Trent Hauck

Another take on the volume-free rally: Just how many blocks are trading through those dark pools these days, anyway?

Interesting idea, weak article.

Five Reasons Apple’s iPhone Will Succeed in China

As someone who has played around with app development let me tell you that it isn't difficult to change languages in applications. A properly coded app can take advantage of Apple's localization to turn English apps into any language.

On Oct 14 12:19 PM Ricard wrote:

> This article ignores the most fundamental aspect of the iPhone -
> the App Store.
>
> 1) Apple will have to get an entirely new set of developers to tag
> along. None of the app store's voluminous English language apps
> will be of much use in China
>
> 2) These developers will have to be trusted not to pirate, or be
> subject to pirating, in the country with the most notorious reputation
> for lax intellectual property rights
>
> 3) Apple will somehow have to turn these apps into $$$.
>
> Good luck with that. This is a non-story.

Will Apple Drop Google Search?

Your perception of how much real time data is actually needed is a bit over stated. Yes its good to find out the latest concert news, but I don't have time every day to check twitter or the last blog post for news that is timely, but irrelevant, I let the news come to me.

End of Month Window Dressing

Your name's not a misnomer.


On Oct 01 09:58 AM Novice Trader wrote:

> I heard similar sentiments from other pessimists at the end of August;
> they were wrong and have been wrong since March. Neither the markets
> nor recent history has favored the bears. As such, I’ll continue
> adding to my positions by buying on the dips and maintain my trailing
> stops.

Twitter backlash: According to Gartner's Hype Cycle report, Twitter has already peaked "and will soon experience disillusionment among corporate users." Meanwhile Doug McIntyre wonders who would miss Twitter if it simply disappeared.

Its not only disillusioned corporate users.

I'm a Senior in College and the sentiment among my peers is that Twitter is a pointless extension of Facebook's status update. Facebook will own for personal use and something in the future will take over the basic idea of twitter and expand on it for corporate users - Google Wave???

The Mac vs. PC Debate Was Never Clearer

Hardware is actually at the heart of this. Apple as opposed to all the other tech giants microsoft and google sell there hardware with the OS and all the other appliecations. When you buy and apple you go with both the hardware and the software, microsoft may have a winner with window 7, but they charge exorbitant prices to upgrade OS while once you have a mac comp you can get the newest OS for relatively cheap.

This is a nonargument is my estimation.

The Mac vs. PC Debate Was Never Clearer

This is awesome. First I like to see the argument between the people who owned Microsoft and Apple stock going into earnings week. One went up one was so bad that its going to bring the rest of the market down with it.

It should matter as an investor what product you think is personally better for you, but which company has the ability to turn growth into stock appreciation. So, it is clear that Apple stock is better, and lucky you who didn't own it, it will be going down tomorrow with the rest of tech and you'll have your entrance point. They are in better position to monetize the internet movement than microsoft or google. They don't need to enter the low-end computer market they have tomorrow's low-end computer - the iPhone. And many more.

They are better position than google or microsoft. However I would say that I may like google after this run down happens. They didn't participate as much in the tech run up, but have turned into a company that won't deliver amazing revenue, but they will give you constant growth - as long as the economy turns up. And the so it remains to be seen when google will turn to the upside, but it has a chance.

Unsustainability, High Beta, and Liquidity Risk Pervade Capital Markets

I would have to agree that the economy is still facing a lot of problems - I however tend to think that we're more likely to tread water for a while. Earnings so far haven't been great, but certainly haven't been bad and I think the consumer is starting to get it back in the game. Also I would have to disagree on gold too, I feel that until the economy shows signs of recovery causing inflation to kick in (and it'll kick hard) gold will be range bound.

But overall great article - its nice to see stuff us Gen-Yers start to make some moves.

From Twitter's leaked docs, its internal forecast for user growth: 25M by year-end. 100M by 2011. 350M by 2012.

HAHA this is laughable. No way is Twitter going to make it there. My generation, the one who grew up with social media, doesn't care about twitter. Its a bad Facebook.

Gold's Bullish Trend Remains Intact

See despite that fact that the fundamentals should indicate that could should go higher, I can't see it happening. Could it be gov't suppression, because they don't want to stockpile gold if its at $1500? Can't really answer that, but I don't see gold breaking out, it only becomes interesting if it falls from here in my opinion. GLD is flat over the last year and down in past few months.

Gold Doesn’t Care If It’s IN-flation or DE-flation

What is gold good for besides looking shiny. I think that this idea is starting to be perpetuated among many investors and that is why I don't like gold really at any levels. It may hover around 1000, it may break out, or it may fall, but I wouldn't want to bet any of those. Usable hard assets will rule it I were to guess.

Monsanto (MON -4.2%), who today announced profits declined 14 percent, will cut 900 jobs in order to focus on its seed business.

Anybody watch Fast Money last night? - The analyst blew that one.

Intraday Charting: Response to Obama's Speech

I must disagree. I can't see gold rising significantly, because while it is a commodity, I would say that's a misnomer. Gold really doesn't do much besides look pretty and "store value" whatever that means. Other real commodities can be the inputs to production and thus will rise as the industrial machine starts to turn again.


On Jun 23 03:39 PM Roger Knights wrote:

> "Time for gold to take off."
>
> It's the one commodity that China hasn't yet started stockpiling
> significantly. Now that it's running out of warehouse space for bulky
> items, gold might be next on its shopping list.

Efficient Markets vs. Innovation: No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

First I'd like to preface this saying I am a student as well - undergrad in accounting.

But it is interesting to think about what all these algorithmic trading bots have done to market efficiency. Many claim to increase market efficiency because they narrow the ask/bid difference, but they also are able to parse information much faster than any human trader could and because of their high volumes they can move the market to reflect the information much faster. So I would be willing to say that while its clear the market is not completely efficient it is moving closer because of the digital age and thus it is become even more difficult to make money in the short term due to high volatility as measured by the VIX.

Reverse Convertibles: More Financial 'Innovation'

Everything should be as simple as possible if not simpler.


On Jun 18 03:06 AM Sovestor wrote:

> What we need is not more 'financial innovation'. Investors need to
> go back to simpler types of securities. Keep it simple.