Wall Treet Week

Upcoming guests and topics on "Wall $treet Week With Louis Rukeyser," produced by Maryland Public Television. It airs at 8:30 p.m. Fridays on Channels 22, 26 and 67 and is repeated Saturdays at noon on Channel 26 and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. on Channels 22 and 67.SEPT. 28: "Are Pollution Control Stocks a Waste?" -- Guest: Kenneth C. Leung, managing director, Smith Barney Harris Upham & Co. The outlook for the environment and waste management companies with a top analyst in the field.OCT. 5: "Where Does the Market Go from Here?"

Ice skating. Painting. Wrestling. Ax-murdering. Strutting across stages in skimpy costumes You'll find all sorts of interesting activities on TV tonight."

"Wall $treet Week," the weekly Maryland-produced show about money, will reach a significant milestone tonight. In other matters, cable shows review the Million Man March and the Republican presidential campaign. Also, Barbara Walters natters with celebrities.* "Disney's Aladdin on Ice" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- The week's second ice show -- and the second Friday night skating special in a row on CBS -- has the Disney touch, with Kurt Browning and Kristi Yamaguchi portraying the lead characters from the animated film.

"Wall $treet Week," the weekly Maryland-produced show about money, will reach a significant milestone tonight. In other matters, cable shows review the Million Man March and the Republican presidential campaign. Also, Barbara Walters natters with celebrities.* "Disney's Aladdin on Ice" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- The week's second ice show -- and the second Friday night skating special in a row on CBS -- has the Disney touch, with Kurt Browning and Kristi Yamaguchi portraying the lead characters from the animated film.

The Sun's Julius Westheimer (at right) was one of the best stock pickers for 1992 among the 27 analysts who created a make-believe portfolio of investments at the start of 1992 for the Maryland Public Television show "Wall $treet Week With Louis Rukeyser."Mr. Westheimer's 27.7 percent return was fourth best, and earned him a spot on the show's year-end edition Friday, where he and three others picked their favorite stocks for 1993.The performance figures for 20 analysts in this chart do not include dividends.

There are several programs and even a few cable channels covering financial news in-depth today. But 20 years ago, there was only one: the one with Louis Rukeyser.Maryland Public Television's "Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser" celebrates its 20th anniversary with specials tonight and Monday.Tonight's broadcast -- live from New York's Tavern on The Green -- airs at 8:30 p.m. on MPT (Channels 22 and 67). Monday's broadcast, "Twenty Years of Wall $treet Week With Louis Rukeyser," airs at 10 p.m. on MPT.Monday's show is a well-produced hour of highlights hosted by the wry Rukeyser.

OWINGS MILLS -- "Now Lou should walk into the studio in 5 or 10 minutes," announced the technician."As soon as Lou walks in, please stay in your seat and keep quiet. Try to keep all your laughter to yourself if he says something funny. And no eating or smoking."The faces of the small audience lifted in attention and, sure enough, in 10 minutes Louis Rukeyser loped in. He gave a winsome smile and got himself into position. Some last-minute makeup was patted on his nose."Do we have liftoff?"

After more than two decades on the air, Wall $treet Week has acquired a timeless quality. The intro's clattering stock ticker, the homey studio set and the puns of Louis Rukeyser, television's longest-running host -- little has changed.That approach, illuminating the mysteries of high finance through casual conversation and humor, has always supplied the charm of Wall $treet Week and the silver-haired Mr. Rukeyser. But these days, it also hints at some problems.The show is seen by fewer people than 10 years ago, and competition from cable networks threatens to steal more viewers.

Falling 47 points after Fed chief Alan Greenspan appeared negative on further interest rate cuts, the Dow Jones average closed yesterday at 3,224.96. Optimists stated that the 1.4 percent drop was not catastrophic, especially from this high level.MARKET WATCH (in proportion received): "Major emphasis should now be on selling rather than buying." (Geraldine Weiss, Investment Quality Trends). . . . "This is no time for long-term investors to be buying stocks. There may be 100-200 points left on the upside, since stocks always go to extremes, but we're in the 'sell' range.

