| To: nolimitz who wrote (891) | 3/6/2007 12:42:41 PM | | From: John Carragher | | | | | somebody i think mentioned here one time. tasr buys them all off. settles out of court. then calls it a court dismissal. |
| | Axon Enterprise, Inc. (AXON), formerly Taser Intl. | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
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| From: gladman | 4/29/2007 12:54:13 PM | | | | | | Pocket Taser Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife. This was submitted
by a guy who purchased his lovely wife a "pocket Taser" for their
anniversary. Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn
Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 22nd anniversary
and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Toni. What
I came across was a 100,000 volt,pocket/ purse sized taser. The effects
of the taser were suppose to be short lived, with no long-term adverse
affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to
safety ....
WAY TOO COOL!
Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded
two AAA batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I
was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND
pressed it against a metal surface at the same time, I'd get the blue
arch of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs.
Awesome!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Toni what that burn
spot is on the face of her microwave.
Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that
it couldn't be all that bad with only two AAA batteries, right?!!!
There Is at in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently
(trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking
that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving
target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of
a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I
was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a
mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am
I wrong?
So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading
glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one
hand, taser in another. The directions said that a one second burst
would shock and disorient your assailant; a two second burst was
supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a
three second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the
ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds
would be wasting the batteries.
All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5"
long,less than 3/4" in circumference; pretty cute really and loaded
with two itsy, bitsy AAA batteries) thinking to myself, "no possible way!"
What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my
best..... I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head
cocked to one side as to say, "don't do it master," reasoning that a
one second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all
that bad. I decided to give myself a one second burst just for the
heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button,
and HOLY MOTHER, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION@ !@$$!%_!@ *!!!
I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in throuh the side door, picked me
up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and
over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the
fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples
on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under
my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs. The cat was
standing over me making meowing sounds I had never heard before,
licking my face, undoubtedly thinking to herself, "do it again, do it
again!"
Note: If you ever feel compelled to "mug" yourself with a taser, one
note of caution: There is no such thing as a one second burst when you
zap yourself. You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged
from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. A three
second burst would be considered conservative.
SON-OF-A-.. that hurt like h_ _ _!!! A minute or so later (I can't be
sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), collected my wits
(what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent
reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. How did they up
get there??? My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still
twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my
bottom lip weighed 88 lbs.
I'm still looking for my testicles? I'm offering a significant reward
for their safe return.
Still in shock, Numb nuts |
| | Axon Enterprise, Inc. (AXON), formerly Taser Intl. | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
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| From: John Carragher | 5/1/2007 5:52:03 PM | | | | | | Taser Taps New Markets
By Frank Curzio
RealMoney.com Contributor
5/1/2007 3:03 PM EDT
Editor's note: This Stocks Under $10 alert was originally sent to subscribers April 30 at 2:55 p.m. EDT. It's being republished as a bonus for TheStreet.com and RealMoney.com readers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After you read this, we will initiate a 600-share position in Taser International (TASR - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) in the Stocks Under $10 model portfolio. Last week, the stun-gun maker reported quarterly results that fell short of estimates, creating an opportune entry point for us. Shares were recently trading at $8.35 and have a very favorable risk/reward at the current price.
On April 3, Taser warned that its results for the first quarter would miss estimates because of the delay of some orders. Shares sank below $8 on the news, given the high expectations following last quarter's solid results. Taser is now 22% off its 52-week high around $11, set a year ago, while most of the major indices have seen gains of 15% or more over the same time frame.
One of the biggest disappointments for the quarter was a drop in gross margins to 58.1% from 64.5% last year. Lower gross margins are normally seen as a negative, but this decline was the result of three setbacks: lower sales from the delay of several orders, investments in upcoming product launches, and additional costs associated with expanding capacity to meet growing demand.
So let's examine these issues in more detail.
Sizing Up the Setbacks
First, let's look at the delays. Management confirmed that many orders are still on track, but large orders tend to take longer to be completed because they involve more bureaucracy as city managers and councils wrestle with getting budgets approved. This drawn-out process was evident in the purchase of 3,000 Taser stun guns by the Pennsylvania State Troopers agency on April 4, which was later than anticipated. Meanwhile, an expected order from the Los Angeles Police Department, which employs 6,000 officers, has been delayed since last fall because of similar bureaucratic hurdles.
As for new products, Taser recently launched the C2, a self-defense stun gun for the consumer. The company is in the early stages of an advertising campaign and expects to eventually sell the product in sporting goods stores and other retail outlets. Also, the company just launched the Taser Cam -- a camera with audio capability that attaches to its signature X26 law enforcement stun-gun model.
The Taser Cam -- which provides evidence of hostile situations in which police officers use a stun gun over a handgun -- creates several catalysts for the company to boost revenue, including an add-on sales base to its largest selling product. Currently, there are more than 187,000 X26 stun guns in the field that could potentially be upgraded with the Taser Cam.
