Exploiting BP's Weakness
I have had a varied career. I spent two decades in technology before launching a hedge fund in 2008. Prior to that, and just out of college, I spent 18 months as a professional poker player in the late 1980s. I even managed to win a few minor tournaments. Those months were a great training ground for a future career as a professional trader. Poker teaches you many skills, such as being able to calculate probabilities, being aggressive when the odds on your side and knowing how to recognize special situations.
One of the situations I loved playing during tournaments was going up against a player that was "shortstacked." Because of the individual's poor financial position, the player would have to make moves that otherwise they would not prudently make, and it gave me an advantage. This same scenario can play out in the market if a company needs to raise funds by divesting assets. One such situation exists currently with BP (BP), which has been unloading oil and gas properties in order to raise $38 billion to fund the aftermath (litigation, fines) of the Gulf oil spill. Here are two companies that recently picked up strategic assets from BP that will accelerate their growth prospects....419 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
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