Socialism cannot compete!

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

To all those complaining about pay ratios -- if you are that jealous of what top execs make, go become one, if you have the ability!

If you believe you can do better...that public companies are filled with bloat...start up your own company!

It's one thing to complain about salaries at those which took tax money, but don't get started capping pay at other companies. That's a very wrong road to go down. If you are an "underling" thinking you are underpaid...DO SOMETHING about it. Are you no longer free? Have no ambition? This is what drives our economy: freedom. Jealousy-induced artificial pay-capping only serves to remove one layer of freedom.

Julian Robertson Likes Mastercard, Visa, Intel and Google Stock

So gold bugs are crazy, but "gold stocks" are listed under the longs?

Apple: New iPhone Rumors Heat Up

North suburbs of Chicago, huh?! That's a LONG ways from "middle America". If I were you, I wouldn't extrapolate much from that regarding "ubiquity" of Apple products...that would be a dangerous basis and hazardous to your net worth!

Five Predictions for This Market

Good for you. But many in professions such as the medical field may decide that they don't need to work 50 hours a week instead of 40, just to see 50% get lopped off the top! Quality of life is not just about "working as hard as ever to improve your family's standard of life"...maybe that standard of life is about having some free time, and the marginal return for extra hours worked will no longer be worth giving up those hours.

Furthermore, its not just about gross earnings, but taxable income -- expect 401K contributions to be maxed out, thereby decreasing tax revenues. And someone, somewhere is going to have to pick up the slack -- enter the middle class. You seriously think that won't happen? Just remember, the middle class aren't as savvy regarding tax implications and don't have resources as the wealthy to know how to maximize take-home pay and overall earnings.


On Mar 04 09:29 AM xsellside wrote:

> Three - That ABC article yesterday about how people making over $250k
> are trying to reduce their income is the exception, not the rule.
> Regardless of the top incremental tax rate, I'm going to continue
> to work as hard as ever to improve my family's standard of living.
> I suspect most people that are still aspiring (and perspiring) to
> make over $250k will, too.
>

Shorting the Four Horsemen as Market Grinds Lower?

I'm long the *other* four horsemen!!! ;)

The Bull Run Begins This Week

We'll find out alot in the next couple weeks of earnings reports!! And the one factor that "expert" bloggers seem to all be ignoring is that many companies are declining to issue any guidance for next quarter. Hmmm...why do you suppose that is?

Market Headed to Retest Lows?

7000 is also too high. I'm looking at Dow 5000 before Q2. Why? Citi is failing, BAC is also foundering and looking at more government assistance. Either of these going down is more than enough to absolutely crush sentiment and a wave of selling will result that will dwarf Oct.-Nov. of 2008. For good reason -- both banks are critical lynchpins to the bubble economy. And the bubble is going to burst, despite government's best efforts to prevent it and retain power.


On Jan 15 08:50 AM irishman032000 wrote:

> I believe that 7200 may be couple hundred too high. The will be a
> 15-25% drop in housing prices, a 30% drop in oil, unemployment will
> reach double digits. The worst is still ahead the only bright spot
> will be the dollar. There will be an investment vacuum like we have
> not seen in our life yet to come.

Unfairly Punished - Fast Money Recap (10/24/08)

@1golfdoc: ditto that! MCD learned that the hard way, and ended up changing their stance on the very same type of thing!!

Picking Some Stocks to Survive This Market

@Chicagawaukee: "I would add some low priced, higher yielding stocks such as DOW, ED, DUK, MRK, until the market calms down." ABSOLUTELY! I've bought some ED on recent dips below 40. A 6% yield is nice to hang onto, and I don't think we're shutting off the grid anytime soon.

@JonT & TomB: Again, ABSOLUTELY! MSFT is DIW. Server rooms are going Linux...there goes your enterprise OS $. Consumer is DIW. OpenOffice = no need for MS Office in these economic conditions. I see little reason to expect much from MSFT for at least several years!

I'm going with some yields: ED, INTC (for the long haul - it will suffer from the short-term consumer dip like MSFT, but has much better product & strategy!), NLY (benefits from steep yield curve & declining LIBOR...& the Feds are backstopping the mortgage debt. Currently yielding 18%...what's not to like?), KO (declining commodity prices, still growing abroad & continued expansion in non-carbonated segment).

Is This the Nasdaq or a Dollar Store?

@SmartyPants: WRONG!! Buy on the way down, in increasing increments!! Sell on the way UP, again in increments!!

AAPL's Time For Greatness Is Now

KenC -- thanks for the reminder...yet another reason SarBox must go, in my opinion. It obviously did not prevent this nationwide Enron we are now in.

I believe AAPL will surprise substantially in the next 2 Qs -- simply because of the global expansion of the iPhone.

Monday Options Update: POT, XLF, NCC, SOV, GD, AAPL, RIMM, C, BGG

IL - probably because POT has a mine strike going on. Industry warehouses are nearly empty amid record demand...so someone is making $$ right now, and it isn't POT. The reason to buy POT though is because they have the lion's share of current and future capacity -- and it takes probably several years to get a new mine going. Once they're done striking, its back to rolling in the dough.

Monday Options Update: POT, XLF, NCC, SOV, GD, AAPL, RIMM, C, BGG

IL_alum -- because it's tied to other commodities, as well as being one...frankly, I wouldn't worry about it, since I don't see a strong dollar on a long term basis until at least a couple years out. People thought we led into the recession and that we were now leading out while "rest of world" was still following down...but it is now clear that we have not bottomed yet. Even after yesterday. And we won't until housing gets back within standard deviation of its historical ratio to median household income...and until our bloody government gets its spending under control - or we throw 'em all out! Until then...weak dollar.

Monday Options Update: POT, XLF, NCC, SOV, GD, AAPL, RIMM, C, BGG

Couple weeks back, there was a lowered crop forecast...which sent corn vaulting higher. Last time I checked, once a crop grows poorly, it can't change upwards with a bailout plan. High corn prices means farmers have money and incentive to continue fertilizing. The hit comes farther down the chain. Still a good time to own POT. Disclosure: I am long...and getting longer. ;)

Now What for Apple Investors?

Ummm...Zach? I thought this was about AAPL??? Several paragraphs about AIG & the Fed...then the last paragraph is AAPL. Wow, I'm impressed.