Investing in Aerojet and SpaceX

[PeterAlt]

Since the string of very positive articles here concerning Aerojet, I got the idea this morning to invest in Aerojet. There's a problem, though. When I Googled to get information about Aerojet stock prices, I was surprised and disappointed to learn that Aerojet is a private company. This means its stock is privately held and is not publicly traded at an open stock market, which means I can't inestvest in Aerojet stock. Besides the obvious unfortunate fact of not being able to have the opportunity to hedge my bets on a company that has great technology that has the potential of bringing in new business worth BILLIONS of dollars, I suddenly understood Aerojet's big disadvantage it has when it competes for contract wins.

With no publicly traded stock, the company has a disgrimation issue which handicaps it from competing fairly for big contract wins. Naturally, people owning stock in one of their competitors will not want Aerojet to win any given contract which is up for grabs. The big question is how much influence do these people have directly or indirectly with the people who actually make the decisions on contract awards...

This could explain the clandestant force influencing the cancellation of the STS Advanced Solid Motor Boosters (an Aerojet contract) during the 90's. This may also explain why a future SLS Aerojet contract is anything but certain and why ATK doesn't seem concerned over losing this to Aerojet and why they continue to show a persona of confidence in winning this. I've often wondered why ATK hasn't been sweating over (what I see as a very obvious) threat in losing the advanced booster competition to Aerjet (because of Aerojet's superior liquid fuel booster technology)...

[Namechange User]

Only on the internet could you find people upset about not being able to buy stock in Aerojet because it is a privately held company and turning it into an excuse to rail away again against ATK.  Annoying.

[strangequark]

Since the string of very positive articles here concerning Aerojet, I got the idea this morning to invest in Aerojet. There's a problem, though. When I Googled to get information about Aerojet stock prices, I was surprised and disappointed to learn that Aerojet is a private company. This means its stock is privately held and is not publicly traded at an open stock market, which means I can't inestvest in Aerojet stock. Besides the obvious unfortunate fact of not being able to have the opportunity to hedge my bets on a company that has great technology that has the potential of bringing in new business worth BILLIONS of dollars, I suddenly understood Aerojet's big disadvantage it has when it competes for contract wins.

With no publicly traded stock, the company has a disgrimation issue which handicaps it from competing fairly for big contract wins. Naturally, people owning stock in one of their competitors will not want Aerojet to win any given contract which is up for grabs. The big question is how much influence do these people have directly or indirectly with the people who actually make the decisions on contract awards...

This could explain the clandestant force influencing the cancellation of the STS Advanced Solid Motor Boosters (an Aerojet contract) during the 90's. This may also explain why a future SLS Aerojet contract is anything but certain and why ATK doesn't seem concerned over losing this to Aerojet and why they continue to show a persona of confidence in winning this. I've often wondered why ATK hasn't been sweating over (what I see as a very obvious) threat in losing the advanced booster competition to Aerjet (because of Aerojet's superior liquid fuel booster technology)...

Aerojet trades as GenCorp (NYSE: GY). Your google-fu is weak.

[Jim]

Since the string of very positive articles here concerning Aerojet, I got the idea this morning to invest in Aerojet. There's a problem, though. When I Googled to get information about Aerojet stock prices, I was surprised and disappointed to learn that Aerojet is a private company.

It is not a private company, it is part of larger publicly traded company, GencCorp. 

And the rest of your post is just plain hooey

[Chris Bergin]

Overly dramatic headline, made into one more descriptive.

[PeterAlt]

Since the string of very positive articles here concerning Aerojet, I got the idea this morning to invest in Aerojet. There's a problem, though. When I Googled to get information about Aerojet stock prices, I was surprised and disappointed to learn that Aerojet is a private company. This means its stock is privately held and is not publicly traded at an open stock market, which means I can't inestvest in Aerojet stock. Besides the obvious unfortunate fact of not being able to have the opportunity to hedge my bets on a company that has great technology that has the potential of bringing in new business worth BILLIONS of dollars, I suddenly understood Aerojet's big disadvantage it has when it competes for contract wins.

With no publicly traded stock, the company has a disgrimation issue which handicaps it from competing fairly for big contract wins. Naturally, people owning stock in one of their competitors will not want Aerojet to win any given contract which is up for grabs. The big question is how much influence do these people have directly or indirectly with the people who actually make the decisions on contract awards...

