Thursday, November 12, 2009

Welcome to the first issue of The Pelican Report!

This weekly report will briefly cover a multitude of business, personal and social current events that if you don’t know about, you should. We hope to provide both an informational source and a platform for discourse of contrasting opinions that will inspire our readers to think for themselves, rather than trusting legacy media outlets.
Please enjoy our first submission and feel free to e-mail us with any comments or suggestions.

Sincerely,
Drew V. Davitian
Publisher

The Pelican Report
Issue 1, November 13th, 2009

Investing

LDK, The Cheapest Chinese Solar Company You Don’t Know About

In these post apocalyptic times of slightly loosening credit markets and flattening unemployment rates the last thing most people are concerned about is sourcing alternative energy improvements. Oil prices are relatively high but appear to be stable and due to concerns in the Middle East, healthcare and housing initiatives, the push for the United States and Europe to invest in sustainable energy infrastructure has been put on the back burner. Solar silicon wafer manufactures are in a debilitating position, due to a drastic drop in demand prices have crashed in both the silicon refining industry and ingot manufacturing industry. As a result, companies like First Solar and Semiconductor Manufacturing International are quickly depleting cash. The entire industry is reeling from capitulating stock prices, LDK included. By all measures, avoiding the industry in the short term seems like a smart option, but following this strategy discounts the heavy subsidies China has just released to maintain its national solar wafer industry. Our analysts believe that the position of the Chinese government is to continue to subsidize the operations of companies like LDK while silicon prices are so depressed, they cannot sustain profitable enterprise. China believes this strategy will allow its manufactures to gain large amounts of market share creating both economies of scale and industry leverage for solar wafer manufactures as demand and therefore price increases. LDK’s recent re-organization of top management coupled with its dismal first and second quarter earnings have dropped the stock price back down to October lows. Due to the company’s cash rich position and continued subsidies from the Chinese government, we believe LDK is a severely undervalued company. Look for a mid 2010 rebound of the stock price to around $15.00.


Fashion

Men’s Fashion: How to Look Like a Million Bucks for Around $500

The key, of course, to any ensemble is how you wear your clothes. Like most things in life, the confidence one conveys, whether it be in athletics, the classroom, the board room or just sipping coffee at the local beanery carries with it more importance than what is said and often done. A reserved yet confident demeanor is the cornerstone of class and any proper gentleman’s guide will express that it doesn’t have to cost a house payment to look good, but quality does matter. For this purpose we have included this section for your sartorial enjoyment. Visit the links for sizing and purchasing information and rest assured that a man on a budget is no lesser than a man with an unlimited one, so long as he purchases the best quality clothing he can afford and takes pride in his appearance.

Lauren By Ralph Lauren "Total Comfort" Gray Suit Separates
Jacket – 225
Slacks – 80
Available at Macys.com -- http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=141442&CategoryID=35017

Brooks Brothers Non-Iron Slim Fit Pinpoint Ainsley Dress Shirt (White)
80
Available at Brooksbrothers.com -- http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=205&Product_Id=993660&Parent_Id=207&default_color=DARK-BLUE&sort_by=&sectioncolor=&sectionsize

Nordstrom Tonal Paisley Woven Silk Tie (Blue)
50
Available at Nordstrom.com -- http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3071382/0~2376777~2374609~6007418~6016559?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6016559&P=1

Nordstrom ‘Baldwin’ Oxford Shoe (Black)
67
Available at Nordstrom.com -- http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3036441/0~2376777~2374609~6023558?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6023558&P=1



Employment

4 Steps to Market Yourself in a Depressing Employment Situation

There is no question that the current job market can look like a scene out of the movie Fun With Dick and Jane with lines extending out the door just to fill out an application. I recently held interviews for a small, relatively low paying assistant position where the top candidates were six sigma certified and had master’s degrees. I’m still getting calls about the position though interviews have been closed for weeks now. There aren’t many silver linings in this kind of situation so the ultimate key is to make your own. In our experience the following steps have been credited as the catalysts for success:

1) Appearance is everything, everywhere.

Remember the last time you ran into the person you had a crush on in the supermarket and looked like a mess? In times of high unemployment, serendipity can be the only salvation to your job search, be prepared. Don’t wear that stained, thread bare sweatshirt to pick up your dry cleaning; you never know when you will run into an old business contact in line who needs another one of you on his team.

2) Play a bourgeoisie sport.

I play golf about once a week. I’m not even very good at it, but its good exercise and a great stress reliever. I show up alone and always get paired with someone I don’t know by the starter. In the past few weeks I have played with an executive chef, a landscape architect and a sales executive. Over the four to five hours I spend with a new friend on the course I can get a good idea of who they are and what they do, and they get the same information about me. The next person I play golf with could very well be the gatekeeper of the position of my dreams.

3) Volunteer your time and expertise.

This step serves two purposes; one, in this day and age people are cutting out donations and volunteering to save time and money, so it’s time for you to do your part. Two, philanthropists are generally successful people who have broad social networks and strong pull with pillars of the community. Volunteering allows you to rub elbows with these influential people in an amicable and productive way opening the door for their help in your job search.

4) Take it easy man.

No one wants to buy a car from a desperate car salesman and no one wants to give a job to someone who looks desperate for a job. There is a fine line between ambition and desperation and the guy who is one day going to be CEO never expresses the latter. Take it easy on the job interview and in the application process. Exude professionalism by dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s, not fanaticism by calling twenty-five times to see if you got hired.

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