Barron’s writer Andrew Bary gave voice to a question that is probably on many analysts’ and investors’ minds…what exactly is Bill Ackman‘s beef with Target (TGT)? The company has done just about everything right. Pershing Square‘s Ackman is basically barking up the wrong tree and I think I know why. He’s painted himself into a…
Hot Links: Ratings Agencies, Europeans and the Power of "No"
Hot Links for Weekend Reading… OMG you guys, I love it when you hear that famous people are friends, I like to come up with my own combinations and pretend they hang out…like Kevin James and Phillip Seymour Hoffman…ok, sorry…so Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and Oprah and Ted Turner and Mike Bloomberg and all…
Market Recap: Sunshine Day for Sears
[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6wTY37EvQI] The Reformed Broker, AKA Sam the Butcher, here with today’s Market Recap… Holders of Sears Holdings (SHLD) can celebrate like the Brady’s today in the above video: “Put on your Sunday best kids, we’re going to Sears!” – Mike Brady The retailer without a purpose came out this morning with an unexpected profit, albeit one…
Rise of the Silver Surfer
I have a new sector, a new weapon in my arsenal, an area of the market that I’ve ignored for over 10 years due to the lack of quality pure-plays. I’ve been trading and investing in various gold ideas forever, but a lot has changed with the white metal, and now I’m happy to report…
Market Recap: Today was a Brick
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KakinPNRiDc] The Reformed Broker, AKA Brian Fantana, here with today’s Market Recap… The Dow lost around 130 points, but surprisingly, Bank of America (BAC), Citi (C) and the other big banks were flattish all day. Here’s where the carnage was: Laggards in Price Performance (Intraday) Office Supplies -6.40% Internet Service Providers -6.30% Resorts & Casinos…
Hooray for the Credit Card and Loaded Weapon Bill!
Pop quiz: What’s the quickest way to ensure that credit availability to consumers will dry up immediately? That’s an easy one…make it less profitable for credit card issuers to lend! Combined with the additional risk of lending in a recession, that’ll do the trick. And that’s exactly what Obama‘s anti-business gang did next: From the…
Market Recap: BAC Hangover?
The Reformed Broker, AKA Mean Mr. Mustard, here with today’s Market Recap… As the enthusiam for Bank of America’s (BAC) Mother-of-all-Secondaries waned, the only thing left glittering was basically gold and it’s cousin silver. Will bank shareholders end up like the guy in the photo above come the celebration’s end? Here’s the 3:30 look at…
Alternate Realities: GOP or Dem Markets
Which of our two major political parties would be a better steward of our capital markets and financial system if left unchecked by the other party? I think either way, the result would be pretty scary. The Republicans never met a business they didn’t want to deregulate and the Democrats never met an underprivileged constituent…
Market Recap: Hospitals Hop
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzysbFcCYS8] The Reformed Broker, AKA Dr. Feelgood, here with today’s Market Recap… Goldman upgraded one of the worst hospital stocks extant, Tenet Health, this morning: Goldman said it is upgrading THC to Buy from Neutral based on more favorable view of urban hospitals. Notes potential for continued margin improvement and benefit of normalizing credit markets. Price…
(blank) Is Set To Benefit As Housing Recovers…Duh!
My new favorite cliche from this just -ending earnings season is “(so-and-so company/industry) is set to benefit as housing recovers“. Think about the absurd obviousness of this statement and the frequency with which it’s being repeated from every corner of corporate America. And you can basically put any company or industry name in that blank and the sentence…
