Sold Short: Uncovering Deception in the Markets - Hardcover

Asensio, Manuel P.; Barth, Jack

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471383384 ISBN 13: 9780471383383

Verlag: Wiley, 2001

Inhaltsangabe

A revealing expose by one of today's most successful and controversial speculators
Short-selling, or betting on a drop in the price of a stock, has been described by its many opponents as everything from shady to downright evil. And no one today personifies the practice better than short-seller extraordinaire Manuel Asensio. Though he has been branded in the press as a market saboteur, Asensio staunchly defends his practices, claiming that, above all, he is out to expose rampant fraud being perpetrated by unscrupulous stock promoters. Is Asensio a "Minion of Satan" as they say in the online chat rooms, or is he really a misunderstood guardian angel of free market capitalism? In this tell-all account, Asensio offers readers a lively narrative, peppered with unforgettable anecdotes such as the story of why he shorted Diana, General Nutrition, Solv-Ex, Turbodyne, and many other high-profile stocks. And he arms investors with proven techniques for reducing the inherent risks of short-selling while maximizing returns. Clearly, Asensio invites both praise and criticism, but his methodology works, and Sold Short is a compelling and fascinating read about this often mysterious side of the market--and one of the most controversial individuals behind it.
Manuel Asensio (New York, NY) is founder and Chairman of Asensio & Co., Inc. He has over twenty years of corporate finance and research experience. He has been featured in Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Fortune, Forbes, Worth, the New York Times, New York magazine, and the New Republic, among other leading national and international publications.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Manuel P. Asensio is founder and Chairman of Asensio & Co., Inc. He has over twenty years of corporate finance and research experience. He has been featured in Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, Worth, the New York Times, New York magazine, and the New Republic, among other leading publications. Mr. Asensio received his BS in economics and finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA in investment management from Harvard University Graduate School of Business.
JACK BARTH is a freelance writer and journalist. Mr. Barth's articles have been published in Worth, Spy, Outside, Premiere, and Rolling Stone. In addition, he has written for television, including episodes for The Simpsons and for the Comedy Channel. He is the author of four books: Roadside Elvis, Roadside Hollywood, American Quest, and Roadside America.

Von der hinteren Coverseite

A revealing exposé by one of today's most controversial and successful short sellers

According to a 1998 New York Times article, "Satanism has a better reputation in financial circles than does short-selling . . . The controversy over Mr. Asensio is reigniting the debate over short-selling and the role it plays in the stock market, a debate that stretches back to Jesse Livermore." Manuel Asensio has taken this debate to a whole new level, not only short-selling deceptive companies but also researching and publicly exposing them. Each time Asensio practices his type of aggressive short selling he is branded "the Devil's own Trader," but time and again his unpopular assessments have proved dead on the money.

"Sold Short reads like an action-packed and gripping detective story, exposing shocking and criminal tales that make the Hollywood scandal sheets look like a high school pantomime. Asensio is a brave and heroic bullfighter who dares to go up against the global stampede of the wildest bull market. He courageously nails down, one by one, grossly overvalued and corrupt companies."-Tony Shafrazi, Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York

"Sold Short is a rip-roaring ride through the netherworld of short selling. Part comedy, part tragedy, part horror flick, Asensio uncovers a world that would be ripe for sitcom portrayal where big-name fund managers dress in drag, buy silly stocks, but (and here's the tragedy) lose millions. If short selling is up your alley, you shouldn't miss this book. And if you'd sooner die than go short, you should read this book to make sure one of your longs isn't made of fool's gold."-Parker Quillen, Quilcap Corp.

Aus dem Klappentext

Most companies play by the rules, releasing accurate information and making a genuine effort to generate profits for their shareholders. But occasionally a company and a group of stock promoters will deliberately withhold crucial information, disseminate false information, or simply be an outright sham. When this deception is publicly disclosed, all sorts of accusations and denials will fly, but experience has shown that sooner rather than later the company's stock is likely to decline sharply. And anyone selling short the stock of such a company will profit when it crashes. Manuel Asensio is probably the world's most visible practitioner of this brand of aggressive short selling. And this is his story.

For over five years, in the midst of the greatest bull run the stock markets have ever seen, Mr. Asensio has been taking on public corporations large and small with the twin goals of exposing deception and making money. And for over five years Asensio has been harassed by his targets and private regulators with conflicts of interest, dragged through the courts in attempts to silence him, and disparaged in the press. Yet in those five-plus years not one of his many statements and reports has ever been proved even partially false much less inaccurate or incomplete. And in that time, his meticulous research and bold declarations have indeed enriched any investor savvy and prudent enough to pay attention and act accordingly.

Mr. Asensio has published "short sell" recommendations on over two dozen companies, and in this book he relates the highlights, including:
* Exposing the fast-rising young English banker who caused Morgan Grenfell to lose half a billion dollars yet avoided prosecution by appearing in court in a dress
* Determining that one of the very first red-hot $120 Internet stocks was promoting a dated and virtually unsellable technology
* Uncovering the accounting trickery and press-release sleight of hand that was bogging down the largest public-works project in the history of New Jersey and causing Turnpike commuters to blow their stacks
* Digging into the purchases of a highly regarded Dreyfus mutual-fund manager and finding a mother lode of junk stocks in which the manager held a compromising interest. The manager was fined $50,000 and sanctioned by the SEC

In this lively and often funny book, Manuel Asensio not only recounts his "greatest hits," but also shows you how to identify these shaky stocks yourself. These stories reveal that anyone- Arthur Andersen, senior exchange officials, and state public officials-can get caught up in a complex web of deception. Who knows? Your portfolio might have one or two of these stocks in it right now. Better find out before someone else does...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Wiley
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2001
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0471383384
• ISBN 13: 9780471383383
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Auflage: 1
• Anzahl der Seiten: 288
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Wiley-VCH GmbH; product_safety@wiley.com; ; Boschstrasse 12; Weinheim; 69469; Deutschland