Jake Berzon

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

I love these summaries.

As much as I hate the government subsidizing anybody or anything, at least the new Obama mortgage subsidies plan you refer to would apply equally to both overspenders and savers and that's a move in the right direction!

Starbucks instant coffee - three single-serve Via packets for $2.95, and 12 packets will be $9.95 can do nothing to "to shake its expensive image." Don't they realize that $1 / cup is expensive for self serve instant coffee?!

Top Brand Names and Stock Returns

First of all, a novice (or any other) investors would have had a hard time knowing in 2000 what Business Week will rate to be a top brand in 2008.

Furthermore, very few investors (not even psychic ones) can efficiently directly diversify into a portfolio of 100 equities. This is especially true of self-directed novices.

Thus, by following the simplistic advice of investing "in the brands you know and love," an amateur is more likely to loose virtually everything with companies like Citibank - a declining brand over this time period, than to gain with the likes of Google - hardly a household name in 2000.

Preview from Europe: Another Bear Market Bounce, Or Bottoming?

Quite insightful observations on Ireland. Dependency ratio is also the Japanese problem and increasingly our own.

Also, China is likely overstating its current growth. Do you really believe that they are still growing at 6.8%? Underlying data seems to contradict this.

Finally, just about every company reporting today was reporting a disaster. No place to run...

The Bull Run Begins This Week

What you are pointing to is a rather short term trend up and there are other reasons for it, like all the money sitting on the sidelines waiting for a good entry point. I am more curious to know your opinion about more long term trends. any thoughts on those?