BUY: PPD (NYSE), HNR (NYSE) MOT (NYSE), PWEI (NASDAQ), PLAY (NASDAQ)

• Purchased 78 shares of Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc (PPD/NYSE) at $34.20/share = $2,667.60.
• Purchased 254 shares of Anika Therapeutics Inc (ANIK/NYSE) at $10.58/share = $2,687.32.
• Purchased 133 shares of Motorola Inc (MOT/NYSE) at $20.08/share = $2,670.64.
• Purchased 217 shares of Harvest Natural Resources Inc (HNR/NYSE) at $12.38/share = $2,686.46.
• Purchased 90 shares of PW Eagle Inc (PWEI/NASDAQ) at $29.55/share = $2,659.50.
• Purchased 266 shares of PortalPlayer Inc (PLAY/NASDAQ) at $10.10/share = $2,686.60.

Initial bank account: $65,629.72
Total cost (shares): $2,667.60 + $2,687.32 + $2,670.64 + $2,686.46 + $2,659.50 + $2,686.60 = $16,058.12
Total cost (transactions): $15 x 6 = $90
Final bank account: $49,481.60

Portfolio:

• CALL (NASDAQ) : 545 (price is down $0.66/share or 15% since purchase)
• KG (NYSE): 131 (price is down $1.53/share or 8.7% since purchase)
• PNCL (NASDAQ): 333 (price is down $0.30/share or 4.3% since purchase)
• SGTL (NASDAQ): 271 (price is down $4.14/share or 48% since purchase)
• PPD (NYSE): 78
• ANIK (NYSE): 254
• MOT (NYSE): 133
• HNR (NYSE): 217
• PWEI (NASDAQ): 90
• PLAY (NASDAQ): 266

The general markets have behaved thusly since my last purchase. The NASDAQ composite index fell from 2,370.8799 to 2,129.95, a loss of 10.16%. The Dow Jones Industrial average fell from 11,278.7695 to 11,014.54, a loss of 2.3%. The S&P 500 index fell from 1,309.93 to 1,251.54, a loss of 4.5%.

It is far too early to draw any conclusions one way or another, but 3 out of my 4 purchases have seen their prices decline fairly drastically and in only one case has that decline been at the same rate as (rather than appreciably faster than) the general market. I discovered that a 2-minute glance at the skeleton financials for SGTL that globeinvestor.com or MSN Money provides should have dissuaded me from purchasing. Over the past 12 months, the company is now operating at a loss. However, its consequent unpopularity has driven the price very low and, should it continue to plummet (and the company recover its financial position), it may be an attractive purchase going forward.