This is a forum that encourages the open discussion of different investment ideas - for stocks, bonds, mutual funds, market sectors, futures or options. It’s also a place to discuss the methods used to identify investment opportunities whether by technical or fundamental analysis or, as is increasingly popular on Wall Street these days, quantitative methods.

Benjamin Graham, a finance professor at Columbia University in the era before and after WW II, co-authored "Security Analysis", first published in 1934, and later "The Intelligent Investor" for which this board is named.

His star pupil at Columbia, Warren Buffett, is now Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and is the wealthiest person on earth, largely as a result of applying the investment approach set forth by Graham & Dodd.

This group primarily focuses on the U.S. securities markets and dollar-denominated assets.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: On September 30, 2004 our members set up a model stock portfolio based on their own stock picks. For comparison's sake, we also at the same time established a second portfolio valued at the same dollar amount ($1 million) which was invested in the Vanguard S&P 500 index fund. To date we're doing more than 7 times better than the market as measured by the index.

IN MARCH, 2006 we began adding to our Files section the results of some sophisticated stock screens we run that survey a universe of about 8,900 publicly traded companies based on proprietary valuation criteria. Feel free to contribute ideas for additional stock screens.

IN SEPTEMBER, 2007 this group received the Yahoo Groups Power User Award, which reflects Yahoo management's view that we're one of the best groups in the Yahoo universe.

ALSO, EACH YEAR, at the end of December, we run a 12-month investment contest so that our members can show off their stock-picking prowess for all to see. You're encouraged to participate.

Thanks for your cooperation in maintaining this message board as a NO-SPAM ZONE.