R. Richard Schweitzer

Which of the 6 Agriculture ETFs is Best?

Note you called RJA "this ETF" at the close of that paragraph. it is an ETN issued by Swedish Export Bank.

It would be interesting to know how that bank covers its reserve liability for those Notes, such as owning a certain % of actual contracts (or maybe not) I would think a "prudent" bank would alawys hold some part of its reserves in the actual contracts.

How can we find out?

The reason not to include MOO is that it is a "businesses" (MON., POT, etc.) index base not "stuff."

There are indexs that contain cotton. %s are smaller, but you are right and the production will be moving to the LDCs

Buffett's Offer: Great for Him, Terrible for Bond Insurers

Note that W.B. does not say that the R/I premium is based on the risk or on it's "term return" (as say in Cat Covers) it is based on the benefit to the capital account (statutory surplus) of the reinsured. This is not R/I, it is 'banking.'

The NYSID can put together a R/I "pool" that the legislature would approve in a heartbeat, that would run for a term (about 15 years), banks, funds and public authorities could fund it quickly with a reasonable rate of return (not 14% tho').

W.B. has shown the way! Lead, follow or get out of the way!

The Power of Capital One's Stock Buyback

There is also the factor of considering what those "assets" will earn over the coming period, plus, you omit any views of the net cash flows - or - the impact (+ or-) of the buy backs on cash flows.

Housing Market Tracker - Sell Your Yacht to Buy Subprime

TMA is not in the sub prime business and never has been.

Chinese Economic Policy Needs To Be Rethought

The basic change that must develop is a continuous move away from "central planning" in China. In any economic perimeter, responses to changes in conditions or to unexpected challenges will vary in accordance with the information available, and perceptions of the information. It has been well demonstrated that the information available, the perceptions of it and nature of forming responses are limited (critically) in a Central Planning or "diregiste" system.

Information availability (and relaibility due to political objectives), and its adequate distribution are in their infancy, though forming rapidly in China. An interim step of more autonomous Regional and Local centralization might possibly move things forward.

Infrastructure: The Next Bubble?

It has always struck me that the underlying "index" is a very arbitrary composite. Not that it is not useful, but may not be actually "indicative," principally of futures or current activities as it is assumed to be.

So far as I have learned (and that may be deficient) there is no factor for appropriation and spending levels, or for "tenders for bids," or contracting generally ,such as I recall once wac reported to somedegree in the old Journal of commerce.

At $30, Microsoft's a Steal - Barron's

What this seems to herald is the decision to organize 3 "core" businesses; possibly with the prospect of some inter-links, which are really not vital to any one of the 3.

There does not seem to be the same focus by Google's management.

Not a criticism, but to the extent they are competitors (which is not total) the uses of cash-flows and accumulated cash at their levels merits consideration.

China A-Share/H-Share Premium Reaches Epic Proportions

Inside domestic China is also the issue of information transfers and reliability.

The New Coal ETF: Not So Fast

Take a look at FTEK, and look at the developing technologies.

The real issue with use of coal is Need vs Desire.

U.S. Supreme Court Screws Investors, Again

Mr Weiss is following what we may hope is now an abandoned idea. That is that the intent of the actors (scienter) is irrelevant, only the results of the actions count.

Mr. Weiss needs to go back and understand how this type of litigation evolved.

Otherwise, if the chief executive of Corp A committed adultry with the personal secretary of Corp B, and in the process gained useful information (as a bonus), his illegal act becomes the basis for legal remedies. Despite its brilliance in this field, Congress has not changed the rule of "reliance" as the measure of exposure to litigation under the various securities acts.

Emerging Market Sovereign Debt ETF: Great Returns, Minimal Correlation

Stockcharts.com will give you the daily results on its "gallery view section. While this is a subscription service, it does offer some level of free access.

Cultivating the Rise in Soybean Prices with Powershares Agriculture Fund

Perhaps the sub index of the Rogers series, which are the subject of the ABN Amro ETC (symbol RIEHA) on the Swiss Exchange (SWX) is an even more clearly defined participation in grains - though not exclusively soy.