If you are looking for a reason why stocks are plunging, here's one major reason. Today, at 10:30 AM and then again at 2 PM (both eastern time) announcements re settlement of the massive Lehman Bros. credit default swaps will occur. According to one trading desk source of mine, the equity markets...
Today, the House of Representatives has dealt a huge blow toward stabilizing the financial markets and avoiding a world economic crisis. The less than perfect Paulson bill would have accomplished that goal in numerous ways. One of them, which has been least understood and grossly underappreciated by...
As the world listens to Messrs. Paulson and Bernanke argue for support of their three-page $700 billion manifesto, I wish to focus your attention on a central aspect of the credit crisis – the scale and scope of the credit derivatives octopus. To illustrate, consider this: If scientists can “identify...
Rules Matter. If the NFL changes its rules of play, does that not have an effect on the game? So, why would a rule change by the FASB or the SEC or a law by Congress not have the same game changing effect? When the FASB said that illiquid and opaque assets should be valued at their last sale (or whatever...
commentary from this week's "Sector and Styles Strategy Report*: Back on February 11th I wrote a report titled “What are the Sell Side Analysts Smoking?” The commentary and report focused on the excessively optimistic outlook earnings forecasts for 2008 by bottom up analysts. Excessively...
commentary from this week's "Sectors and Styles Strategy Report : “Of all the newfangled financial creations that have caused problems this past year, arguably the most nerve-wracking are derivatives traded over-the-counter…” Economist August 8, 2008 And the beat goes on....
It hardly instills deep confidence in our government officials when, after nearly a year, its prime modus operandi is to react to the latest financial crisis with yet another 11th hour solution. This is one of the longer term implications of the bailout plan for Fannie and Freddie. For all the near term...
commentary from this week’s “Sectors and Styles Strategy Report”*: Sunday evening’s US Treasury and Fed actions may seem bold to some. I beg to differ. Here are a few thoughts for your consideration: A recent report from respected consultancy Bridgewater Associates upped the ante...
“She’s real fine my 409” 409 Beach Boys When the price of gas in the US hit $4.09 a gallon, the song that many consumers began singing was decidedly out of tune from the one the Beach Boys sang many decades ago. Back in the day, 409 had a different, simpler meaning. Summertime, hot...