Thread: $10 Gas OK for Dems

Originally Posted by lakeman

Look at the graph above. You will see that the average for all industries in this economy is about 6.5%.

Do you know what we call companies that don't make positive profits? "Storefronts for rent".

Because so many companies go out of business and the owners take a huge risk just by opening the doors we need to reward their willingness to put it all on the line by letting them make any profit they can as long as they do it legally. If they have broken any laws by all means prosecute them.

You look at your graphs and while you are looking, please notice the date of the articles you have linked. 2005 and 2006 - find something from 2008 to help me understand your point.

I'm not against corporations seeing profits, I am against speculators driving up the price of a commodity for greed sake. I'm against the oil corps getting leases they don't need. They haven't established any need, they have only said they want.

More to the point, it would seem that most believe that the price of gas is dropping because the consumers are not consuming. They can't afford to drive as they once drove. So now, the speculators are having to adjust, thus the prices are dropping.

Originally Posted by Vortex

And please answer the question. Which corporations are showing the profits that the oil corps are showing?

About half or all business, the energy company profit margins are about at the average level.

Tell me when you invest in a company do you do it on the basis of their net revenue or their percent return on your investment?

IE

Company A has gross revenues of $100,000 and a profit $10,000
Company B has gross revenues of $10,000,000 and a profit of $500,000

Into which one would you invest your money?

Originally Posted by Vortex

Exxon's second-quarter net income rose 14 percent to $11.68 billion (5.88 billion pounds), or $2.22 a share, in the quarter.

And? What did their profit margin do?

Originally Posted by Vortex

You look at your graphs and while you are looking, please notice the date of the articles you have linked. 2005 and 2006 - find something from 2008 to help me understand your point.

You're being obtuse now.

You've never run a business have your or been responsible for a profit/lose statement have you.

I'm not against corporations seeing profits, I am against speculators

Let's not change the subject here, we're talking about oil company profits and your complaint that they are too high.

What profit margin are you willing to allow them? Obama wants to take about 25% of their profit in a phiony windfall profits scheme, that would lower their profit margin to around 6% right now. What do you think investors will do when that happens?

Originally Posted by Vortex

You look at your graphs and while you are looking, please notice the date of the articles you have linked. 2005 and 2006 - find something from 2008 to help me understand your point.

Well I suppose a lot has changed in the last 720 days!:sarcasm:

But since I am not going to get data from yesterday how about if I post a link from this month that discusses very recent data from just last year (about 8 months ago).

Does Exxon Mobil have 'windfall profits?' - BloggingStocks

"Also, is the government going to figure out how much Exxon deserved to earn and what gives the government the right to single out the oil companies for such treatment. Why not subject Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) or Warren Buffett's Berskshire Hathawy Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) to a windfall profits tax too? They make lots of money, right?

Well, the reason why we don't penalize companies just because they make a lot of money is because that would be insane. As the Journal notes, it's hard to make the case that Exxon's profitability is excessive. In 2007, its profit margins were 10%, in-line with the industry average. The oil company's margins were worse than firms in the chemicals industry, pharmaceuticals, beverages and tobacco, the paper said."

Originally Posted by Vortex

I'm not against corporations seeing profits, I am against speculators driving up the price of a commodity for greed sake. I'm against the oil corps getting leases they don't need. They haven't established any need, they have only said they want.

Well now that we are done talking about "excessive profits" and you agree with the sane people and have all along...

Should we have a discussion about the futures market. A part of the stock exchange that effects every single stock traded and not just oil?

A system that you participate in and profit from if you own any stock or have a 401k or a pension...

Originally Posted by lakeman

Well I suppose a lot has changed in the last 720 days!:sarcasm:

LOL, you truly cannot be that dense, now can you?



http://www.tradersnarrative.com/pric...mand-1753.html

:laughing:

Originally Posted by Vortex

LOL, you truly cannot be that dense, now can you?


http://www.tradersnarrative.com/pric...mand-1753.html

:laughing:

We were talking about the profit margin. It has changed from between 8 and 10% in my earlier posts to 10% in my most recent post. Which is why I said that not a lot has changed in the last 720 days. Context, context, context.

If you want to make this about manipulation then by all means but don't pretend that it makes any of my statements about profit margin wrong.

But speculation is a far lesser cause for the price of oil than most other factors. The most important factor is the government that is in control in the country where the gas pump is located.

Originally Posted by lakeman

We were talking about the profit margin. It has changed from between 8 and 10% in my earlier posts to 10% in my most recent post. Which is why I said that not a lot has changed in the last 720 days. Context, context, context.

If you want to make this about manipulation then by all means but don't pretend that it makes any of my statements about profit margin wrong.

But speculation is a far lesser cause for the price of oil than most other factors. The most important factor is the government that is in control in the country where the gas pump is located.

And your graphs and article are from 2005 and 2006 - what has changed in those 720 days would be that the price of oil has DOUBLED.

So, it is not unreasonable to ask for a chart/graph/article that reflects that increase in the price.

Do you have one?