American Greetings Corp (AM)

I have purchased AM :-

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=am&.yficrumb=yIQAwlz5SoW

Industry: printing & publishing
EPS = -4.55
EPS EST 1yr = 2.000 2yr = 2.205
EPS EST Q1 = 0.660 Q2 = 0.265
PE = na Industry 21.3
PB = 1.44 Industry 1.6
PS = 0.51 Industry 0.9
P/CF = na industry 10.7
P/FCF = 6.0 Industry 8.7
Yield 2.2 Industry 0.0
Gross profit margin = 53.4 Industry 53.5
Operating margin = -13.3 Industry -13.3
Net Profit Margin = -12.8 Industry -12.8
ROA = -14.2 Industry -14.1
ROE = -36.5 Industry 1.0
Insider ownership = 2.4
Greenblatt ROC = -42.12
Greenblatt Earnings Yield = 0.00
PosFCF generic % free cash flow yield 16.59%***
Passes 13 of 17 of Mike Klein's metrics
MaxPrice = 102.82 Discount 79%**
Metrics from qtr ending 8/28/2009
Caps rank 1
http://caps.fool.com/Ticker/AM.aspx
MC score 251

All good enough for my money. I only suggest stocks that I own !

(See posts 388/584/665/760/1051/1807/2213/3546/3755/4046/4208/4225/4345/4573/4818/5241/5242/5310/5461/5579/
5169/7651 on 'Investment Analysis Clubs / Dynamic Value Investing ' board for extra due diligence applied ). **MaxPrice is a generic version of Mike Klein's Maxprice and ROC and Earnings yields are generic versions of Greenblatt's metrics. *** PosFCF generic % free cash flow yield taken from AAII and posts 5248 and 5253

See 'Investment Analysis Clubs / Dynamic Value Investing' board and my CAPS profile for further excellent companies selling at a discount to Maxprice with excellent current metrics. CAPS only shows my selections over 100Mill (unfortunately due to restricted lower market cap applied by MF CAPS).

As stated on the 'Investment Analysis Clubs /Dynamic Value Investing' board my aim is to obtain up to 50% returns p.a. as Buffett stated he could obtain (3 times) recently. A very difficult task but you can follow along with my buys and sells on my CAPS page, where I put my money where my mouth is . If I perform well I hope you can benefit. If not , feel free to ignore my comments. CAPS allows each and everyone of us to be clinically judged on our stock picking abilities over the LONG TERM.

Please always do your own due diligence before investing.

Manucastle :o)

a good greeting cards company

merry christmas

AM has a too high valuation compared to its sales potential. It is also loss making. Its sales are stagnating at least until 2011.

If everyone is more than happy sending Facebook birthday requests or JibJab animated greetings, how can this company grow?

keep it no matter what

Gift cards will always be here. And they dominate that business. Like Warren Buffet says, "Buy what you know."

Very attractive price in down economy makes gift cards a better present than durable goods.

ccest

The Company creates, manufactures and distributes social expression products including greeting cards, gift wrap, party goods, calendars and stationery as well as custom display fixtures.

Making the turn earnings.

This company is one of 62 listed on the BetterInvesting Growth Screen in January 2008. It met 4 criteria: it is projected by Value Line to double earnings in the next five years, has actually doubled earnings in the past 5 years, is selling at price-earnings multiples (P/E’s) that are 110 percent or less of Value Line’s projected earnings growth rate and has a safety rating of average or better. It was listed in the March 2008 BetterInvesting magazine.

ENERGY SOLAR

LOng term loser with no reason to assume that won't continue.

the greeting card will go the way of the telephone booth

Great quarter and recent licensing of South Park characters adds up to a winner.

Long term trends are putrid - future is looking even worse, no amount of share buybacks can cover that up. Extended comments here: http://www.fool.com/news/mft/2006/mft06063028.htm