Home
>
Stocks & Mutual Fund
>
Dont Buy Worldcom! A Guide to Wise Bottom Fishing

Dont Buy Worldcom! A Guide to Wise Bottom Fishing

Over the past few months, several investment professionals have brought up the topic of the down-and-out company of the day and whether to buy now as a speculation. Last year, K-Mart was the big news, and everyone wanted to know whether this was a good stock play. Today the news is focused on WorldCom and its downfall. Thus, some people are pondering this stock for quick profit potential.

Here's the scoop: Don't buy WorldCom.

I know! It's impossible for MCI to disappear: they're too big, they're too popular, their service is excellent, etc. That's the good news that everyone is talking about. But there's another side a darker side to the story. The company filed for bankruptcy because of their massive debt load, not just because of accounting failures. The accounting failures probably only came to light as a result of the company's lack of funds.

In the end, it will be the same story as K-Mart. It won't matter whether K-Mart or MCI survive, the shareholders will not. If the business survives still debatable in K-Mart's case, but more likely in MCI's business ownership will be transferred to the bondholders and other creditors by law. This is what bankruptcy courts do. Shareholders get nothing. If you want to gamble on MCI/WorldCom, you might consider their bonds rather than their stocks, although that option may not be great either.

So, is it pointless to look at "down-and-out" stocks as quick turnaround opportunities? Well, we may avoid the "down-and-out", and instead just invest in the "down-and-uncertain". These can be awesome opportunities, but be aware that the risks are sometimes high among these downtrodden firms.

Here is a list of 25 of these beaten down stocks which today sell for under $5. Some are well-known businesses, other names are less commonly known. Some are dot.coms suffering from the fallout of that moniker, while some languish in other areas of high tech. The energy market has taken more than its share of hits since Enron's collapse, and that industry is well represented on the list. Telecom, still reeling from WorldCom's collapse, is also present. For variety, the list includes everything from media to education, from international trade financing to pencil-graphite production.

If you're convinced that buying the beaten down is the best way to make money, this should provide you vastly better choices than K-Mart or WorldCom. Anything on this list is better than those two doomed stocks. While a few are pending investigation (*starred), most have fallen simply because of the whims of the market. Some are even maintaining profits in this tough environment.

With the market in the doldrums, out-of-favor companies sometimes fall more than would be rational. As a result, you might find great buys in stocks like this. But in this market, there are great buys everywhere. The question is when to buy.

Market timing is not necessarily wise, but when the market is falling as harshly as it has been, one can afford to wait until the stock is so low that you are virtually certain it can't go lower. Some of these stocks have reached that level.

To send comments or to learn more about Scott Pearson's Investment Advisor Services, visit http://www.valueview.net

Scott Pearson is an investment advisor, writer, editor, instructor, and business leader. As President and Chief Investment Officer of Value View Financial Corp., he offers investment management services to a wide variety of clients. His own newsletter, Investor's Value View, is distributed worldwide and provides general money tips and investment advice to readers both internationally, and in the U.S.

kitchen deep cleaning Deerfield ..

In The News:

Airport workers report surge in fake lost luggage claims as scammers retrieve discarded baggage tags containing passenger names and travel information.

Unlike robotaxi competitors, Tensor focuses on consumer-owned self-driving cars that adapt to highways and urban roads with full redundancy systems for safety.

Medicare scams cost $54 billion in 2024 as fraudsters target beneficiaries with fake calls demanding payments and personal information to steal benefits.

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.

The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Dont Buy Worldcom! A Guide to Wise Bottom Fishing

Stocks & Mutual Fund