David Harper

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

My Problem with Cuomo Going After Ratings Agencies

Weak argument. The issue is whether the work product and methodology justified the fees, or if not, constituted a professional negligence. This can't be decided at the superficial level of your argument: clearly, at some hypothetical extreme, taking fees for inappropriate ratings would be actionable. The problem is that, in regard to structured products, the rating agencies *clearly* applied dubious model practices to insubstantial datasets - I don't know the legal implications, but it's worse than you make it sound. David Harper, bionicturtle.com

Apple Options Rumors: Getting to the Core

Hi Chris, we met at XBRL-US when you chaired the analyst Panel. I hope you are doing well!

Appreciate your comment because I don't think investors take this seriously enough, governance is a sort of public externality. We all benefit from better governance practices; investors should insist that the Board do it's job, on small and large matters. It's not enough to be satisfied that the stock won't be hurt. Yes, there is more to investor life than making money on a single trade. We are all better off when the SEC hold management's feet to the fire.

Apple: Jobs Should Win This Battle Too

Thanks for, finally, a reasonable analysis, which has so far been hard to find on SA. Today was just the company speaking. As Morningstar said, also today, "we'd like to see what the SEC has to say... we don't agree that CEO Steve Jobs is completely clean in this issue."

Apple Options Rumors: Getting to the Core

But the new story, yes at the core, is beyond mere backdating and goes to whether documents were altered with senior executive consent, possibly Jobs, to fabricate a Board meeting. I have no clue about the outcome or veracity, but if it's true it poses a serious legal issue. See Tiernan Ray @ Barron's latest, Enderle is absolutely right.

Is Adobe Played Out?

C'mon William, keep the faith. Wall Street may move on but that's due to a myopic focus on the traditional product bundle. CS 3 matters, sure, but Adobe is one of those rare software companies with a valid long term thesis. The bright spot extends beyond integrated workflow and concerns: enterprise adoption, flex platform, video and mobile platforms. Flash video and the .swf format is absolutely romping on the alternatives. You don't have to buy into rich internet apps (and platforms like flex), but if you do, it's hard to find anybody as well positioned to benefit over a longer haul.