Could you have ever imagined that we’d be able to compare Ford and General Motors to a lottery ticket? Well the day has come as Ford dips to $1 and GM to $2. Let’s face it, the companies are in bad shape and have a lot of turbulence ahead of them. Purchasing shares of the US automakers is very risky and simply a gamble. However, when comparing shares to scratch tickets, I’d rather take a gamble in the automakers.

Two things can happen, they go bankrupt and you lose the gamble, or they somehow pull out and you profit. Many different things can happen between now and bankruptcy allowing for a chance at profits. For example, the companies can be purchased / acquired, can be “bailed out”, can merge, can apply for their financial services to be “bank holding companies” or somehow manage to pull through the economic downturn on their own.

Holding an unused scratch ticket while driving down the interstate is not as appealing as gripping a share of General Motors or Ford. This morning while driving to class on I25, I did a count of the oncoming traffic. For the 2 minutes I counted before the game got boring, I found 31 out of the 67 vehicles to be either Ford or GM. The thought of two companies creating nearly fifty percent of the vehicles on the interstate was compelling. Something is going to happen and if it is bankruptcy it will be a blow to consumer confidence.

If you have $50 or more that you don’t mind gambling with, why not try the new casino of US Automakers. If you lose it, shrug it off like you do when losing a game of poker. They are cheap right now and again something has to happen!

E.M.