With the breathtaking run-up in larger banks like Wells Fargo (WFC) and Bank of America (BAC), many traders are now looking at the smaller, lower quality names in the banking sector for back-from-the-dead survival plays.

Above is a quick comparison I’ve put together of some of the second/ third tier banks, the ones with more regional exposure to construction loans, commercial real estate debt, etc.

The ProShares Ultra Short Financial ETF, otherwise called SKF, has had one of the most spectacular flame-outs in market history. One minute, SKF was a superstar, raking in millions of dollars on a daily basis and dominating the most actives list. Then suddenly, the party was over.

It may be time to hold auditions to find a replacement for Russia in the BRIC countries.

Very quietly, two developments occurred in India over the last week that could have major implications for the gold market. Both of these developments could portend drastic changes in gold demand from a key market, just as the inflationistas believe they are at the threshold of a paradigm shift in the precious metal’s pricing.

As a result of the 2008-2009 credit crisis, the United States government has committed over $700 billion to bail out the banks in order to stem the tide of systemic meltdown. As the populace rages about these rescues and how the banks themselves have chosen to use these funds, it is important to remember that there was a time when the banks themselves were used to bailout the US.

I’ll start by saying that this is not a post that contains any investment advice. I do not make specific recommendations or market calls to anyone through The Reformed Broker.

In this piece, I’ll be discussing the merits of one small cap company that I consider to have a very interesting story. It could double from its current price or go to zero, that’s not for me to say. I will, however, endeavor to give you some background information as a basis for the start of your own research.

Here’s a cliché I’ve heard just about enough of:

So-and-so analyst/commentator “expects a wave of software consolidation to begin."

Who is Brian Deese?

You’re going to love this one. He’s the latest heartthrob out of the Obama administration who’s been called up to run the GM bailout/ bankruptcy/ clusterf&ck. And he’s, like, 31 years old.

Over the long holiday weekend, I was asked the same question in different settings by friends, neighbors and family members again and again. “Is the market going to go up or back down from here?”

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice change of pace from the big question from January and February, “Why would anyone ever be in the market ever again?” or “How much was your bonus, pig?”

McDonald's (MCD) is probably the best-run public restaurant chain in history. It has always done well in terms of employee training, keeping costs low, marketing etc., but recently its big victories have been in overseas expansion.

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 corner.

From "Campaign Off-Target" (Barron’s):

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 that Daddy’s become a Silver Surfer.

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.

I challenge you to find an article about the major banks wishing to repay TARP that doesn’t blatantly cite compensation as the banks primary motivation.

Here’s a taste from Dealbook (NYT):
Goldman Sachs (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) have said for weeks that they want to repay their share of the $700 billion government bailout so they can operate free of federal limits on executive pay.

A group of market commentators from TheStreet.com, including James Cramer, have put out a petition which lobbies for the reinstatement of the original Uptick Rule, as opposed to a loophole-laden approximation filled with caveats and work-arounds as is rumored to be a possibility.

The SEC is currently seeking comment until June 19th. There were only 27 comments received prior to the Uptick Rule being abolished in 2007, so this time, if you feel strongly, this petition gives you a way to make yourself heard.

I saw a piece in the Journal today that blew my mind. After everything we’ve been through since the fall of 2007, retail stockbrokers have begun to leave their turrets in big numbers this spring:

Amazon’s (AMZN) Kindle is about to light Barnes & Noble (BKS) on fire and stomp on the ashes.

Yeah, I said it. What?

Does Roubini favor nationalization because he has people short through this RGE Monitor outfit? Is that what this is all about?

James Cramer, May 5th 2009

an·ti·cli·max

Something trivial or commonplace that concludes a series of significant events

Should investors heed the phrase “Sell in May and Go Away” this year?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last 30 years or so, it's that any advice that rhymes is guaranteed to be true and is automatically good to follow. Think about it: