Barry, I am but a humble trader, and while being aware that...

Barry, I am but a humble trader, and while being aware that cycles do exist, I profess little knowledge of them.

I simply go back to the chart, and see that the boom in BHP took off on July 7, 2003.

RIO: I have never followed the stock.

But I do know that sentiments go through what can appear to be capricious phases, where certain words can have prejorative connotations.

Certain words become fashionable and become ingrained in the public consciousness for a while.

For instance, Current account deficits were OK up until the late 1980's....but have become a no-no since.

Debt likewise.

A year ago the world ran on debt...but now with financial markets still unable to provide liquidity, debt is a dirty word.

Sentiment has turned nastily against RIO in that circumstance, not necessarily because of its fundamentals (though as I say, I do not follow that stock)