gatekeeper

UBS (UBS) notifies U.S. clients by registered mail that their account details may be handed over to authorities. Lawyers say the move may itself be a breach of Swiss securities law, because authorities could use the paper trail to trace customers.

Wow, what an easy way to jam up a few people up that you don't like. I can envision someone printing UBS on envelopes and sending blank pieces of paper via registered mail to ... people. Recipients to IRS, two months later: "But, but, I tell you I don't have a Swiss bank account!! Why do you keep insisting that I do?"

Surprise! No bank failures Friday night. Tally for the year holds at 98.

A government holiday weekend. Everyone left early.

Having closed the sale of its assets to GM and its lenders, auto parts maker Delphi (DPHIQ.PK) emerges from bankruptcy after four years with four of 44 plants left and just 14,000 of its more than 50,000 workers: a regrettably bumpy ride, according to former CEO Steve Miller, who - after reducing his salary to $1 - faced picket signs saying "Miller isn't worth a buck."

Delphi worldwide (other than the pieces going to GM) is now in private-equity hands. It'll be interesting to see if Delphi manages to stay in one piece or if it gets chopped up.

I'm betting the former, since Delphi will be controlled by a group of over 50 banks and hedge funds, all led by Elliott Management and Silver Point Capital. This will be a great case study for what happens when many owners end up holding a post-BK piece, as opposed to being owned by one or two private equity firms.

Closing Update for Friday, Sept. 18: Bull Run Hangs On, Barely

I wonder how much time the sideliners have left to get involved and make some money in equities markets before the next downward business cycle swing ... which will have little or nothing to do with the business cycle out of which we're now crawling.

I hope a long time, of course, but I'm just curious how long they'll sit it out.

All that cash on the sidelines is due to come into the market, right? Birinyi Associates says the biggest influx comes at the peak. "It's somewhat of a reverse indicator ... You do want money going in, but you don't want this tremendous shift."

The comparison of cash inflows to equities between now and the 1980's, etc., does not take into account 401k, IRA and similar programs which currently create a running flow of dollars into equities and which hardly existed back then.

Will Lear Declare Bankruptcy?

My Toyota Camry was built in Georgetown, Kentucky, USA.
______________________...
RE-
> I will support Lea and the american auto industry. Next time when I
> buy a new car, It will be an american made car. Before, I always
> drive Toyota brand car.

'Too Big To Fail'? Wait - What About Anti-Trust?

This has been on my mind for awhile. I too feel our anti-trust laws should be updated to include "too big to fail" companies and enterprises. As with Standard Oil, we should be able to break up a TBTF company up into smaller, individual but still publicly-held companies.

Markets are taking a bounce into the close, still underwater but well above lows.

Amazing - actually going into the weekend on an uptick. Scary.

Line U-6: A Sell Signal for Bulls and Bears

BigJake, try this out for some basic instruction on short selling.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

On Jan 06 02:27 PM BigJake wrote:

> This may be a investor newbie question, but how does one "short"
> the market? I own stocks and mutual funds. How is it possible to
> profit from the market going down? If someone has a link to point
> me to so I can self educate I'd really appreciate it.

Line U-6: A Sell Signal for Bulls and Bears

So the "marginally attached" number is 12.5% for this report vs. the official 6.7% rate.

Can you add a little more background to show the spread relationship between these two numbers in previous employment situation reports? To point it out one time without any context can be misleading.

Madoff Scandal: Where Was the SEC?

There are talking heads on CNBC professing they knew something was fishy with Madoff's operation for a long time and even had backed away from investing, despite high returns. So we doubt Madoff is an isolated case. Perhaps someone could organize a list of other questionable Wall Street operators so they can have an opportunity to expound on (brag about) their M.O.s or, alternatively, be exposed as frauds. Ahhh, the light of day.

Buy Ford, Short GM

I think I'll wait a few more days to see what happens with GM before I gamble any long money on Ford.

Get Ready to Buy Like It's 2002

Actually, the rather good sized mainland "100% Chinese" company with which I conduct business is incorporated in Bermuda and traded on the Singapore exchange.

WaMu to IndyMac Customers: Your Money's No Good Here

This has been a topic of discussion at Consumerist since ~ July 17th:
consumerist.com/502622...
.. based on a 7/16 LA Times article.

Is UPS Cheap Enough to Buy?

Is there any real benefit for UPS from a U.S. deal with DHL? Or did UPS underbid FedEx to get the DHL business at break even or less? Just wondering.