This could explain the clandestant force influencing the cancellation of the STS Advanced Solid Motor Boosters (an Aerojet contract) during the 90's. This may also explain why a future SLS Aerojet contract is anything but certain and why ATK doesn't seem concerned over losing this to Aerojet and why they continue to show a persona of confidence in winning this. I've often wondered why ATK hasn't been sweating over (what I see as a very obvious) threat in losing the advanced booster competition to Aerjet (because of Aerojet's superior liquid fuel booster technology)...

Aerojet trades as GenCorp (NYSE: GY). Your google-fu is weak.

Really? And thanks! I wonder why Google lead me to a page saying it was privately held. Could be a different company of the same name?

[strangequark]

Aerojet trades as GenCorp (NYSE: GY). Your google-fu is weak.

Really? And thanks! I wonder why Google lead me to a page saying it was privately held. Could be a different company of the same name?

To be fair, it might be legally considered as privately-held, since the company is owned by GenCorp. However, Aerojet is about 90% of GenCorp’s business (the other 10% is selling off and developing Aerojet’s former real estate holdings), so its fortunes rise and fall mostly with the rocket side of the business.

[Robotbeat]

Aerojet trades as GenCorp (NYSE: GY). Your google-fu is weak.

Really? And thanks! I wonder why Google lead me to a page saying it was privately held. Could be a different company of the same name?

To be fair, it might be legally considered as privately-held, since the company is owned by GenCorp. However, Aerojet is about 90% of GenCorp’s business (the other 10% is selling off and developing Aerojet’s former real estate holdings), so its fortunes rise and fall mostly with the rocket side of the business.

Huh, I didn't realize that GenCorp only basically did Aerojet. Sort of a shell company*?

*_{no ill-will intended with that term}

[strangequark]

Huh, I didn't realize that GenCorp only basically did Aerojet. Sort of a shell company*?

*_{no ill-will intended with that term}

More that GenCorp bought Aerojet back in the day, and they eventually spun off everything else. Incidentally, here is the other "10%" that you would be investing in:

http://easton-ca.com/

I find it ironic that they don't advertise it's next to a live rocket manufacturing and testing facility. Especially because so many of us would consider that a selling point.

[Jim]

Aerojet trades as GenCorp (NYSE: GY). Your google-fu is weak.

Really? And thanks! I wonder why Google lead me to a page saying it was privately held. Could be a different company of the same name?

To be fair, it might be legally considered as privately-held, since the company is owned by GenCorp. However, Aerojet is about 90% of GenCorp’s business (the other 10% is selling off and developing Aerojet’s former real estate holdings), so its fortunes rise and fall mostly with the rocket side of the business.

Huh, I didn't realize that GenCorp only basically did Aerojet. Sort of a shell company*?

*_{no ill-will intended with that term}

it used to own General tires

[Prober]

Since the string of very positive articles here concerning Aerojet, I got the idea this morning to invest in Aerojet. There's a problem, though. When I Googled to get information about Aerojet stock prices, I was surprised and disappointed to learn that Aerojet is a private company. This means its stock is privately held and is not publicly traded at an open stock market, which means I can't inestvest in Aerojet stock. Besides the obvious unfortunate fact of not being able to have the opportunity to hedge my bets on a company that has great technology that has the potential of bringing in new business worth BILLIONS of dollars, I suddenly understood Aerojet's big disadvantage it has when it competes for contract wins.

With no publicly traded stock, the company has a disgrimation issue which handicaps it from competing fairly for big contract wins. Naturally, people owning stock in one of their competitors will not want Aerojet to win any given contract which is up for grabs. The big question is how much influence do these people have directly or indirectly with the people who actually make the decisions on contract awards...

This could explain the clandestant force influencing the cancellation of the STS Advanced Solid Motor Boosters (an Aerojet contract) during the 90's. This may also explain why a future SLS Aerojet contract is anything but certain and why ATK doesn't seem concerned over losing this to Aerojet and why they continue to show a persona of confidence in winning this. I've often wondered why ATK hasn't been sweating over (what I see as a very obvious) threat in losing the advanced booster competition to Aerjet (because of Aerojet's superior liquid fuel booster technology)...

Aerojet trades as GenCorp (NYSE: GY). Your google-fu is weak.