The last setback stemmed from the enormous demand internationally, which has created additional costs for Taser as it increases production capacity. International sales now account for 14% of total revenue, up from just 4% in 2004. The company is focusing on the U.K. and especially France, which made an initial purchase in December.
French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, who currently leads in the polls, has stated that he would like to place a Taser stun gun in all 100,000 police cruisers in the country. Also, there are 250,000 to 300,000 officers in France, another potential market. Assuming that just 20% of French police officers are required to have Tasers, this would open up a sizable revenue stream, not only from the sale of stun guns, but for Taser Cams and cartridges -- which is the company's second-largest revenue generator.
The U.K. could also represent a huge area for international growth; its police force is awaiting government approval to allow Tasers to be deployed to all officers. Also, New Zealand is trying the stun guns in a one-year trial, with positive results so far, according to Taser's management. Two other European countries, which management did not specify, have recently begun trials of Taser stun guns.
So, while lower margins for the quarter raised a temporary red flag, we believe the miss was justified. The delayed orders will most likely be booked, and the company's new products and increasing cost to expand capacity will pay off over the longer term as orders begin to flow in, especially from markets abroad.
A Solid Balance Sheet
Taser also looks attractive from a financial perspective. The company has relatively no debt and about $16 million in cash. Although shares are trading at about 22 times expected 2008 earnings per share of 37 cents, revenue is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 36% over the next three years, according to Capital IQ. This estimate does not include the international growth potential we highlighted above.
Taser also has a $10 million share-buyback program in place, of which only $2.2 million has been completed. It would not surprise us to see management step in at these levels and buy back more of its shares.
Despite these huge growth opportunities, there are risks, notably on the legal side. The company has been involved in numerous lawsuits from individuals claiming that Taser stun guns caused injury, and even death in some cases. However, the company has been aggressive in fighting these accusations, which has resulted in many dismissals.
As of the latest quarter, there were 47 total pending lawsuits, down from 57 the previous quarter, and 44 lawsuits that have been dismissed. So far, the plaintiffs in each case have not been able to prove that the Taser device was the cause of any injury or death. The company also has more than 80 medical studies that affirm the safety of the product, and its introduction of the Taser Cam will likely provide evidence in real-time situations, validating the company's claim that Taser stun guns are safe.
So despite the potential drag as these lawsuits wind their way through the legal system, we believe the shares could move in excess of 25% in the short term, based on Taser's international growth potential and its line of new products being rolled out this year. |
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| To: letsmakerealcash who wrote (895) | 5/3/2007 4:34:58 AM | | From: John Carragher | | | | As a more speculative play on Sarkozy winning the elections, Cramer recommended Taser (TASR - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) because Sarkozy has said he'd like to put a Taser stun gun in every police vehicle in France.
"If Sarkozy wins, this would be a huge win for Taser," Cramer said. However, he warned viewers that Taser is "not for the faint of heart" and is "a risky speculative play." |
| | Axon Enterprise, Inc. (AXON), formerly Taser Intl. | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last ReadRead Replies (1) |
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| From: John Carragher | 5/24/2007 8:04:53 AM | | | | | | TASER International Announces Three Significant Domestic Orders and One Large Export Order
Thursday May 24, 7:30 am ET
Washington State Patrol, Tallahassee and Scottsdale Police Departments Purchase TASER Technology
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 24, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- TASER International, Inc. (NasdaqGS:TASR - News), a market leader in advanced electronic control devices, today announced the receipt of four substantial orders. Three orders were received from domestic law enforcement agencies, including the Washington State Patrol for 500 TASER(r) X26 Electronic Control Devices (ECDs) and related accessories; Tallahassee Police Department for 271 TASER X26 ECDs and related accessories; and Scottsdale Police Department for 125 TASER X26 units and related accessories. TASER International also received an export purchase order from an international law enforcement agency establishing a new TASER program with an order totaling over $1,425,000 for TASER X26 ECDs and related accessories. |
| | Axon Enterprise, Inc. (AXON), formerly Taser Intl. | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
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| From: John Carragher | 6/22/2007 11:50:20 AM | | | | | | | Taser (TASR - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) target price raised at Jefferies to $20 from $13. Says company booked enough orders to meet high-end of estimates and future potential is positive. Maintained Buy rating |
| | Axon Enterprise, Inc. (AXON), formerly Taser Intl. | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
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| From: John Carragher | 6/28/2007 4:22:29 AM | | | | | | TASER International Receives Order for 1,420 TASER X26 Devices From Riverside County
Thursday June 28, 4:00 am ET
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 28, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- TASER International, Inc. (NasdaqGS:TASR - News), a market leader in advanced electronic control devices today announced the receipt of a purchase order for 1,420 TASER(r) X26 Electronic Control Devices (ECDs) and related accessories from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. |
| | Axon Enterprise, Inc. (AXON), formerly Taser Intl. | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last ReadRead Replies (1) |
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