Roundtrip: Housing's Back to Square One

Was it fun for you? It’s been an amazing 8 year period for housing.  Floyd Norris shows us how eerily similar the rise and fall of home prices and inflation have been: From the New York Times: During the period, the Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller 20-city composite index of home prices rose almost 21 percent….

Hot Links: Where The Wild Things Are

Hot Links for Weekend Reading… Johnny Debacle congratulates Bernanke on his 2nd term appointment.  (LongOrShortCap) The top broker/dealers of 2009 are announced.  (InvestmentAdvisor) Tyler has an idea:  How about the SEC investigates why a bankrupt company (AIG) has become a proxy for the stock market.  (ZeroHedge) Like inspirational quotes?  I do.  Here’s a great list…

Tired Business Cliche List

CNBC‘s Power Lunch asked viewers to email them with the business cliche that is the most annoying to them. I’m not a joiner, so I didn’t email them.  Thought I’d share them right here instead.  Feel free to comment if I missed any. 1.  “At the end of the day…” 2.  “Outside the Box” 3. …

A Metaphor for Being Short AIG

This is what it must feel like to have been short AIG this month… [vodpod id=Groupvideo.3212572&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] X X X Full Disclosure: I have no positions, long or short, in shares of AIG for client or personal accounts. Nothing on this site should be construed as advice or an invitation to buy or sell any securities,…

Hot Links: Trailer Park Ponzi and Sleeping Bunny Wabbits

Stuff I’m Reading this Morning… Story of the day:  Why and how the hell could AIG have just doubled?  (NYT) John Paulson‘s shiny new position in Citigroup, Jay’s coverage of Paulson is the best I’ve read.  (MarketFolly) A quick look at individual investor sentiment over at the Notorious B.I.G. (Bespoke) Goldman‘s memo re: the trading…

Droppin' Knowledge: Howard Davidowitz Unleashed!

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.865317&w=425&h=350&fv=]   Something about Howard Davidowitz gets me pumped!  Even when the subject he’s pontificating on is universally negative, such as the prospects for most retailers and consumers this year. In the above video from Yahoo‘s Tech Ticker, the retail industry maven keeps it real and confesses his utter shock at the disconnect between consumer/…

The Five Stages of Panic Buying

I talk to a ton of traders, portfolio managers, brokers and high net worth investors, both on and off Wall Street.  Most of them have engaged in a bit of panic buying at some point this summer as the 50% rally in US stocks surprised many smart players. Panic buying is what happens when you…

Hot Links: Jim Chanos, Steven Seagal & the Zombie ETFs

Stuff I’m Reading this Morning… Abnormal Returns covers the concept of Zombie ETFs…a new development for this industry.  (AbnormalReturns) Ain’t no party like a RothCap party ’cause a RothCap party don’t stop.  (NYP) Not all bailout CEOs are created equal: Benmosche (AIG) vs Pandit (Citi).  (BreakoutPerformance) The league tables for inflation rates throughout history…cool.  (InfectiousGreed)…

Congrats to the StockTwits Gang

I want to take a moment to congratulate the StockTwits guys who rang the closing bell for yesterday’s trading session over at the NASDAQ Marketsite. I met Howard Lindzon, Upside Trader and the rest of the gang at a Bacchanalian loft party earlier this summer.  They’re all great guys and, without a doubt, they are…