10:49 AM
If you buy Maytag stock and whirlpool buys out Maytag what happens
to the Maytag stock.

If you own Maytag and they accept the buyout price from Whirlpool then you will get $17 for every share you own. Once the transaction is approved then one day your account will have no more shares of Maytag but there will be a cash balance.

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From: melynda.rivers Monday, July 18, 2005 03:03 PM
I have 5 shares each in Great Basins Petrolium and Columbian
Northland Exploration and was wondering if they are worth
anything...I have searched the internet to NO AVAIL...HELP!!!

If you have the actual certificates look at the back and see if there is a "cusip" number. If there is email me those numbers and I will try to look it up. The cusip # is a catalog reference that will allow you to look up a stock price.
Or you can just deposit those shares in your brokerage account and they will tell you if they have any value.

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From: robern Monday, July 18, 2005 12:04 PM
when you see a stock that wsa traded how do you know if it was bought or sold

If you can see the live quotes then look at the "bid" & "ask". If the price of the stock was $5 (bid) X $5.25 (ask) and you saw the "last trade" was $5 then it was a sell order. There are times that someone was able to buy or sell in between those prices. Based on the above prices you may see a price of $5.12 and we won't know if that was a buy or sell.

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From: AJM-TWA.kc. Sunday, July 17, 2005 07:56 PM
First, I Have Never In My Six Mos On The Net Had Such A Great
EDUCATION On Tading As Tonight! Thank You Dr. Stock. would you
rather have a bouquet of Roses Or A Case Of Bud On Your Doorstep?
HERE IS MY QUESTION: I P urchased A Stock "IDCO". This Was DUE
To A Promotional Mag.Came To My Mailbox, In My Name Unsolicited.
The Whole Research On Who Owned It, How It Was Run, The Whole
Fingerprint Identification Issue Which Is Truly Up And Coming And
So Necessary Sounded So Enlightening Plus The Fact That The GOV'T,
The Military Would be buying It In Addition To The Fact That It
Would Be Making Great Profits In A Reasonable Amt. Of Time. I Buy
And Sell. I Had A Sell In At What I Considered A High.I Had A
CallFrom The Broker Who Told Me To Change My Sell To IDCOE. At The
Time I Complied But It Bothered Me. When i Checked The Stock, It
Was At $0.86. I Was Dumbfounded! I Checked The Volume And There
Was Very Little To Justify Such A Drastic Fall. I Then Called The
Broker Who Said That Their Q Report Was Late.[This Was Around
5/25/05]. I Own A Program Called Wizetrade, Which I Love, It Is Up
To The Minute With The N.Y. Exchange.It Has Baskets. I Used One
Basket Just For !
IDCO/IDCOE. I Learned That What I was Being Told [THAT THE E WAS
'JUST' ADDED] AND THAT IDCO WAS NOT THERE ANYMORE WAS NOT TRUE. I
LEARNED THAT IDCO/IDCOE HAVE BEEN RUNNING SIDE BY SIDE SINCE AS
FAR BACK AS I CAN SEE [2003]. In Fact When I Was Switched to
IDCVOE @$0.86/ Suddenly IDCO Was @ $1.26!! I Was So Inflamed At
Such That I Called Scottrade Who Said I Was Wrong. I Then Asked
Some Knowlegeable People Who Advised Me To ContCT tHE SEC, Which I
Did.The SEC Agreed With Scottrade And Scottrade Told Me To SELL
ALL MY STOCKS AND GET OUT THAT THEY THIS PARTICULAR BROKER DID NOT
HAVE TIME FOR MY EMAILS. I STILL FOLLOW IDCO/IDCOE. IDCO HAS
STARTED TO MOVE B-U-T WHAT ABOUT ALL THE MONIES IN THE HOLDING
PLACE IDCOE?? THEY HAVE SWAPPED PLACES A FEW TIMES. THE Q REPORT
WAS JUST SOOOO BAD, RIGHT AFTER MY COMPLAINT, AND DAYS AFTER MY
COMPLAINT A JUN03,8K FD filing Came Out That was Just In Direct
Reverse Of The Q Report Days Earlier!Now This Latest Q Report Is
The Direct Mimick Of The !
JUN03 8K FD fILING!!What Is Your Opinion??

Thanks for the compliment. I'll take the Bud.

I see on the news of June 3rd IDCO has said they felt the "E" should not have been put on the stock. But if the SEC does not receive their financials on time you can be IBM you are in trouble. It's not like a horse race where after the race an "inquiry" sign comes up and everyone holds their breath on the outcome. The SEC will put the "E'" on your symbol. Of course the public will overreact and that is why the volume was so crazy. I wish I had better news for you.

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From: "A.J.MICHAELS" Sunday, July 17, 2005 11:28 pm
IF I HAD A SELL ORDER IN FOR A BB STOCK @ $0.08 AND THE STOCK SHOT
UP TO $0.10 AND THE VOLUME WAS @ 22MILLION AND I WAS PASSED OVER,
AND THE EXCUSE WAS THAT I WAS NOT DUE A FILL ON JUN 29,2005
BECAUSE AT THE TIME MY ORDER WAS ENTERED THE SPREAD WAS 3.6 AND
ASK 3.7 [MY ORDER WAS IN FOR OVER A WEEK]. THE CLAIM WAS THAT THE
HIGH WAS 4.7. they claim that a 5000SH REPORTED @$0.10 WAS OUTSIDE
THE MARKET [BETW MARKET MAKER AND AN INSTITUTION]. I WAS TOLD THAT
ONLY ORDERS WITHIN THE MARKET FOR A SECURITY WOULD EFFECT MY TRADE.!
I ARGUED THAT MY ORDER WAS IN FOR OVER A WEEK, THAT MANY SITES POSTED "CYOS" @ $0.10 AND WITH A VOLUME OF OVER 22MILLION THIS SHOULD NOT BE! I ALSO ARGUED THAT INSTITUTIONS
BUY BIG LOTS NOT 5000SH AND IF IT WAS RECORDED PUBLICLY THEN I
WAS ENTITLED A FILL.! ALSO THAT IF YOU WERE BUYING WOULD'NT YOU
RATHER BUY IN @ $0.08 THAN 0.10, WHEN YOU COULD BUY OVER ONE
HUNDRED SH MORE?? -- REGARDLESS OF WHO YOU NWERE? THIS IS TRULY A
MYSTERY? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR A CANDID ANSWER. A.J.

Normally a stock other then a NYSE will be cancelled by the end of the day and you would have to put in another order. The Specialists on the floor handle the NYSE stocks. Other stocks expecially BB will get cancelled.

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From: jrahammond Friday, July 15, 2005 03:00 PM
i would like to buy stock how and to be good at it.

Just read all the books you can and see if your local college has some courses you can take.

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From: cbraden Tuesday, July 12, 2005 02:51 PM
what was the price of sears stock in dec 1990

I emailed SEARS and you can call their investor relations department for past prices:
If you