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Frontrunning: August 20

Tyler Durden's picture




 
  • Jobless claims rise by 15,000 to 576,000 (Bloomberg), even "as the economy stabilizes"
  • SEC plays keep-up in high-tech race (WSJ)
  • Germany braces for second wave of credit crunch (Telegraph, h/t Jake)
  • Andy Xie: New bubble threatens a V-shaped recovery (Caijing, h/t Yaser)
  • Jonathan Weil: Insurers' biggest writedowns may be yet to come (Bloomberg)
  • Pension plan private-equity cash depleted as profits shrink (Bloomberg)
  • A recovery foundation built on Sand (Delta Global)
  • Bernanke, a hero to his own, can't shake critics (NYT)
  • This will end in tears too: VOW common share fall for sicth day as short interest increases (Bloomberg), Porsche to hire State Street to pull all borrow any minute
  • Gensler seeks to toughen Obama's derivatives bill (Bloomberg, h/t Paul)
  • UBS money laundering: what did Phil Gramm know (The Nation)
  • Angry dealers reassured on clunker rebates (NYT)
  • Sears swings to loss on pension plan and severance charges (Bloomberg)
 

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Thu, 08/20/2009 - 08:53 | 42094 ptoemmes
ptoemmes's picture

Re: Sears, but Cramer said...

http://www.cnbc.com/id/32483198

"
Seeing a trend here? While the media can’t seem to admit it, the US economy and markets are enjoying a number of positives right now, not the least of which is growing strength in retail. So anyone who believed these stories missed some great moneymaking opportunities.

“You have to be skeptical when it comes to the press,” Cramer said.
"

Uhh - shithead- you ARE (part of) the press.

Pete

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:02 | 42098 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Would love to see a copy of Gensler's letter. If anyone has it, please post. Thanks.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:08 | 42102 Cheeky Bastard
Cheeky Bastard's picture

ZHers; I've been browsing the net and read the stuff posted on NC, Mish, Denninger etc and i have come to a conclusion about this site; you know those kids in college who are absolutely genius and they don't need much to be presented to them to have a deep understanding of the presented issue and have 4.0 average etc; well that's us; no really, I've been reading all this blogs and one is completely insane ( Deninnger ), one is trendy and hip ( NC ), one is the odd stoner kid ( Mish ); and they are all great and provide good information; but ZH is a mix of all those characteristics AND has a touch of old academia where eccentric old geezers meet and discuss obscure topics and drink expensive scotch and fart and order 5000 $ whores. I really really really like this place.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:13 | 42107 Sqworl
Sqworl's picture

Here Here, I really really like this place, and Mish is not a stoner...Like you, I read to much and get confused, scared but mostly entertained.  I no longer have skin in this game and being a boomer will not live to see recovery, so hence, I present myself as a $2 Whore...;-)

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:17 | 42112 D.O.D.
D.O.D.'s picture

long obscure topics, long scotch, long 5000$ whores, wait, it's a reccession, I'll settle for the 500$ version, but I'll take 2...

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:26 | 42120 brandy night rocks
brandy night rocks's picture

"The psycho bastard who thinks lovely lovely Ludwig Van is all horror-show settles for $500 whores even as the economy stabilizes..."

 

-Bloomberg

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 10:50 | 42194 D.O.D.
D.O.D.'s picture

just a lil bit o' the ol' in 'n out, just to take the edge off aye..

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 10:12 | 42161 Señor Tranche
Señor Tranche's picture

Scotch is a great flight to quality investment.  Like gold, it will always have value.  As for the whores, you may have to settle for the $5m ones in this recession. 

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:25 | 42118 Cheeky Bastard
Cheeky Bastard's picture

no man, i don't drink that much ( had problems with that in the past ) and i don't think lizzy minds my chauvinistic comments. 

