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Now that it's nearly impossible for naysayers to downplay or refute the most contrarian research of the decade, what's next? #MARGINCOMPRESSION!

Yet another story we have been following for nearly two years (and here) has finally migrated over to the Mainstream Media as attempts to hush it down before it become painfully obvious and problematic, have failed miserably. The WSJ writes that "Detroit auto makers are piling up big stocks of passenger cars at dealers despite brisk new-vehicle sales in the U.S.—a problem that executives vowed to avoid since their painful downturn three years ago."

• LA port workers to return Wednesday (AP)
• Iran says extracts data from U.S. spy drone (Reuters)
• Obama to stress need to raise debt limit "without drama" (Reuters)
• Big Lots Chief Probed by SEC (WSJ)
• NATO missiles to be sent to Turkey, Syria clashes rage (Reuters)
• GOP Deficit Plan Irks Conservatives (WSJ)
• Japan Can End Deflation in Months, Shirakawa Professor Says (BBG) ... almost as good as Bernanke ending inflation in 15 minutes.
• Osborne Prepares to Breach Fiscal Rules Amid U.K. Growth Slump (BBG)
• Global Banking Under Siege as Regulators Guard National Interest (BBG)
• Freeport plans return to energy (FT)
• Serbian NATO envoy jumps to death at Brussels airport (Reuters)
• Tide Turns After a Flood of Chinese Listings (WSJ)
• Australian economy loses steam (FT)
• Euro Crisis Feeds Corruption as Greece Slides in Rankings (BBG)

Three visualizations describe the breakdown of PSMs--previously successful models: S-Curves, Supernovas and Rising Wedges. A successful model traps those within it; escape becomes impossible.  We see the immense power of previously successful models. Straying from the previously successful trajectory looks needlessly risky, even as the trajectory has rolled over and is heading for unpleasant impact. Anyone who questions the previously successful model (PSM) is suppressed, fired or sent to Siberia as a "threat" to the enterprise's success. Anyone who realizes the Titanic will inevitably sink and abandons ship leaves behind all their sunk capital: they leave with the figurative clothes on their back.

Sometimes the truth is a tough pill to swallow, particularly if that pill is low (and getting lower) margined hardward-based.

Not surprisingly, in the weeks since the historical hurricane made landfall, new attention is being paid to the mounting costs that coastal world megacities may face. Intriguingly, however, this new conversation about climate, energy policy, and America’s reliance on fossil fuels comes after a five-year period in which the U.S. has dramatically lowered its consumption of oil and seen an equally dramatic upturn in the growth of renewable energy. The combination of declining oil use and a greater reliance on the global powergrid is going to shape energy and climate policy. Especially at a time when the concerns of climate change – or, rather, rising seas and the greenhouse dangers of fossil fuel dependency – are being increasingly raised. This will make for a rather muddled and complex array of diverging policy initiatives. Moreover, as new oil supplies emerge from domestic American sources, the dream of resurrecting this cheap oil era will no doubt come back around several more times. But none of these new resource plays will change the trajectory of global oil supply much, nor will they lower the price of oil. So far, new oil supply mostly offsets declines elsewhere – but at substantially higher marginal cost. This should now be clear.

• Boehner comments show tough road ahead for "fiscal cliff" talks (Reuters)
• Argentina angry at hedge fund court win (FT)
• EU Spars Over Budget as Chiefs See Possible Deadlock (Bloomberg)
• Merkel doubts budget deal possible this week, more talks needed (Reuters)
• Greek deal hopes lift market mood (FT)
• Greek Rescue Deal Faltering Cut in Rescue-Loan Rate (Bloomberg)
• Japan's Abe Pushes Stimulus (WSJ) - Unpossible: a Keynesian in Japan demanding stimulus? Say it isn't so. 
• Authorities Tried to Flip Trader in Insider Case (WSJ)

I post 2 yr old, paid subscription research on Apple, and compare it page by page to reality & what actually happened. The result? Some of the best Apple research that I've ever come across!

Investors should prepare for rising prices and more expansionary monetary policy now that President Barack Obama has won re-election, investor Jim Rogers told CNBC on news of the election. The co-founder with George Soros of the Quantum Fund said he expected Obama’s policies to drive up commodities and drive down the U.S. dollar. As the Federal Reserve moves to ‘stimulate’ a stalled economy through debt purchases, Rogers says markets should expect the status quo to remain the same. “If Obama wins, it’s going to be more inflation, more money printing, more debt, more spending.” Rogers told CNBC, saying he expected to sell U.S. government debt and buy precious metals, such as silver and gold.  “It’s not going to be good for you me or anybody else.”

The people have spoken. It’s seen as a solution.

The Fed has never met a large bank merger that it did not like and has never been willing to deny such an application by a bank holding company, especialy a BHC that houses a primary dealer. 

• In Darkened NYC, Safety On The List Of Concerns (AP)
• New York Subway System Faces Weeks to Recover From Storm (Bloomberg) ... as we said
• Power Outages May Last More Than a Week (WSJ)... same
• U.S. stock markets to reopen on Wednesday after storm (Reuters)
• Questions Cloud Market Reopening (WSJ)
• Apple revolution shows signs of reboot (FT)
• Euro Chiefs Set to Grant Greece Extension Amid Squabbles (Bloomberg)
• Italy Bank Poll Casts Shadow Over Savings (WSJ)
• Shocked UBS staff take to Twitter (FT)
• Corporate China hit by unpaid bills (FT)
• Panasonic Posts Loss of Nearly $9 Billion (WSJ)
• BoJ independence called into question (FT)
• Barclays hit by fresh U.S. investigations (Reuters)
• Adoboli’s Girlfriend Said Confess, Co-Worker Said to Run (Bloomberg)

”We now live in a world with fiat-based paper money being printed with impunity. There are no risk- free assets anymore, anywhere."

Well, here you go! Apple missed a 3rd time in a year and a half, and after going against the crowd to call all three misses I now release my subscription valuation bands from the last two years for the fanbois, haters and honestly interested alike...

There were moments yesterday when it felt we stood at the edge of the abyss preparing to take a giant leap forwards. Apparently Draghi did a great job meeting German legislators yesterday; Greece is being touted as a crisis averted - if you believe all the guff; and more of the same from Spain. However, it does feel the crisis is developing in some new directions. Until recently it’s been about sovereigns and banks – but now we’re seeing corporates struggle. There is a general consensus France had no choice but the bailout Peugeot’s finance arm PSA. So why are the problems of the French car industry so important for the Euro? If French industrial policy is founded on preserving the country’s manufacturing base is that really something German/Finish/Dutch taxpayers could have been bailing out through a single European banking union. Perhaps not! These are national choices that illustrate sovereign self interest not European hegemony. We simply ask the question how is Europe supposed to move towards closer Union when national interest remains paramount?