Companies & Industries

 

• Twitter Sold Some Stock http://t.co/oIwxhl5BAh Valuing speculative companies is tough. Ask how much of sectoral profits they could grab $$ Nov 08, 2013
• Then discount that at 20%/year, and decide whether you have enough margin for considerable error. I don’t think Twitter gets there. $$ Nov 08, 2013
• Most US Blockbuster Stores to Close http://t.co/Q77XgZEYGI The internet changes everything; anything that can be bytes is blown to bits $$ Nov 07, 2013
• Utilities in Pain Selling Renewable Assets at Record Rate http://t.co/0v5YgeAoVj Utilities don’t want 2 allocate capital to low returners $$ Nov 06, 2013
• FHFA Takes Aim at ‘Forced’ Insurance http://t.co/FZslhVSyLp Won’t happen, b/c banks won’t lend if proprty is uninsured against casualties $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Coconut Crisis Looms as Postwar Palm Trees Age http://t.co/C5Ub4BnEgu Coconut Trees have aged w/not enough replanting, cuts into yields $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Makes me wonder whether the life companies didn’t also raise mortality charges in order to make up 4 compressed/negative interest margins $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Universal Life Policies Hurt by Low-Rate Era http://t.co/qEcwGR3gTQ Guaranteed rates high relative to current interest rate environment $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Western Digital Adds Helium to Enterprise Hard Drives http://t.co/tCj4H6ksC4 More storage, less power use,aids big data | FD: + $WDC $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Here’s How Much Berkshire Hathaway Made On Financial Weapons Of Mass Destruction In Q3 http://t.co/F7actdnrmv Buffett wins | FD: + $BRK.B $$ Nov 04, 2013
• The new American capitalism: Rise of the distorporation http://t.co/KKp7BK91xA Thinly capitalized corporations that distribute profits $$ Nov 03, 2013

 

Politics & Policy

 

• Obamacare Website Frustrations Persist as Deadline Looms http://t.co/NA5zV7cze1 Harder to fix bad code than to rewrite the system $$ #loser Nov 08, 2013
• Artificial Trans Fats in Food Deemed Unsafe by US FDA http://t.co/sXf5r5DjjO Y R we limiting freedom in something so basic as food? $$ Nov 08, 2013
• Obama’s Catastrophic Victory http://t.co/Z9gryN2oA7 Wait till people with bronze policies have to pay their costs prior to the deductible $$ Nov 06, 2013
• It would involved tort reform, & encouragement of charities to aid the sick, & would shrink Medicare & Medicaid, moving 2a free market $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Real health reform would remove all government preferences, including the employer deduction, & move to a client pays directly model $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Colorado Education-Tax Measure Fails http://t.co/GV5rpq9NSQ Interesting datapoint; even 4 local schools, difficult 2 raise income taxes $$ Nov 06, 2013
• SEC Fines Greater Wenatchee Regional Events District4Misleading Investors http://t.co/oDHpxG5o6I Failed2disclose certain finl projections $$ Nov 06, 2013
• CFPB Debt Collection Rules May Move in Unprecedented Direction http://t.co/G5LBwfc3em May even affect ability to collect on private debts $$ Nov 06, 2013
• BlackRock, Fidelity Face Initial Risk Study by Regulators http://t.co/SwyaxP14HB That they would consider this proves they r clueless $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Obama repeatedly promised people could keep their health insurance under Obamacare http://t.co/dS84R05kzH Law affected ability 2 do that $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Jonathan Tepper on Obamacare http://t.co/L163WSrcaL A relatively neutral assessment of PPACA, which does not reduce oligopolies & costs $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Wells Fargo Said to Face US Mortgage-Bond Probe http://t.co/nrbZQOiGHy FIRREA statute used. $BAC $CSGN $JPM $C $WFC all face these probes $$ Nov 06, 2013
• A tax break for wealthy landowners under scrutiny, from @BBGVisualData http://t.co/lTxFAEPwwk Many parties allied to keep low value break $$ Nov 06, 2013
• IRS Cracks Down on Breaks 4 Rich Americans http://t.co/dN6dtnTCQG Cracks down on conservation easements; graphic: http://t.co/8jKqjCi7na $$ Nov 06, 2013
• McDonnell v. Royal Dutch Shell Plc 13-cv-07089 http://t.co/HMbTcvLdEV <– If anyone wants 2c the complaint on Dated Brent Crude Rigging $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Congress May Push Milk Prices to $8 a Gallon http://t.co/kPPeJ42YlP The solution is 2 end milk price supports; have a free market in milk $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Obamacare Expedited Bidding Limited Who Could Build Site http://t.co/EEa2UKZQ78 US Medicare&Medicaid Services preapproved 16, only 4 bids $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Obama’s Broken Promise of Better Government Through Technology http://t.co/eaYVdiAYAj Technology is only as good as its implementation $$ Nov 04, 2013
• A Stage-4 Gallblader Cancer Survivor Says: I Am One of ObamaCare’s Losers http://t.co/9nZLusmknt PPACA sob story #2 loses coverage & docs $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Mr. Obama, I Am Unhappy That Obamacare Threatens To Kill Me. http://t.co/T3YnjqYzRJ PPACA sob story #1, loses his healthcare coverage $$ Nov 04, 2013

 

Market Impact

 

• The Biggest Little Secret In Money Management http://t.co/zeIzMWJmIz Most new fancy strategies can mostly be replicated in simple ways $$ Nov 08, 2013
• The Dividend Challenge http://t.co/icI80BpcoR E.g., In 1993-1994 dividend-oriented funds did horribly as rates soared. Divs aren’t magic $$ Nov 07, 2013
• Of Debt, Growth, Interest Rates and History http://t.co/ZEG4za0XLg High debt & real interest rates tend to dampen economic growth $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Many bonds only have a small number of holders, so it gets easier to guess who the big traders might b, thus affecting the market price $$ Nov 06, 2013
• When bonds don?t trade http://t.co/71JD7XbJ9S Difficult to facilitate buyside trading w/each other; they want to keep their moves quiet $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Gross Loses World?s Largest Mutual Fund Title to Vanguard http://t.co/HfpH7pURgE Wonder if Pimco is 2big 4 Gross’ quant strategies 2 work $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Over the last 10 years investing in venture capital has not outperformed public equity (Pg 5) http://t.co/GnBTZPRhz0 Capital Index.pdf $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Investors Return to IPOs in Force http://t.co/Hn9RFceouq Fresh Fruits r opposite of IPOs, good when plentiful, IPOs bad when plentiful $$ Nov 04, 2013
• New Homes Get Built With Renters in Mind http://t.co/j4NYgVS54n If investors r truly long-term 4 running rentals, this could b stable $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Reduce the noise levels in your investment process http://t.co/XUE0HYpWGt @ritholtz guides us in telling us what chatter 2 avoid hearing $$ Nov 03, 2013

 

Rest of the World

 

• China?s Soviet-Style Suburbia Heralds Environmental Pain http://t.co/7Sk5too1g1 Central planning fails again $$ Nov 07, 2013
• Kyoto Veterans Say Global Warming Goal Slipping Away http://t.co/DCqPxzIJcE No incentive to cut carbon emissions; eg, Germany’s coal use $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Rankings That Rankle http://t.co/xB5bftp7yb Rather than reform further, China would rather shoot the messenger bearing bad tidings $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Merkel Facing Power Dilemma as Coal Plants Open http://t.co/fMLyBrg7Zz Note that Germany does not care much about CO2 emissions $$ Nov 04, 2013

 

Central Banking

 

• Greenspan?s Bequest to Yellen Is Board Harmony Shown in Records http://t.co/gIdq6MQjnX more interesting is Volcker offering 2resign in 86 $$ Nov 07, 2013
• MSNMoney’s Jubak:Fed Has No Way Out of Its Mountain of Debt http://t.co/TVhTheDWSj No surprise. Central bank balance sheets rarely shrink $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Kozicki Shows Central Bankers Only as Good as Forecasts http://t.co/GwhwxkRLYe Proves we shouldn’t rely on neoclassical economic models $$ Nov 06, 2013

 

Personal Finance

 

• The red-blue divide in personal finance http://t.co/OgS2PL0jgh Shares my view on Dave Ramsey; useful 4 $$ management, avoid on investing Nov 06, 2013
• Can I repo a car if I co-signed the auto loan? http://t.co/2xJp83ppnt Rather, lend them the $$ w/a formal loan document; NEVER co-sign!! Nov 05, 2013
• Mom co-signed, now stuck with student loan payments http://t.co/uVenTWv2Oc Never co-sign, not for a child, parent, friend, anyone, ever $$ Nov 05, 2013
• The 4% Safe Withdrawal Rule Declines to 3% http://t.co/pSvGBLgXhC My rule: Take 10Y Treasury yield, +1% if neutral, +2% if bullish $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Banks offering mortgages with only 5% down payments http://t.co/w62w0qwnOX Financing long-term assets w/low equity helped create crisis $$ Nov 05, 2013

