From: "Geo" 

Count it however you like, last year was a good year for oil companies by
their own admission, this year saw a 42% increase in profits for JUST THE
FIRST HALF (that doesn't yet include the latest $3/gal numbers).

Geo.

"Gary Britt"  wrote in message
news:439ee163$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> On 500 Billion dollars in sales that is perfectly NORMAL and actually
> SUB-PAR compared to other companies which is why their share price trades
at
> 11.05 times earnings.  Most corporations trade at a higher multiple
because
> they are MORE profitable.
>
> If you get paid by the hour and you work twice as many hours your pay
> doubles.  In that instance you have exactly the same kind of windfall
profit
> as had the oil companies.  NONE.
>
> If you buy a 500 Billion dollar CD would you expect the bank to pay you
LESS
> interest than that they pay on a $100,000 CD because 500 Billion times the
> interest rate equals a whole lot more money than Bill Gates?
>
> How much of that 43 Billion was actual CASH generated?  I suspect many
> billions were paper and NOT cash, but it wouldn't matter if it was all
cash.
> Its still just 7% profit margin, which isn't much.
>
> Gary
>
> "Geo"  wrote in message
news:439eaf32$2{at}w3.nls.net...
> > "Gary Britt"  wrote in message
> > news:439e64da$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> > > That indicates how pitifully low their profits were as a percentage of
> > sales
> > > in the prior year.  The post Katrina profits don't exceed 10% as a
> > > percentage of sales.  In line with or less than the corporate average.
> >
> > 43 billion dollars Gary, 43 BILLION in profits. That even puts Microsoft
> to
> > shame.
> >
> > Geo.
> >
> >
>
>

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