SA Guest

Fannie and Freddie Did Not Cause This Crisis

SA you need to start editing posts and articles for partisan political crap or perhaps sell yourselves to HuffingtonPost or something -- that aside on the subject of Fannie and Freddie, a pretty good article from today's Sunday New York Times:

www.nytimes.com/2008/1...

And to keep them honest and balanced, a pretty good article from the same New York Times circa September 1999:

query.nytimes.com/gst/...

Where's the Bottom? Still Anybody's Guess

Great article, reminds me of the BCA Research commentatry from back on Sept '07 titled "An Inflection Point in the Debt SuperCycle"

www.beearly.com/pdfFil...

Paulson/Bernanke: $700 Billion at 'Hold to Maturity' Pricing

I wonder if the financial lobby has a position on the bailout? Perhaps some of the private dining rooms in DC hold the answer to that. Also with Buffett's just announced GS investment - are things really that bad?

Prepare to Sell Monday - Cramer's Mad Money (9/19/08)

Cramer also appeared on NBC nightly news Friday explaining to the viewing public and an aghast Brian Williams how we narrowly avoided "Depression the Sequel". Now he's saying sell sell sell while pumping the likes of THS and RAH. Wasn't THS the company he referred to as an investment bank disguised as a food company? Shouldn't his logic also apply to COTT the world's largest private label company (beverages) that happens to be down almost 90% in the past 12 months.

A Closer Look at the Treasury's GSE Preferred Stock Purchase Plan

An interesting August interview with ousted Freddie Mac CEO Dick Syron, not that he has much if any credibility but his comments about the economic conditions that would trigger an intervention went something to the effect that they would have to rival those of the depression (perhaps he was speaking on a personal level)



Part 1 - www.cnbc.com/id/158402...


Part 2 - www.cnbc.com/id/158402...

A Closer Look at the Treasury's GSE Preferred Stock Purchase Plan

I have reviewed many of the articles and comments on SA and elsewhere with respect to the Treasury’s actions today. There appears to be a recurring theme that what they have done should put a floor under the housing market and eventually lift the broader market and economy out of its funk. The direct cost, while painfully high for the holders of common and preferred equity, would appear to be bargain for an action that holds such great promise. If it was that easy, wouldn't they have done it months ago, so what’s the catch? Or should I say what's the risk, are there any other shoes to drop?

Bill Ackman's Plan to Save Fannie and Freddie

The links below are the video version of the above -- but my favorite scene is at minute 4 of part 2 where he rationalizes his short positions:

Part 1
www.cnbc.com/id/158402...

Part 2
www.cnbc.com/id/158402...

Weekend Thinking: An Agency Recapitalization Proposal

It does feel a bit like the weekend of March 15-16, I wonder who next weeks heroes and villains will be and if S&P will bounce off the glass bottom or shatter it? I've been meaning to dig out an old copy (video) of the interview with Marty Zweig from October 15, 1987 and his ominous comments - I'll provide the link if I can find it and get it uploaded