September 2009

Gut Check Time For The Nasdaq Bulls

Just some quick thoughts as we head into the end of September… Last week was fairly interesting in that many began noticing signs of a change in character for the stock market, if not a change in trend.  The Nazz has been the leader for this rally, so the action there is worth noting. Some…

Risk and Reward in Emerging Markets

In discussions with clients and prospective clients, one question routinely comes up, regardless of market conditions:  “How much emerging markets should I have?” or some variation. I thought this article by Gregory Zuckerman from the Wall Street Journal this morning did a good job of summarizing where these markets are performance-wise and how they stack…

More Hot Links: World's Longest Bridge

More Hot Links for Weekend Reading… Legendary Las Vegas impresario Bob Stupak has passed.  (WSJ) Is NBC really a core business for GE or is it, in fact, up for sale, along with CNBC?  (ZeroHedge) Cool: The legendary trading culture of Susquehanna International.  (InfectiousGreed) A behind the scenes look at Andrew Cuomo, the New York…

Moody's to Introduce New Spokesmoose to Repair Image

If anyone has a public relations problem, it’s Moody’s (MCO), once a well-respected bond ratings service, now DC’s favorite whipping boy for its role in the credit meltdown.  Between Buffett‘s dumping of the company’s stock and Greenlight’s David Einhorn pitching it as an investment short, management at Moody’s has decided to play a little offense….

Private Sector Cutting Debt…Uncle Sam? Not So Much.

Floyd Norris shows us this morning that while virtually every facet of the private sector in America has been scaling back on debt, the Federal Government has rushed headlong into the breach to fill that void. From the New York Times: Rather than crowding out the private sector, Uncle Sam is now standing in for…

Hot Links: Warren G, Bill Clinton & the Facebook IPO

Hot Links for Weekend Reading… What agreements and tangible progress came out of the G-20?  More than you think.  (DealBook) News to me!  Those who are dying to get in on the Facebook IPO have an extremely early and expensive option.  (Clusterstock) Talking capitalism and entrepreneurship with Bill Clinton and friends.  (Forbes) Gangsta Rap legend…

Merrill Lynch, Apparently, Committed Suicide

Thanks to my pal The Epicurean Dealmaker‘s incredible Supermassive Black Hole post, I learned a great deal more about why some investment banks survived the credit meltdown and others didn’t.  My key takeaway from this must-read piece is that Merrill Lynch had a Death Wish. See that crazy-ass blue line really going for it through…

Hot Links: McDonaldland

Stuff I’m Reading this Morning… A Fed official talks about the potential for aggressive interest rates hikes when necessary.  (Bloomberg) Trader Mark on the Julian Robertson Armageddon interview.  (FundMyMutualFund) Yes, Twitter is worth 74 kajillion dollars, haters.  (NYP) Rumors of a Blackstone LBO for Sea World.  Somebody warn Shamu!  (LOLFed) Jesse is still agnostic on…

Required Viewing for Newly-Bonused Goldman Employees

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.3484400&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] So Goldman Sachs is sitting on a $16 billion bonus pool, which CEO Lloyd Blankfein is hesitant to dole out to employees amidst the possibility of populist furor in this wonderful economy of ours. My advice to Lloyd is to make the above clip from Goodfellas required viewing for the troops upon receipt of…