Really? And thanks! I wonder why Google lead me to a page saying it was privately held. Could be a different company of the same name?

big brother...opps google has its own agenda

[edkyle99]

Aerojet trades as GenCorp (NYSE: GY). Your google-fu is weak.

You might want to think real hard before investing in GY.  It is down over 9% just today, for example, coming off of yesterday's earnings report.  The stock lost nearly 90% of its value during the darkest part of the great recession, is down 50% over the past 10 years, and has long badly trailed the S&P 500 Index.  UTX (PWR's parent company) has a much better record, stock-wise.

But then, I'm not a stock expert.

 - Ed Kyle

[strangequark]

You might want to think real hard before investing in GY.  It is down over 9% just today, for example, coming off of yesterday's earnings report.  The stock lost nearly 90% of its value during the darkest part of the great recession, is down 50% over the past 10 years, and has long badly trailed the S&P 500 Index.  UTX (PWR's parent company) has a much better record, stock-wise*.

But then, I'm not a stock expert.

 - Ed Kyle

*Past performance not a guarantee of future earnings.

[Robotbeat]

Aerojet trades as GenCorp (NYSE: GY). Your google-fu is weak.

You might want to think real hard before investing in GY.  It is down over 9% just today, for example, coming off of yesterday's earnings report.  The stock lost nearly 90% of its value during the darkest part of the great recession, is down 50% over the past 10 years, and has long badly trailed the S&P 500 Index.  UTX (PWR's parent company) has a much better record, stock-wise.

But then, I'm not a stock expert.

 - Ed Kyle

Well, it's a heck of a lot better than investing right before the recession, right?

Anyway, there are non-financial reasons to buy a token amount of stock in a company you're interested in. You get voting rights and get to feel like you're contributing to the aerospace field. That's the real reason I could imagine "investing" in a company like GenCorp/Aerojet... "The best way to earn a small fortune in space is to start with a large one."

[PeterAlt]

Any idea when SpaceX will have their IPO?

Also, I recently watched the documentary Revenge of the Electric Car (it's on NetFlix, highly recommended) and learned that Elon Musk is also the CEO of Tesla Motors, which I did not know previously. In that documentary, it shows that Elon did an IPO for Tesla. I would imagine he would do the same for SpaceX.

That would be the stock to invest in. Forget about ones like the overly hyped Facebook IPO!

[Robotbeat]

Any idea when SpaceX will have their IPO?

Also, I recently watched the documentary Revenge of the Electric Car (it's on NetFlix, highly recommended) and learned that Elon Musk is also the CEO of Tesla Motors, which I did not know previously. In that documentary, it shows that Elon did an IPO for Tesla. I would imagine he would do the same for SpaceX.

That would be the stock to invest in. Forget about ones like the overly hyped Facebook IPO!

My investment advice:
"The best way to earn a small fortune in space is to start with a large one."

[strangequark]

Any idea when SpaceX will have their IPO?

Also, I recently watched the documentary Revenge of the Electric Car (it's on NetFlix, highly recommended) and learned that Elon Musk is also the CEO of Tesla Motors, which I did not know previously. In that documentary, it shows that Elon did an IPO for Tesla. I would imagine he would do the same for SpaceX.

That would be the stock to invest in. Forget about ones like the overly hyped Facebook IPO!

My projection...

[Robotbeat]

Any idea when SpaceX will have their IPO?

Also, I recently watched the documentary Revenge of the Electric Car (it's on NetFlix, highly recommended) and learned that Elon Musk is also the CEO of Tesla Motors, which I did not know previously. In that documentary, it shows that Elon did an IPO for Tesla. I would imagine he would do the same for SpaceX.

That would be the stock to invest in. Forget about ones like the overly hyped Facebook IPO!

My projection...

Jim was right, I believe, last time he made a SpaceX projection...

[pippin]

http://easton-ca.com/

I find it ironic that they don't advertise it's next to a live rocket manufacturing and testing facility. Especially because so many of us would consider that a selling point.

Looking at the pictures it might also be the _only_ selling point. That project looks just horrible...

[strangequark]

Jim was right, I believe, last time he made a SpaceX projection...

To be clear, that is my tongue-in-cheek interpretation of what Jim would project. I have no real-world Jim data to anchor it.