Scouting money managers

Dear Mr. Berko: Please explain cloud computing. And what do you think of Cloud Computing stocks like Salesforce.com? I am thinking of buying 100 shares at its current $140 price because I heard it may be a takeover candidate and lots of brokerages recommend it. What do you think? We recently received a substantial inheritance, and as you advised, we are interviewing money managers. One aggressive manager we like is with Merrill Lynch here in South Florida. When we told him we would write you for an opinion, he said, ''There's bad blood between us,'' but would not comment further. Would this prevent you from recommending him? We want to use half our money aggressively and give the conservative half to Northern Trust. The folks at Northern Trust do not recommend using the money in an aggressive trading account. Our next question concerns Hudson City Bank, which is also part of this inheritance. Please give us a buy, hold or sell opinion on this stock. P.L., Miami Dear P.L.: I know the Merrill money manager you are interviewing, and I'm not aware of any bad blood between us. I know three of his clients quite well, and I am impressed with the manner in how he has guided their aggressive accounts over the past 10 years. I admire this fellow's investment strategies, his stock selection skills, his ability to read the tape, his uncanny sector selections and his excellent sense of timing. As you know, he relies on all sorts of fancy charts for confirmation and direction. But he may be miffed because I humorously likened his charts to ''arcane tools and signs an astrologer would use.'' If my humor offended him, then he is oversensitive. But he's darn good. When aggressive mutual funds suffered losses of 40 percent or more in 2002 and 2008, his silly charts kept those losses in the low teens. I have no objection to his employment as long as you are comfortable with high risks and high beta issues, the names of which will be Greek to your ears. And if past is prologue, he should do a yeoman's job for you. I also like the folks at Northern Trust, especially their ''womb-to-tomb-to-beneficiary'' management skills. I know they don't approve of high-risk exposure, but that's your choice, not theirs. My only caveat is your choice of brokerages, not brokers. I'm uncomfortable doing business with Bank of America or Merrill Lynch. Both firms, for years, knowingly, inarguably and actively engaged in some of the most dishonorable, immoral, perfidious financial shenanigans of the last 100 years. The greed and avarice of Bank of America and Merrill sucked the marrow from the bones of their American consumers and nearly bankrupted our economy. How can you honor that firm with your trust and business? Mr. Madoff stole billions of dollars of investor's money and was put in the slammer for life. Bank of America-Merrill Lynch inveigled billions from investors, and afterward was given billions of dollars of TARP money. Go figure! Hudson City Bancorp (HCBK-$9.71) is a nifty, 95-branch bank-holding company that was doing business in New Jersey when Ulysses Grant was president. HCBK is one of the few banks that would not lower its loan standards during the housing boom to attract new business and never took a centime in TARP funds. As a result, HCBK's low loan-to-value ratio portfolio is pristine as newly fallen snow. And management's superbly capable and efficient operations give this bank a very competitive advantage over its rivals. HCBK has more than $60 billion in capital; net income will probably be flat to plus-6 percent in 2011 -- though the 60-cent dividend, which yields 6.1 percent, may not be increased until 2012. This is not an exciting company, but it's as solid as oak and rock. HCBK is a good long-term investment that could move back to the low $20s in a couple of years and give you some good dividend growth. Hold it. Please address your financial questions to Malcolm Berko, P.O. Box 8303, Largo, FL 33775 or e-mail him at mjberko@yahoo.com. To find out more about Malcolm Berko and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM Published: Mon, Apr 25, 2011