email: taipan@agora-inc.com      What ever happened to virtual sex?
     When was the last time you thought about the
famed “data glove”… dusted off the fuel cells in your
car… or had a spare part for your boat “faxed” to you
in 3-D as you watched the sun set over Punta Cana?      Most technology “stories” of the past ten years have
by now played themselves out—think Internet B2B,
cell phones, and virtual reality. Chances are, most
investors who bought into these stories are not much
better off than they were before.      Greg Eckler, co-author of the 20-20 hindsight trea-
tise Bull!, provides an idea of how the mainstream brand of “ story” investing tends to work out for most:       “In 2000 Eckler discovers fuel cells, snapping up Ballard Power Systems
at a bargain US$60 against his father’s stern warning that companies with
no profits in their history are not worth US$5 billion. Eckler Jr.’s brilliance
becomes clear as the stock hits US$100. Less clear when it hits US$10.
Eckler Sr. explains that ‘whether it’s fuel cells or flying cars, until there’s
profit, it’s just a story.’” Ahead of the curve If you are a long-time Taipan member, you probably had a good chuckle reading this. After all, our “ story” hunter-gatherers at Taipan began tracking Ballard Power Systems (BLDP:NASDAQ) in June 1998—  a full two years
before the story was “                                     discovered” by Eckler. Which means that Taipan sub-
scribers had a fighting chance to get into the stock when it was trading below
US$27. And with a trailing stop (any trailing stop!) in place, the Ballard
“ story” at its height of hype would have netted between US$90 and US$100 in cold, hard, pragmatic profits. Just look at the chart: even Eckler had at
least two chances to break even on his US$60-a-share-investment. So what went wrong? Next, please… MARCH 2004 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 5 This issue went to print 2-20-04. Prices and margins quoted reflect levels at this date.   For your  FREE  daily
market updates, sign up for our  FREE e-Dispatch at www.247profits.com “Until there’s a profit…a story is
just a story”: Focus on the reality
of the markets and you’ll find a
blueprint for profits Here are five stocks with average gains of
50.2%… and there’s still time to get in! J. Christoph Amberger