ZenInvestor

Writedowns and Capital Raised by Financial Firms

What conclusions did you draw from this? Comparing write downs to 'current' market cap only tells me that some stocks may well be 'beaten down' more than they should have, or is that some companies have taken more write downs and therefore are safer from further write downs?

The facts as you have presented them are well known, and thanks for compiling them, but opining on their meaning would have added something to the bare recitation of facts you have presented for us to ponder on our own.

The Current Market Atmosphere: Easy Money Hard to Come by

Well, I got my post censored. I guess if you really LIKE something it stays, but if you simply post anything contrary it disappears. Hmmm. I restate that this is not insightful, just a 'rehash' of old information. Is that so harsh it need to be censored?

Insider Trends in the Financial Sector

ETFC had all the officers buying, and holding in January and February. That and compensation for the new CEO that is almost all in stock and options made me a believer in that stock, and I look for it to break out.

Most of the financials have so far written down their mortgage portfolios to two or three times any anticipated 'net losses'. The earning surprises in the future will all be to the upside. Two more quarters and liquidity will return, and the vintages will have seasoned to the point where you can accurately predict the 'real losses'. That is why financials are moving from the 'insider' point of view, they are closer to knowing what the real losses will be, and the strength of the franchise going forward.