Luke's general blog

From [http://www.arkansasonline.com/ShowStoryTemplate.asp?Path=ArDemocrat/2007/01/26&ID=Ar03305&Section=Business] (subscription required):

"Wong said companies in the marketing industry in general are facing problems with earnings, citing Harte-Hanks Inc., another direct marketer that he watches. Net earnings for Harte-Hanks were down 4 percent in its most recent quarter, compared with a 9 percent drop at Acxiom."

I had concluded that companies that depend on marketing revenue, which Acxiom still does, are the first to be affected in an economic downturn -- marketing is the least short-term-impacting way for a general company to cut their costs (a significant cost) in order for a general company to still make their numbers. But the marketing industry feels the pinch. It doesn't show up in other companies because it's merely a dip in how much they "renewed" or "initiated" marketing campaigns.

So...I had concluded that the next time this happened (the clearest time was in 2000; pre 9/11) that I would do something...but what to do? I have less than 2 months to decide.

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  May 31, 2007, 9:17 am - Luke (http://www.lukesfamily.com)

  Well, now the reason for the distressing behavior is now clear, and I was one of the first employees of to go "stock free".

  It's easy to self-doubt with hindsight on these things, but I would have had to sit on $25,000 worth of stock accumulated over the last 7 years to have made another 20% -- that's not the kind of risk scenario that makes sense to me.

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  January 26, 2007, 7:03 am - Luke (http://www.lukesfamily.com)

  Just in case anyone misinterprets what I'm considering...this is about my stock placement in the market apart from my company (I have a strategy for my company stock that is circumspect with my employment there). It doesn't have to do with working for a company or not. I'm trying to figure out if I need to pull back from my general market exposure.