Archive - 2010 - Blog entry

Retailers are counting on holiday sales this year but on the other hand they are rather pessimistic. It remains to be seen if holiday sales will improve substantially this year. Bling yes.

I think we have created a Banksta thrashing Monsta...;-)

Things were going according to plan (even though the plan was horrifying) and everyone was happy but then Uncle Ben had to screw it up this morning when "The Bernank," speaking in Germany, indicated that the Fed would pull the plug on QE2 if they thought inflation would rise higher than "2 percent or a bit less."

Once we realize what we all agree on, we will have a much better chance of turning our economy (and country) around.

PG: A company that earns above its cost of capital (positive Economic Margins) and is growing its asset base is considered to be following a wealth-creating strategy. Back-tests have proven these companies to be more likely to outperform those companies following a wealth-destroying strategy (negative Economic Margins and growing assets). PG also is trading below it's intrinsic value.

Skip General Motors, which is getting over inflated through a combination of media and government hype. Today Toyota, the world’s largest car maker, has been slammed by the perfect storm. Toyota has become the BP of the auto industry. Since the company is Japan’s largest exporter, it would benefit greatly from any weakness in the yen. Buy when there is blood in the streets. (TM), (FXY).

I love big arbs. It means markets will be moving.

Steve Wozniack, Apple's cofounder, was actually quite accurate in his rather stark admission that Android will overcome Apple in the mobile phone market just as Windows overcame Apple. Lest anyone forget, Bill Gates and crew nearly put Apple out of business due to margin compression and the commoditization of Apple's high end - and eventually overpriced products. Android is doing the same, simply on a very compressed time horizon.

Retail traders are notoriously wrong at picking market direction/tops and bottoms. Most retail traders very naturally seem to adopt a counter-trend stance and this offers very accurate signals for individuals looking to trade against this group. This daily report is designed to help traders focus their efforts on higher probability pairs.

WARNING: It is strongly recommended that you do not watch this clip after, during or before the consumption of food or beverage!

New York City may reduce the assumed return on its $100.5 billion of pension investments from the current 8%, Comptroller John Liu said. Welcome to the new normal...

The market absolutely flew today as if it were late to the only showing of Natalie Portman's first lesbian scene thanks to a European country needing to be rescued from the brink of bankruptcy, retail investors being able to buy stock again in...

My thoughts on Ben's words

It’s now two years later, Bloomberg has won at both the U.S. District Court and the Second Circuit Appeals Court and the information is still being withheld.

Progressives are disappointed that Obama is no FDR.

But FDR himself wasn't who we think of as FDR until he was forced by protests, strikes and other forms of civil disobedience. We've let Obama play footsie with the big banks without making those in power uncomfortable in any meaningful sense ...