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 10:05 | 42128 Sqworl
Sqworl's picture

Nor do I, and I take as good as I give...example to Dark pool of Soror's a few days ago...with my big strap-on Hanky Paulson...lol

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 10:44 | 42184 texpat
texpat's picture

That's just all kinds of bad.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 14:35 | 42228 thesystemisbroke (not verified)
Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:29 | 42124 I need more cowbell
I need more cowbell's picture

Nice reach around for everyone. If I'm not mistaken, you were fellating yourself pretty well in the process. Cheeky really really likes himself :)

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:37 | 42132 Cheeky Bastard
Cheeky Bastard's picture


. Cheeky really really likes himself :)

actually, just the opposite

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:57 | 42152 I need more cowbell
I need more cowbell's picture

Now, Cheekster, you have hopefully put most of your demons to bed, at least at bay, and we enjoy your company. Anyway, anyone who enjoys excellent scotch ( 25 year McCallan, mayhap? ) and not get whisky dick and take on some prime pussy can't be all bad.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:30 | 42126 curbyourrisk
curbyourrisk's picture

Denninger insane???  Are you nuts my friend?  He breaks everything down.....shows the math and amkes it easy to understand.  Don't blame him for a few things hat might get said by others on his sight.  He is one of the FEW people who really does get it.  And he has been explaining it for some time now.  I am very surprised at you cheeky.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:35 | 42131 Cheeky Bastard
Cheeky Bastard's picture

i didnt mean that kind of insane, more in the terms of CAPS LOCK an bold kind of insane.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:30 | 42127 SteveNYC
SteveNYC's picture

Cheeky, your reading resembles my daily intake, along with a little MSM just for a cackle! Huge props to the guys you mention, I am a big fan of Denninger I must say. Also you should check out www.marketoracle.co.uk for a good read.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:38 | 42133 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

I'll sum it up for you:

Mish : deflation will destroy us

Denninger : not clearing the debt will destroy us

NC : recovery, may be....things will get worse, may be

The one and only place to be is right here even it means sharing $25 Tijuana whore.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:44 | 42136 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Wut's NC? I wanna be trendy and hip.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:46 | 42140 ShankyS
ShankyS's picture

CB - all good reads. Sounds like my nightly surf. I'll take vodka with my daily dose of horror. Have you seen the ads that pop up at the top for all the Chinese women for sale? Screw paying by the hour when you can own 10 of them (talk about having your own rotaion!). No supply issue. Get 'em before inflation hits.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:12 | 42105 Dr Hackenbush
Dr Hackenbush's picture

"

New jobless claims rise unexpectedly"

Um, No.

Dollar shrinks expectedly

Um, Yes

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:14 | 42110 Sqworl
Sqworl's picture

You are correct, binge drinking rises across the nation as DUI's spike and driven by soccer mom's.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:18 | 42109 spanish inquisition
spanish inquisition's picture

So I had an idea while catching up on my reading. Your the government and you have things reasonably under control (Reston 6 and Pimpco for markets). Your Taylor rule estimate is negative and you can't lend negative (well, only to close friends). So how do you help inflation along in the most wide ranging fashion that has the most bang for the buck. Corner the sugar market! Sit back and watch inflation trickle through the system to everyone. (I am surprised Mr. Beeks hasn't posted this yet!)

 

 Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency....

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:53 | 42149 SDRII
SDRII's picture

look at the WPI numbers in india this am - food aggregate index up 10.5% on monsoon weakness. All it takes is a small disruption to set off a daisy chain..just saying

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:15 | 42111 Kaiser Soze
Kaiser Soze's picture

Let's see if today follows the typical pattern on Thursday's where job losses are "more than expected". Typically the market shrugs this off and starts rising by about 10:30 AM when the volume begins to level off.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:22 | 42114 B_Movie
B_Movie's picture

this mornings 1003.75 ESU09 daily ... is that overnight high the lower high relative to the 1015.75 level from 8/14/09?

do those two points deliniate the downtrendline ?

need to be patient ...but this todays bar does havea bit of LPSY look to it

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:45 | 42139 B_Movie
B_Movie's picture

trading above yesterdays close and high so ...

so now painted as a potential weekly spring of the 8/12 low ...

todays range will be also interesting ...

