Archive - Mar 2009

Goldman analysts today provide a very useful checklist to keep tabs of where we stand on the proverbial road out of hell. As GS says, its US economic forecast calls for stabilization by middle 2009, and after annualized declines of 7% and 3% for Q1 and Q2, the bank expects real GDP to inch up at a 1% rate over the second half of the year.

Or Zombie Banks 1, Taxpayers 0.

Or Zombie Banks 1, Taxpayers 0.

Or Zombie Banks 1, Taxpayers 0.

NYT didn't even wait for the wire transfer from W.P. Carey to cool off before announcing moments ago that it would redeem its $250 million of 4.5% notes due 2010. In what can only be described as a building-for-debt exchange, Carlos Slim's U.S.

Last market was 615/645. This is roughly where Bear Stearns traded days before Jimmy Cayne's rastafarian reign came to an end.

Below is a chart of Citi CDS through yesterday.

Last market was 615/645. This is roughly where Bear Stearns traded days before Jimmy Cayne's rastafarian reign came to an end.

Below is a chart of Citi CDS through yesterday.

Last market was 615/645. This is roughly where Bear Stearns traded days before Jimmy Cayne's rastafarian reign came to an end.

Below is a chart of Citi CDS through yesterday.

As part of the administration's stimulus plan, Obama envisions the development of a so-called "smart grid" which will receive $4.5 billion in government funding. In brief, the proposed smart grid will be roughly the following:

In a slightly less pessimistic statement today, Nouriel "Dr. Doom" Roubini said an S&P level of 500 "is less likely, but there is some possibility you get there" and put his S&P target at 600. Roubini's target is based on an S&P 2009 earnings of $50 and a 12x multiple.

In a slightly less pessimistic statement today, Nouriel "Dr. Doom" Roubini said an S&P level of 500 "is less likely, but there is some possibility you get there" and put his S&P target at 600. Roubini's target is based on an S&P 2009 earnings of $50 and a 12x multiple.

In a slightly less pessimistic statement today, Nouriel "Dr. Doom" Roubini said an S&P level of 500 "is less likely, but there is some possibility you get there" and put his S&P target at 600. Roubini's target is based on an S&P 2009 earnings of $50 and a 12x multiple.

The Cuomo v Thain heavyweight (superheavyweight considering Barney Frank just jumped into Cuomo's corner) boxing match just got into round 8. The Attorney General and the Representative have demanded all bonus data for BofA/Merrill employees who received more than $1 million in 2008 bonus.

Just out of the SEC, charges filed against Leila Jenkins and her firm Locke Capital "for falsely creating a billion-dollar client in order to gain credibility and attract legitimate investors." In one word: brilliant... in that nobody ever cared to check up on this. Leila made up "so-called 'confidential' client accounts, purportedly based in Switzerland, and repeatedly claimed the accounts contained more than $1 billion in assets that she managed.

The Independent running a piece that seems to have fallen through the cracks: based on the latest statistical release from bank of England, the period between the end of the spring and the end of 2008 saw a $1 trillion exodus of "monies held in the UK on behalf of foreign investors."