Pounce: How to Seize Profit in Today's Chaotic Markets [Abridged, Audiobook, CD] [Audio CD]

Ken Stern (Author), William Dufris (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2009

As Seen on Public Television

EAT OR BE EATEN

In turbulent markets you need to become an investment predator. Investment predators create a plan for capturing their prey (prime investment opportunities) while risk is fairly low, and spit the bones out (sell the investment) before they become prey themselves.

Pounce describes a system that is neither frantic day trading nor passive buy-and-hold investing. You set up a three-pronged strategy based on quantitative measures of market value, economic direction, and market sentiment, and then choose stocks, exchange traded funds (ETFs), or mutual funds using easy-to-understand criteria. You tweak the system no more than once a month. You’ve now got the laws of probability in your favor. Recessions, disruptive periods, or bear markets become windows of opportunity.

Pounce teaches you with dozens of specific examples how to run your investment life so as to never be the prey again!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stern (To Hell and Back) offers fierce investment advice, goading readers to admit that their brains get in the way of profits. They must trust animal instincts instead, sharpen their claws and get ready to live by the law of the jungle to capture prey and spit out the bones. With such rhetoric, the system Stern sets forth is surprisingly tame and prosaic (e.g., reviewing investments monthly for underlying value, price direction and market sentiment). Individual strategies include technical analysis (drawing lines on charts to try to guess future price movements), fundamental analysis (valuing companies based on accounting and economic data) and market psychology. This is not a book for beginners; it does not cover the basics of financial planning and assumes a familiarity with accounting and financial data. Although no figures are given, it seems to assume about a million dollars available for investment in liquid securities and enough outside income that the portfolio need not provide cash. This book would be most appropriate for seasoned investors who trust the author's investment acumen and want a blueprint for imitating it. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

POUNCE ON INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Pounce:
- Is the ultimate, simple system for superior investment management.
- Tells you what you wished your money manager knew.
- Lets you adjust your portfolio just once per month.
- Reveals tested strategies that consistently beat the market.
- Requires no complex analysis—follow the screens and pounce your way to profits. 
- Helps you thrive during chaos, recessions, bull and bear markets.
- Teaches anyone hedging techniques often reserved for the privileged few.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio; Abridged edition (March 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1427207089
• ISBN-13: 978-1427207081
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,508,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It's not simple., April 2, 2009

By 

! "erik_satie_rollerblading" (yahoo chat: books and literature) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pounce: How to Seize Profit in Today's Chaotic Markets (Hardcover)

Let's get one thing straight. Ken Stern knows a lot about the stock market. He also knows a lot about marketing books.

Now that we have that out of the way, be warned. This is not a simple book or a simple system. Mr. Stern offers his P3 system based on Valuation, market sentiment, and trends direction.

Let me explain something to Mr. Stern. Do you really think that any sizeable number of investors, having seen their retirement savings erode by 30-50%, would use your system? No. Only those who haven't lost anything will be taken in by this book. And, given the complexity of the system and the blind faith needed to implement it CONSISTENTLY (another Stern word), would require more moxie than most of us have.

Stern says that the herd is stupid and usually gets it wrong. However, he has times when he recommends running with the herd. There will be more running away with the herd when things get tough, and his methods will be like all the others, dust left behind.

Mr. Stern's methods are supposed to logical and rational, eliminating emotion from your investment decisions. Just do the screens once a month, pounce at will, and watch the money grow. However, watch out for the Great Void, because you'll need to adjust. By the way, there's no way of knowing if we are in a Great Void or at a bottom right now. Logically, you could flip a coin.

To those of you who are new to investing, let me explain something. Neither Ken Stern, nor Jim Jubak, nor Jim Cramer, nor Warren Buffett, nor anyone else with experience does it this way. We invest our money and then bite our nails, because there are fallacies in EVERY system. And here is the important part:

We have recently seen an erosion of wealth in the world economy rivalling that of the depression era. There is a good probability, perhaps a very high probability, that the stock market as a whole will be up in 5 years. Many of you will invest, using Sterns system, or a fund, or some other means, and see your wealth grow in the next 5 years. I hope I do too.

But to credit a specific system with your success would be a big mistake, especially when the economy decides to tank again next time.

If you read through Stern's book, which is not easy reading by the way, you will find points at which he is more honest than other times. In several places he speaks of his methods as a cocktail. That's exactly what they are. He also talks about back testing, but later explains that the future is unpredictable. He's right. At times he says you invest at your own risk, and most of us don't understand risk. That's right too.

In short, you may get some wisdom out of this book, but don't bet the farm on it. Buyers and Sellers beware.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting system - Impossible Stock Screens, March 8, 2009

By 

Donald P. (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pounce: How to Seize Profit in Today's Chaotic Markets (Hardcover)

I have been eagerly awaiting this book for a while. Having read through the entire system, I am eager to put the principles into action. The problem is, the entire system revolves around running very particular stock screens that the author sets forth toward the end of the book. After a great deal of effort, I have found it impossible to set up stock screeners on the internet to run the particular screens from this book. I have tried MANY MANY publicly available screeners, including the ones that the author states will run these screens, and I have tried proprietary screeners from two brokerage accounts and my subscription research service. NO LUCK! In short, the stock screens set forth in this book are useless to the average person because there are no tools available for running the screens as written.

I'll give you an example. One element from the first (and supposedly most important screen) in the book is this: "5-year historic earnings growth >= 1.20 percent of the industry median (meaning 20 percent higher than the industry)."

If the screening tool you plan to use can't do this operation (and I am willing to bet that yours cannot) then don't waste your money on this book. You will waste your time reading "the system" in chapters 1-9, only to discover that the stock screens in chapter 10 and beyond cannot be run. Very disappointing and frustrating.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Investment Model, April 8, 2009

By 

M. Drorbaugh (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pounce: How to Seize Profit in Today's Chaotic Markets (Hardcover)

I found the investment model very compelling and within my reach as a beginning investor. The book requires some study but it is understandable. Adding a glossary with explanations of terms, especially terms that are used interchangeably, would have lifted this book a solid 5-star rating in my opinion.