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Investment Strategy

Jeffrey D. Saut, (727) 567-2644, Jeffrey.Saut@RaymondJames.com October 5, 2009


Investment Strategy __________________________________________________________________________________________

Octobered?!

WORST WIPEOUTS PLUNGE PERCENTAGE


October 1987 -23.22%
October 1929 -20.36%
October 1907 -14.80%
October 2008 -14.06%
October 1932 -13.50%
October 1917 -10.74%
October 1937 -10.61%
October 1930 -10.52%
Source: Bespoke Investment Group.
October isn’t a four-letter word, but it should be . . . especially with the month’s hysterical history. And while it’s true that
statistically the month of September is the worst month, it should be noted that more than 40% of the Dow’s biggest daily declines
have come in October. Unsurprisingly, more than 70% of the Dow’s worst “daily dives” have occurred in the September/October
two-step. Accordingly, this year investors entered the dreaded month of September with a bearish mindset only to experience one
of the best months on record. That wrong-footed, bearish strategy left portfolio managers scrambling for stocks right into quarter’s
end, causing many folks to think there isn’t going to be an October “ouch.”
Comes October, and according to our friends at the invaluable Bespoke Investment Group, last Thursday represented the fourth
worst opening day (-2.58% basis the S&P 500) of the fourth quarter since the index data began in 1928; it was also a 90% downside
day. While we are clearly not clairvoyant, we did indeed caution that the upside vacuum created by the recent melt-up might get
“filled” on the downside once third quarter’s window-dressing was over. Consequently, we entered 4Q09 with a cautious, but not
bearish, strategy. And while the jury is still out, our confidence level is rising that for the first time since the March “lows” we have
the potential for a correction of more than 7%. The only question to us is what shape the correction will take? Will it resemble the
smash of October 1978, which saw the senior index surrender more than 10% in three weeks, or will it lay around and then dribble-
down in a slow-motion “melt?”
Think about it, last November we were opining that while most participants were waiting for the worst to happen, the second shoe
to fall, we were screaming that the worst had already happened given Lehman, WaMu, Freddie, Fannie, etc. “If the news gets any
worse,” we wrote, “they will have to close the New York Stock Exchange and we will retire!” The environment we have now is the
exact opposite. Participants are currently moving up the “risk curve” to invest their oversized cash positions in stocks that have the
“right stuff.” While in the long-run we think that will be a rewarding strategy, in the short-run we believe more caution is
warranted; and evidently we are not the only ones.
Indeed, just last week Richard Russell, of the Dow Theory Letters fame, removed the bull picture from the top of his letterhead. To
quote him, “I'm removing the bull from the box. With the Industrials, Transports, Utilities and S&P all ‘rolling over,’ I'm thinking that
the counter-trend rally from the March low is in the process of topping out. The Dow has declined six out of the last seven sessions;
and, the MACD is on a well-defined sell-signal." Now people that live in glass houses should not throw stones, but hey Richard,
Richard Russell, by your own interpretation of Dow Theory you stated on July 23, 2009:
“After six weeks of trying, it looks as though the Transports have finally decided to confirm the Industrials. In
case you forgot, the June peaks are the points that we have been watching. The two charts tell the Dow Theory
story. The first chart shows the Dow surging above its June 12 peak of 8799.26. The (second) chart shows the
long-awaited confirmation by the Transports as they surge through their June 23 peak of 3399.88. The question
– what are the Transports telling us? And my answer is ‘who cares?’ In the great majority of instances, we don't
know the reason why the stock Averages are doing this or that. We follow the Averages blindly (via Dow Theory)
the way a blind man follows his Seeing Eye dog. And when we mix technical analysis with our own “common

