Of course, the best advice is to seek the help of a reputable stockbroker. It goes without saying, he is honest and does not cross his fingers behind his back when he is talking to you.

Because of the bullish market in an equally soaring economy, some friends of mine are excited about putting their extra cash in the stock market.

They said what attracts them are prices of stocks of companies that acquire or take over other companies. But the picture looks like a tangled web. Truth to tell, it is a knotty situation, even experienced traders and players will tell you.

Hence, for beginners in the trading and buying game, it will be to one’s advantage to delve into the technicalities first of those mergers and acquisitions. Read news articles and features, and a pep talk with veterans in the exchanges, as well as with business editors will help a lot.

The bottom line is that you avoid searing your extra money needlessly.

In an eye-opening article titled, "Smart Ways to Play the M&A Boom," in Fortune magazine of May 14, written by Yuval Rosenberg, carries an arresting sub-headline, thus:

"Buyouts and takeovers are driving the market. Here’s how to get in on the action without getting burned."

In the US and on the local front, merging corporations are on an agitated frenzy, to use a figure of speech.

For example, new market investors are asking how would the pricing of merged companies be attractive to them as beginners?

In 2003, nationally expanding Jollibee acquired Chow King. And Pancake House taking over Red Ribbon last year. A more recent merging was that of Banco de Oro and E-PCIBank.

Inevitably, the oft-repeated query is, "If I were to buy stocks of those publicly traded companies in their present merged status, how would I know that I am buying them at a fair price?"

What writer Rosenberg has explained may have some bearing on the local front. Here’s what he says, in part:

"With so many deals in the news, it’s only natural for investors to wonder which company will be bought next — and which stock will be next to see a pop. The odds are that we’re going to continue to see a very strong M&A (merger and acquisition) environment for a foreseeable future."

He went further to advice individual investors to remain focused on fundamentals rather than compete with the pros. Ask your trader about merger arbitrage — the investing in announced deals, looking to lock in the difference between the target company’s share price and the closing price of the transaction.

Employed properly and intelligently, the strategy can provide a good absolute return in almost every market environment, said Roy Behren of the American Merger Fund, a respected arbitrage mutual fund firm.

To clinch the Rosenberg report: "Any stock you buy should be a bargain, deal or no deal." Sounds familiar?

FAMOUS LAST WORDS. Statements during newspaper and broadcast interviews of some TU candidates and their handlers were revealing and have become human-interest classics to many readers and electronic media audiences, in the aftermath of the May 14 polls.

Varied reasons were given as to why some didn’t make it to the Magic 12, the most prominent of which were (1) The opposition GO candidates were made of memorable personalities and projected a good image; (2) Suspension of Makati Mayor Jojo Binay (3) E-Vat; and (4) Command votes were nowhere to be found.

For instance, Sen. Ralph Recto acknowledged his sponsoring the E-VAT Law did him in.

"People were also turned off when campaign handlers were boasting of a 12-0 victory for the TU team which was not realistic in the first place," he said.

Many still remember Recto’s pushing for the controversial Road Users’ Tax when he was in the Lower House in 2001.

TU media director Gov. Ben Evardone was blunt on the ill-effect of the Binay suspension a week before the election. "Malaking dagok sa administration ’yun!" Include the garnishment by the BIR of the city’s assets, much more than what it owed the government in the form of unremitted withholding taxes.

"The biggest blunder by the administration was the suspension of Mayor Binay," said Migz Zubiri.

"I was playing golf when the order was given to Mayor Binay," reasoned DILG Sec. Ronnie Puno in the presence of President Arroyo and some TU candidates in an emergency meeting at the Palace on the day following the suspension.

"You (Puno) have given us (TU) the death knell," complained the young Zubiri.