Slipping 1 1/2 points yesterday -- 12 days before Oriole Park at Camden Yards opens -- the Dow Jones average closed at 3,259.39. On April 15, 1954 -- the day the Orioles made their Memorial Stadium debut -- the DJ closed at 313.77 on a 2.2 million-share volume.AND NOW WHERE? "Weakness could give intermediate to longer-term uptrend more life." (Robert Nurock). . . . "Too many people are too pessimistic. The market has dealt many times with vastly worse problems than those we face now." (Kenneth Fisher, Forbes, March 23)

"Why is it that the mutual funds of some of the biggest and most recognized experts often have mediocre performance?" a reader asks."A classic example is Marty Zweig. He's recognized by [Mark] Hulbert [of the Hulbert Financial Digest] as one of the best, but his fund is average. What's going on with these guys?"While any fund manager can have an off year, this reader makes an inappropriate comparison: He doesn't distinguish between picking a few stocks and managing an equity mutual fund portfolio.

After more than two decades on the air, Wall $treet Week has acquired a timeless quality. The intro's clattering stock ticker, the homey studio set and the puns of Louis Rukeyser, television's longest-running host -- little has changed.That approach, illuminating the mysteries of high finance through casual conversation and humor, has always supplied the charm of Wall $treet Week and the silver-haired Mr. Rukeyser. But these days, it also hints at some problems.The show is seen by fewer people than 10 years ago, and competition from cable networks threatens to steal more viewers.

The Sun's Julius Westheimer (at right) was one of the best stock pickers for 1992 among the 27 analysts who created a make-believe portfolio of investments at the start of 1992 for the Maryland Public Television show "Wall $treet Week With Louis Rukeyser."Mr. Westheimer's 27.7 percent return was fourth best, and earned him a spot on the show's year-end edition Friday, where he and three others picked their favorite stocks for 1993.The performance figures for 20 analysts in this chart do not include dividends.

Although investors were discouraged that the Dow Jones average slipped 27 more points yesterday -- off 61 points, or 2 percent, for two days -- let's put the decline in perspective.We recall that the Dow's 508-point plunge on October 19, 1987, ran a whopping 22 percent (DJ 2,246 to 1,738) but surprisingly the DJ regained its pre-crash level in only 15 months and now stands 1,605 points, or 92 percent, above its "Black Monday" close.AND NOW WHERE? "There's powerful evidence that stocks are not overvalued and we see Dow Jones 3,400 to 3,600 this year as long as interest rates and inflation stay subdued."

To Carter Randall, figuring out what to do with your money is as simple as taking a walk along the Chesapeake Bay.Look at the rowboats. Those "belong to the savers and lenders of the world," he said. Then look at the yachts, which he said belong to people who "own something." And that, Mr. Randall said, is why even average people should be in stocks."Participating in a business is a better way to make money than renting your money to someone else for a rate of return," said Mr. Randall, a 22-year panelist on public television's Wall $treet Week and a former executive of Equitable Trust of Baltimore, who was visiting to promote his new book "Up on the Market."

Slipping 1 1/2 points yesterday -- 12 days before Oriole Park at Camden Yards opens -- the Dow Jones average closed at 3,259.39. On April 15, 1954 -- the day the Orioles made their Memorial Stadium debut -- the DJ closed at 313.77 on a 2.2 million-share volume.AND NOW WHERE? "Weakness could give intermediate to longer-term uptrend more life." (Robert Nurock). . . . "Too many people are too pessimistic. The market has dealt many times with vastly worse problems than those we face now." (Kenneth Fisher, Forbes, March 23)

Ice skating. Painting. Wrestling. Ax-murdering. Strutting across stages in skimpy costumes You'll find all sorts of interesting activities on TV tonight."

Slipping 22 points yesterday, the Dow Jones industrial average closed at 3,208.63, now 82 points below its peak but 575 points above its Jan. 1, 1991, level.AND NOW WHERE? "Our four primary indicators allow for additional 1992 progress, with Dow Jones 3,300-3,500 reasonable six- to nine-month targets. Downside limited." (Bob Brinker's Marketimer) . . . . "I'm about 70 years old and I say the bull market will continue to climb its 'wall of worries' until long-awaited evidence of recovery appears.

Falling 47 points after Fed chief Alan Greenspan appeared negative on further interest rate cuts, the Dow Jones average closed yesterday at 3,224.96. Optimists stated that the 1.4 percent drop was not catastrophic, especially from this high level.MARKET WATCH (in proportion received): "Major emphasis should now be on selling rather than buying." (Geraldine Weiss, Investment Quality Trends). . . . "This is no time for long-term investors to be buying stocks. There may be 100-200 points left on the upside, since stocks always go to extremes, but we're in the 'sell' range.