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 14:35 | 42231 thesystemisbroke (not verified)
thesystemisbroke's picture

You know cause we have so many drivers of growth. The financial capacity is there to keep yields low while bidding up risk assets

good articles; good articles 4 slow news day ..http://www..
hat tip: finance news & finance opinions

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:28 | 42122 Louise1
Louise1's picture
Zimbabwe considering gold-backed currency - Gono

The country is looking for an alternative to its hyperinflation-ravaged Zimbabwean dollar that was replaced by multiple currencies in January

 

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page504?oid=87809&sn=Detail

 

 

 

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:45 | 42137 Sqworl
Sqworl's picture

LOL...Dentist wet dream...;-)

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:46 | 42142 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Aaaaaamen!

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:48 | 42144 OBRon
OBRon's picture

Andy Xie said, "And American culture tends to swing to frugality after a bubble."

How about this instead - American consumers swing to frugality after they lose 50-75% of their life savings?

Screw culture, Andy.  It's all about $$$.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 10:02 | 42155 I need more cowbell
I need more cowbell's picture

I say, Andy, Americans have blown through multiple bubbles with zero change in consumption patterns, until now. The house ATM is closed; real deep unemployment; no credit cards, yada yada, we all know the drill. 

True dat, OBRon.

 

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 09:54 | 42150 SDRII
SDRII's picture

Xie: Fed will raise reluctantly but do so as to be behind the curve so inflation outpaces the raises

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 10:14 | 42163 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Once again, the 10am news was leaked. It is so fucking obvious.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 10:18 | 42164 Sqworl
Sqworl's picture

Mary Shapiro's very dark secret...Why the administration does not allow her to speak often!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBhlyXQeAL0

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 10:44 | 42173 Marley
Marley's picture

Henry the K is on Bloom right now stammering about China being the largest economic power in the world.  His mechanical arm springing into a Seig Heil at the slightest provocation.  Thinks we're going to have a long and wonderful relationship.

 

 

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 10:46 | 42187 Sqworl
Sqworl's picture

Watch out his drag queen wife will kick ur butt...lol

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 11:09 | 42210 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Inflationistas must be careful. We all ready had inflation. That was 03-08. We don't live in a true fiat world where everything is done with paper money transactions. The amount of paper money in existance is tiny compared to the credit that was added to the economy and gets passed around on computer screens and balance sheets.

All of that credit is disappearing, at a rapid rate, and unless they just start giving out government gift cards loaded with hundreds of thousands of dollars to all americans, we're gonna have deflation for the long haul.

The only way we see inflation is if foreign governments stop using the dollar and our currency collapses. Will that happen? Who knows. But if you're expecting rampant inflation because the fed is printing, just realize that until they start printing trillions a week, and giving it away for free, there will be no inflation. It just continues to line the pocketbooks of the elite.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 14:35 | 42225 thesystemisbroke (not verified)
thesystemisbroke's picture

like that marine look-a-like realtor who does the real estate interventions.

good articles; good articles 4 slow news day ..http://www..
hat tip: finance news & finance opinions

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 13:13 | 42369 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

The insurer write-down article is inane. DAC can be written down when a policy is cancelled or thought that they will no longer earn on them. I'll give that they are big assets but they're cash costs that have been paid and have to be amortized like any deferred expense, over the life that the revenue is earned.

Should they also write down the up-front revenue they take in before they earn it?

what about loss reserves? those havent occured yet, should they recognize that liability right now?

its accrual accounting and its just how it works. its part of equity because it represents future profit to come in the door.

the guy that wrote that obviously knows little about insurance.

Fri, 08/21/2009 - 08:07 | 43141 ng2amarinefunk (not verified)
ng2amarinefunk's picture

i'd sure like to see your 21st August Friday options FrontRunner commentary - guess you sleeping catch-up for todays action...yep well i am on an 'all nighter' this is serious stuff, and i got SOME sleep yesterday...guess its time, time for "rock and roll, lock and load" so signing-off from Zero Hedge now 0507 -8 GMT California

Fri, 08/21/2009 - 08:08 | 43142 ng2amarinefunk (not verified)
ng2amarinefunk's picture

post script - daylight savings time so really -7 GMT FYI

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