HFT And Goldman Sachs Boiling Point: NYT And Max Keiser

Great recap piece in the New York Times on whether or not Wall Street is picking the pockets of "non-club" investors (read - the guys who do not generate 80% returns with a Sharpe > 5.0 - can someone explain how risk/return works again). The consensus sure looks good for class action lawsuit lawyers.

The piece also recognizes the tremendous contribution that Zero Hedge's readership has had in this ongoing debate, once more highlighting the interactive nature of new media and how crowdsourcing is the new dominant paradigm for Media 2.0. 

Here is the link.

Additionally, should it be odd that Direct Edge, the company in the eye of the Flash hurricane with its ELP program, has the following reported ownership structure:

Yes. Direct Edge is an independent broker-dealer owned by a consortium that includes the International Securities Exchange (“ISE"), Knight Capital Group, Inc., Citadel Derivatives Group, The Goldman Sachs Group, and J.P. Morgan. Knight Capital Group was originally the sole owner of Direct Edge and the firm was spun off in the third quarter of 2007 when Citadel and Goldman made investments. With a 31.54% stake, the ISE is currently the largest shareholder of Direct Edge, followed by Knight, Citadel, and Goldman, each with 19.9%.

And here are the latest ruminations out of Max Keiser, who takes on a curious angle in his most recent Goldman Sachs attack

The New Model?

It seems 1-2's and Marla's post earlier could not have come at a more opportune time. In a presentation by Andrew Gluck of Advisor Products, the author touches on some starkly comparable points (and, usefully, those with acute ADHD may find this presentation a tad more palatable, hehe, just kidding Marla) in the context of the epic paradigm shift occurring in the media world. Zero Hedge explicitly agrees that while the course of new media is still very much uncharted, the inherent conflicts of interest at the nexus of mainstream media and its providers of funding (not to mention bloated leverage and CDS levels in the 20pts upfront even in these artificially tight times), will make the survival of legacy media products increasingly more impossible.

Unjustified Optimism In Theory And Practice

This one falls into the category of one picture is worth a thousand optimistic promises. Compliments of Out Of The Frying Pan.

Saluzzi Educates MSM On PT, Does Not Buy Books

Irene, I would love to get a copy of your book. Are you willing to exchange one Digital Dickweed coffee mug for a few hundred copies? I am sure you have them lying around, and it sounds about equitable.

Also, good thing of Irene to admit that any variant of forntrunning is illegal. We are with you!

Goldman Sachs Principal Transactions Update: 798 Million Shares And An Overall PT Market Update

There has been (finally) a lot of attention to program trading, a theme Zero Hedge has been focusing on for 4 months. This week, the NYSE finally switched over to its new methodology of providing program trading, which, as Zero Hedge announced previously, involves the decommissioning of the DPTR and the delay/cancellation of implementation of "the proposed redefined program trading account type indicators (J and K)."

New York City's Pain

One feels the pain of New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson, Jr. Not only does he have to deal with the continuing lunacy over in Albany and the still ongoing power struggle in the wake of Spitzer's abrupt implosion, but he has to scramble to contain the fall out in the world's most financially dependent city. His only wildcard: hope, whether it be preached by 1,000 billboards across America, or Obama appearing on TV every 15 minutes to remind Americans that the only way out of a credit crisis is to max out their credit cards, or by watching comedy channels disguised as financial reporting.

Daily Highlights: 7.24.09

• Asian markets rise on improving economic data, strong earnings.
• Europe truck sales down for 14th month.
• Existing-home sales rose 3.6% in June from the previous month.
• U.K. second-quarter GDP fell 0.8%, according to preliminary reading.
• US Mortgage rates rise to 5.2% in first gain in 4 weeks: Freddie Mac.
• 3M Co. posts 2Q EPS of $1.20, beating cons est. by 28%; ups Y09 EPS f'cast.