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Raymond James Investment Strategy
sense’ and emotions, we are on the path of going wrong. . . . As I write, we're halfway through today's session.
BOTH the Industrials and Transports are up over 100 points. This is what I call a powerful confirmation, a twin
breakout with force. The implications are that the market is heading higher.”
While by our method of interpreting Dow Theory we didn’t get the Dow Theory “buy signal” until a few weeks later, it was still a
“buy signal.” And, it reinforced what we have been saying since the March lows. To wit, “we are treating the equity markets as if
we are in a new bull market, but are leaving the final bull market ‘call’ to Dow Theory.” Now as I learned it, once you have a Dow
Theory “buy signal” it stays in force until you get a Dow Theory “sell signal.” For example, the Dow Theory “sell signal” of September
1999 was not reversed until the Dow Theory “buy signal” of June 2003. Similarly, the Dow Theory “sell signal” of November 2007
was not reversed until the recent “buy signal.” So I have to ask the question if – “we follow the Averages blindly (via Dow Theory)
the way a blind man follows his Seeing Eye dog” – how can Dick Russell take the “bull out of the box” without the prerequisite Dow
Theory “sell signal?”
Obviously, we don’t think the bull should be taken out of the box even though we do believe the odds for the first decent correction
since the “lows” are rising. That said, we would be buyers on said correction, believing stocks will be higher by year-end than they
are now. We continue to prefer names with dividend yields like CenturyTel (CTL/$32.62/Outperform) and NTELOS (NTLS/$16.96/
Strong Buy); and would note that NTELOS was added to the Focus List last week. For other yield-oriented ideas we urge you to listen
to one of our Canadian energy analysts, Kristopher Zack, speak on the Canadian Oil & Gas Trust Sector on the International Call of
the Month this Wednesday (October 7th) at 4:15 p.m.
The call for this week: Mark Twain’s quote seems to put the month of October in perspective:
“October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. Others are November, December, January,
February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September.”
And as our technical analyst, Art Huprich, wrote last Friday:
“Finally, relative to today’s employment report, as James DePorre wrote yesterday, ‘the response to that report is going to give us a
good insight into the health of the market. If market players buy a pullback on a bad report or sell strength on good news that will
be an important tipoff. The bulls need to build on good news or buy the dip on bad news. If they don't renew their interest in
buying market weakness, the downside is going to gain momentum quickly.’ I would agree.”

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Important Investor Disclosures


Strong Buy (SB1) Expected to appreciate and produce a total return of at least 15% and outperform the S&P 500 over the next six months. For
higher yielding and more conservative equities, such as REITs and certain MLPs, a total return of at least 15% is expected to be realized over
the next 12 months.
Outperform (MO2) Expected to appreciate and outperform the S&P 500 over the next 12 months. For higher yielding and more conservative
equities, such as REITs and certain MLPs, an Outperform rating is used for securities where we are comfortable with the relative safety of the
dividend and expect a total return modestly exceeding the dividend yield over the next 12 months.
Market Perform (MP3) Expected to perform generally in line with the S&P 500 over the next 12 months and is potentially a source of funds for
more highly rated securities.
Underperform (MU4) Expected to underperform the S&P 500 or its sector over the next six to 12 months and should be sold.

Out of approximately 749 rated stocks in the Raymond James coverage universe, 46% have Strong Buy or Outperform ratings (Buy), 46% are
rated Market Perform (Hold) and 9% are rated Underperform (Sell). Within those rating categories, 25% of the Strong Buy- or Outperform
(Buy) rated companies either currently are or have been Raymond James Investment Banking clients within the past three years; 13% of the
Market Perform (Hold) rated companies are or have been clients and 9% of the Underperform (Sell) rated companies are or have been clients.
Suitability ratings are not assigned to stocks rated Underperform (Sell). Projected 12-month price targets are assigned only to stocks rated
Strong Buy or Outperform.

Suitability Categories (SR)


Total Return (TR) Lower risk equities possessing dividend yields above that of the S&P 500 and greater stability of principal.
Growth (G) Low to average risk equities with sound financials, more consistent earnings growth, possibly a small dividend, and the potential
for long-term price appreciation.
Aggressive Growth (AG) Medium or higher risk equities of companies in fast growing and competitive industries, with less predictable earnings
and acceptable, but possibly more leveraged balance sheets.
High Risk (HR) Companies with less predictable earnings (or losses), rapidly changing market dynamics, financial and competitive issues,
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Venture Risk (VR) Companies with a short or unprofitable operating history, limited or less predictable revenues, very high risk associated
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Company Name Disclosure
NTELOS Holdings Raymond James & Associates makes a NASDAQ market in shares of NTLS.
Corp. Raymond James & Associates or one of its affiliates owns more than 1% of the outstanding
shares of NTELOS Holdings Corp..
Raymond James & Associates lead-managed a secondary offering of NTLS shares in March
2007.

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