CNO part 3

             
                                       
                                             
On the rise again.  Here are some highlights    
and a $1000 calculation.  The 52-week low:   
$0.26.  Closing price today: $1.41.  Today's  
high: $1.59.  On Thursday, April 2, 2009,    
Conseco's CEO purchased 200,000 shares at   
approximately $1.11 per share, an action     
which strengthened the rise.                
                                           
At $0.40 per share, 1000 shares cost $400  
before whatever commission.  Am setting   
the commission at $40 this time.  Today  
this stock traded above $1.40 most of the   
trading day.  Several times it was above  
$1.50.  Let's say someone bought the 1000
shares mentioned above at $0.40 per share
and today sold those 1000 shares at $1.40  
per share.  Including the buy and sell    
commissions, that someone would have made
$920.00.                                 
-                                             
Considerations:                               
1. CNO fell to $0.26 because rating firms   
      had doubts Conseco could remain a  
      going concern.                      
2. The 52-week low of $0.26 occurred on   
      March 10, 2009.                       
3. On March 17, 2009 the low was $0.31   
      and the open, high, and close: $0.35.
4. On the following three days, CNO could   
      have been bought at $0.40.  However,  
      indications were CNO was moving up.   
5. Even so, buying CNO at $0.40 would have   
      been a highly contrarian move.       
6. Such a bet should not be made lightly.  
                                                     
                                                
                                                 
                                                 
                                                   
                                             
mr00025                                            
       

CNO part 2

       
                                        
                                       
On Friday CNO closed at $1.21; on Monday   
at $0.51; today (Tuesday) at $0.38--this   
company (Conseco) has been in bankruptcy  
before, and soon may be again.  However,   
its top people are doing what they can   
to keep that from happening.  It is still   
showing as a hold.  One of the reasons  
I began tracking CNO was the possibility   
this might occur.  Its 52-week low was  
hit today: $0.2869, and its 52-week high  
as of today was $12.34; so, it is easy   
to see that those who have been shorting  
this stock during 2009 alone/ have likely   
done quite well.  For personal and other  
reasons, CNO will remain on my watch list.
                                         
                                           
                                          
                                       
                                           
                                        
mr00017

Ongoing case of CNO

                                                       
                                                    
Conseco Inc. (CNO) is an insurance company which has
a number of susidiaries.  I have two policies through
one of those subsidiaries.  Both the company and the
companies within it are barely investment grade, but
after descending into the $2-$3 trading range/ and   
after--from various sources--I learned more about it,
I began watching it through AOL Finance.  Somewhere  
along the way from October 1 into November, CNO hit  
a low of $1.31 and also during that time/ insiders  
were buying shares, especially the CEO.  November
20, 2008, a market down day with CNO closing at 
$1.78; and November 28, 2008, a market up day with
CNO closing at $3.38/ were two such days.  After  
the 11/28/2008, the stock moved into a new trading
range above $2.50 and below $3.90, and I believe it   
was during that time that CNO shifted to the state
of Pennsylvania a group of policies that had lost
their profitability.  Then in December a dividend
hike payable on 01/09/09 to stock holders of record
12/31/08 was announced.  Comparatively, that hike
was an appreciable one.  Accordingly, CNO closed 
at $5.18 on 12/31/08.  Friday, January 2, 2009,
was a strong market upday with the DOW closing    
above 9000, but CNO closed at $4.71 as there was
no longer a reason for it to go higher.  Will see
tomorrow if it falls back into the $2.50-to-$3.90
range.  One of the policies I have I bought when
I was yet in Gainesville, Florida.  That was in   
March of 2005.  As of last month Florida made it
known it is considering banning CNO from selling
policies in that state unless the company shows
it has the wherewithal to honor them.  And yet in
spite of the bad news, Morningstar and others had
rated CNO a buy, and so it was.  Had one purchased
shares at or near $2 after 11/20/08 and sold them
at or near $5 on 12/31/08--and this is only a minor
picture of what can happen, but be aware that risk
is a given when it comes to trading or investing,
and that there are many conditions anyone who is in
the market should attend.  Trading and investing   
are both a science and an art, and each participant
ought to know his or her comfort zone and do what
is necessary to protect himself or herself from
catastrophic loss.                                 
                                                 
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                 
mr00002