To the Editor:
The article on the electric-vehicle wars highlighted the headwinds that Ford Motor and General Motors are facing, such as batteries, charging and manufacturing issues, and union troubles (“Why the UAW Strike Isn’t the Biggest Problem for Ford and GM,” Cover Story, Sept. 13). Most of the EV hopefuls want to skip the EV-childhood stage without facing any of the difficulties that Tesla has overcome. Elon Musk has created a product through sheer brilliance and grass-roots research, which is going to be a hard model to copy for would-be Tesla imitators.
Dinesh Rastogi
Canonsburg, Pa.
The Cost of Cars
To the Editor:
The affordability of cars already is an issue for a great many people (“Actors, UPS, and Now the UAW: Why Unions Are Rising Up Again,” Sept. 13). Body shops, albeit just one indicator, are really busy in many areas, as folks prefer to stick with what they can afford as opposed to buying new.
William L. Odea
On Barrons.com
Blackstone Is a Buy
To the Editor:
If you are determined to plunge ahead into private equity, then I suggest you do it with a publicly traded entity like the ones mentioned in Jack Hough’s Streetwise column (“How Private Equity Stacks Up Against the Stock Market,” Sept. 15). Since you will own publicly traded shares, you aren’t subject to liquidity restraints that can tie up your capital for years, and you will also benefit from regular dividend payments—many of which have been quite hefty. I have owned Blackstone for a long time, and it is one of the best-performing securities in my portfolio.
Mike Meehan
Bradenton, Fla.
Unqualified Investors
To the Editor:
The minimum requirements to be a “qualified investor” are laughable in terms of being wealthy enough for the risks and illiquidity of private-equity investments (“Private Markets Are Going Mass Market. Is That a Good Thing?” Up & Down Wall Street, Sept. 15). It’s no different than 100 years ago, when taxi drivers and shoeshine boys had margin accounts.
Larry Fellman
On Barrons.com
Mercury Rising?
To the Editor:
Barron’s recommends an investment in Mercury Systems, as it trades for only 28 times 12-month forward earnings, a discount to the prior 30-plus times (“This Highflying Defense Stock Stumbled. That’s a Reason to Buy,” Sept. 15). If Mercury matures, Barron’s sees its price doubling in the next three years. Am I just out of touch with the times, or is my love of solidly growing single-digit multiple stocks a dream from a long-gone era?
Harvey Rosen
Brooklyn, N.Y.
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