Obvious Insider Trading In Ann Taylor Options Ahead Of Earnings
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 17:20At this point blatant episodes of insider trading are a weekly if not daily occurrence. While we still expect to hear back from our friends over at Mary Schapiro's woefully underfunded Syndicate Encouraging Corruption (SEC), regarding the previously disclosed insider trading in New York Bancorp, here is another one for Mary and her gray matter-challenged subordinated to mull, this time involving clothing retailed Ann Taylor.
- Comments: 28
- Reads: 5,159
January Tax Withholdings Indicate That The Treasury Is Unjustifiably Optimistic In Its Reduced Funding Need Projections
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 16:43
Analyzing the just released Treasury funding expectations, and juxtaposing the data with January tax withholding data indicates that Tim Geithner is unjustifiably optimistic about the Treasury's need to borrow less than expected in the January-March period. Once the Treasury is forced to recognize the incremental borrowing needs, the Treasury market is likely to react adversely due to the apparently lack of foresight exhibited by analysts at the US Treasury Department.
- Comments: 33
- Reads: 4,969
Dodd Reverses Course, "Strongly Supports" Volcker Rule, Goldman Shares Slump
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 15:59
In a seeming reversal of yesterday's FT rumors that Chris Dodd would do everything in his power to undermine the passage of the Volcker rule, as part of his prepared remarks at today's hearing on high-risk investment activities by banks, Dodd said that he "strongly supports" a proposal to restrict large commercial banks from engaging in significant proprietary trading or owning hedge funds or private equity arms.
- Comments: 46
- Reads: 4,472
Watch Paul Volcker Hearing Before Senate Committee On Banking And Other Things
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 15:36Paul Volcker's live testimony before Chris Dodd's Senate Committee on Bribery, Vice and Corruption can be seen live here.
- Comments: 22
- Reads: 3,201
It's The Chart, STUPID
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 14:50
With every Tom, Dick and Harry convinced they can take on Goldman's Jim O'Neill and come up with a wittier, edgier, Gen Y/Z BRIC equivalent, Zero Hedge has decided to join the fray. We present the STUPIDs: Spain, Turkey, UK, Portgual, Italy and Dubai. We admit that while the BRICs and some the other more ridiculous sounding acronyms we have seen out there recently are a gauge into various countries' pent up "growth" potential, the STUPID index is merely a countdown to the inevitable sovereign debt implsion that so far has been postponed due to cash printers working on overdrive 24/7. And to make it simple for the armchair acronym specialists, since the index is in CDS, the chart will go up... but not on the pervasive permabullish sentiment.
- Comments: 188
- Reads: 23,101
What Is This V'ohlewmm You Speak Of?
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 14:04
Gee, channel break out... on negative trendline volume. Where have we seen this algo driven market before? Yawn. Wake us up when one SPY VWAP order can move the market 10%.
- Comments: 93
- Reads: 6,671
Richmond Fed: "Bubble? What Bubble?"
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 13:59The latest out of the Richmond Fed is a joke of a paper that while analyzing the possibility that the entire stock market and dollar carry trade is one zero cost of capital-funded bubble, skips over this possibility and instead goes on to analyze the "factors that could contribute to a fundamentals-based explanation for the recent rally in certain risky asset markets." Spoiler alert: No bubble - it's all based in sound reality.
- Comments: 34
- Reads: 2,844
Dubai CDS Jumps On Ongoing Sovereign Worries, Now At 518 bps
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 13:25
Now that every trigger happy, red-bull OD'ing HiFTer is keenly following every lockbox in possession of Greek bureaucrats to see how many billions more in debt will "suddenly" appear out of thin air, many have forgotten about that "other" sovereign bailout - Dubai. The reason: Dubai World, which was supposed to present a restructuring offer for $22 billion in debt in a meeting with lenders in December, never did. January wasn't any different. February, by the early looks of it, will also be a dud. So as the world grinds along and creditors have no clue what the hell is going on in Dubai, and increasingly so in Greece, everyone has their fingers crossed that not only will there be no default anywhere, but that anyone who dares to mention just what a great big castle in the air the entire sovereign debt arena has become, funded by overt and covert cash transfers by the Federal Reserve, will be (in)voluntarily swept under the rug.
- Comments: 26
- Reads: 3,894
Uncovering Liquidation Value... In Japan?
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 12:43It is no secret that SocGen's Dylan Grice has not been a big fan of the Japanese economy, or stock market for that matter. We have highlighted his perspectives on the island nation in the past, and his concerns about a likely demographic-induced funding crunch have been picked up by the likes of Hayman Capital's Kyle Bass. So when Grice comes out with constructive suggestions on how to play Japanese relative value, especially if it is based on liquidation value considerations, one would do well to listen.
- Comments: 16
- Reads: 7,309
Greece "Discovers" $40 Billion Of Previously Unknown Debt, CDS Gaps
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 11:41
It appears not even one day can pass without some new and improved indication of Greece's economic collapse. The latest comes from website Kathimerini.gr which discloses that the recently appointed "Committee on the Reliability Of Statistics" has uncovered $40 billion of previously hidden debt (one wonders when America will get a comparable commission: no question we are in dire need of one).
- Comments: 85
- Reads: 14,327
Live Webcast Of Tim Geithner Testimony Before The Senate Finance Committee On The 2011 Budget
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 11:08Watch Tim Geithner's testimony before the Senate Finance Committee on the President's amusing 2011 budget live and commercial free, here. It is time someone asks why the GSEs continue getting the Federal Budget exemption.
We hope, although it is very unlikely, Senator Bunning somehow makes a guest appearance with some very directed questions.
- Comments: 70
- Reads: 2,507
Redbook: January Retail Sales Down -1.5% Vs December; Up 1.0% YoY, Miss Estimates
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 10:53
The January data for the Johnson Redbook retail index is out, missing the MNI consensus for both YoY change, which was at 1.0%, compared to a 1.2% consensus, while month over month Redbook was down 1.5% compared to december, on expectations of a 1.2% drop.
- Comments: 6
- Reads: 2,220
Frontrunning: February 2
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 08:31- Tom Hoenig for Treasury (Simon Johnson)
- Moral hazard prompts TCW and AllianceBernstein to buy bank sub debt (Bloomberg)
- The dollar-alternative trade continues: commodities rise as AUD drops on no OZ hike (Bloomberg)
- A scoop of double dip (Barrons)
- iTraxx Fin widest to iTraxx Europe since Lehman (Bloomberg)
- Philippine bond sale fails for second time this year (Bloomberg)
- Comments: 25
- Reads: 2,539
RANsquawk 2nd February US Morning Briefing - Stocks, Bonds, FX etc.
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 08:08RANsquawk 2nd February US Morning Briefing - Stocks, Bonds, FX etc.
- Comments: 2
- Reads: 977
Guest Post: There's Nothing Good Here
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/02/2010 - 01:48The Investment Team at Broyhill huddles up at 6.30AM every Monday Morning, to review market action, various measures of sentiment, and portfolio positioning, to name a few. For the two hours leading up to our Morning Macro Call, we scan dozens of charts, pour over piles of data and review all of the models critical to our investment strategy. Notes from our meetings are distributed internally and reviewed in aggregate at our Monthly Macro Meeting. We’ve noted a significant shift in the investment landscape over the course of the past few weeks, so we thought we’d share this morning’s Views from the Blue Ridge.
- Comments: 32
- Reads: 9,556