 

Other

 

• Excel monkeys unite! For today, we are cancelling the circular reference! http://t.co/6D7H9NekSi On the challenging Modeloff competition $$ Nov 06, 2013
• The siren call of Microsoft Excel http://t.co/g5isxFXJJS Excel has its uses, but not for security, audit & production. Use 2 prototype $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Symbolic Family: De Blasio Success Shows Sea Change for Interracial Couples http://t.co/uzJWeUY0zq We’re one race: We’re human $$ Nov 06, 2013
• More Commuters Self-Driven, Census Finds http://t.co/XRcRJ7fSo3 Surprising that no one has found an internet-based solution 4 carpooling $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Game of thrones with world chess champion Viswanathan Anand http://t.co/HnEv9GbmRh Long piece on the reigning chess champ & new challenge $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Anand On How Computers Have Changed Chess http://t.co/UPjZs61f70 Most openings have become transparent; only odd openings offer surprise $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Simple Tech Fix Could Allow Millions to Hear – Bloomberg http://t.co/1HrLV8Vj2u Transmits sound directly to a listener?s hearing aid $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Capt.James A. Kirk Takes Command of Navy Vessel http://t.co/DYj4Noyp8z His nickname is “T.” His vessel has advanced cloaking abilities $$ Nov 04, 2013

 

Wrong

 

• Wrong Fed Study: Lengthen Low-Rate Guidance to Fix Unemployment Faster http://t.co/Sf3X2lsDOz No data on unemployment in liquidity trap $$ Nov 07, 2013
• Wrong: Why ‘Rate Shock’ Is An Essential Part Of Health Reform http://t.co/jxxmJQcpTo People should not be forced 2buy more than they want $$ Nov 06, 2013
• Wrong: Think inside the (right) box; 5 must-read business books http://t.co/VmxZHuFqsf I read “Big Data.” Good, not great. Rest look iffy $$ Nov 05, 2013
• “Disagree. I read “Big Data.” Good, not great. Others look iffy, particularly ‘Antifragile.'” ? David_Merkel http://t.co/wcVPO5mmxK $$ Nov 05, 2013
• Wrong: Economists overvalue stock markets http://t.co/vaWef32JS7 Stock prices provide valuable economic signals: http://t.co/XyaEJqXwGn $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Wrong: Americans? Debt Hangover Seen Ending in Boost to Growth http://t.co/pJXgAYeEwt The consumer remains highly leveraged vs history $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Wrong: If It Looks Like a Bank, Regulate It Like a Bank http://t.co/8BA1XlrLAJ Money market funds don’t look like banks; very safe assets $$ Nov 04, 2013
• Wrong: Asymmetric Return With A Catalyst http://t.co/FTHYYP2Rwx Writer doesn’t get difficultly of getting free $$ from life insurers $HRG Nov 04, 2013
• http://t.co/jH200iYZyT Comps of $MET & $PRU – horribly optimistic. $NWLI would be better. Another reason I don’t read seeking alpha $$ $HRG Nov 04, 2013

 

Comments, Replies & Retweets

 

• RT @pdacosta: “Forward guidance is a stupid academic fantasy grabbed by those who wish to escape making real policy.” – @AdamPosen h/t @NHe? Nov 07, 2013
• RT @pdacosta: A tragedy and a travesty: Unemployment in Spain http://t.co/u4UlylupKH Nov 06, 2013
• http://t.co/fwt1rLXORs You could try applying the same to Title and Mortgage insurer kickbacks.” ? David_Merkel http://t.co/El8F8V0690 $$ Nov 05, 2013
• @ritholtz First Bloomberg View Column: Welcome http://t.co/rqAqgL8slw Bloomberg picks up a great columnist grown from financial blogging $$ Nov 04, 2013
• “Well done, Barry. Your writing skill has taken you above and beyond.” ? David_Merkel http://t.co/c42lp6sH6i @ritholtz new @bloomberg $$ Nov 04, 2013