Trumpace

Debt-to-Equity Ratio as Fishing Lure

Actually Reddy Ice (FRZ) is the largest ice company in the U.S. and has great margins. Like you said "sells packaged ice"..., so what's the cost..., refrigeration, water, delivery and labor. The real questions are around the investigation and with the move in the stock maybe this is reason to believe this is coming to an end..., time will tell. I wxpect the quarter to be bad and an opportunity to pick up shares at a lower price may prevail. The debt is not necessarily bad if they can finance it. If a turn around in the economy does show this summer, that will increase sales one would believe and since the stock has moved down some 90% from its highs, then an improvement at these levels should not be any kind of surprise. With the movement recently someone knows something as volume is increasing, which is another good sign.

Did the FDIC Sabotage WaMu's Management and Erode Investor Confidence?

Wasn't it the FDIC that said WM was not on the list of bad banks within the last couple of weeks? I have to question the Constitutionality of what the FDIC did with WM. Why isn't CNBC or FOX looking into this vs. their panic in looking at this on the surface? Where is the investigative reporting of the media? Where are the lawyers on this matter? It just seems to me there are a lot more questions then answers to what is going on and none of the legal system folks are saying anything on this at all. Seems a bit odd.

Did the FDIC Sabotage WaMu's Management and Erode Investor Confidence?

I think WM was sold right out from under the owners of WM, the shareholders. It is a sad day in the U.S. when a government agency can sell a public company without any consideration of the citizens of the country i.e. the shareholders. Yes I am long in WM and pretty puzzled by this socialist method of taking over a public company, Hugo C. would be proud. I will say this, because of this action by the FDIC it is in MHO that a deep shadow has been placed on the U.S. Markets. We worry about a run on a bank, but with actions like the FDIC takeover and sell off at barebone prices of WM we should be more worried as investors begin to question the legitimacy of buying common stock as well as investing in preferred equity in U.S. Markets.

Our Politicians are so wrapped up in the election that they are willing to give away the country even if the people do not want the 700M investment or what some say is a bail out. And at a time when all this could have been avoided if the government would have gone away from the market to market accounting rule they recently put in place, along with the removal of the uptick rule in August of 2007 and changing the rule to let banks go to a 30:1 or 40:1 ratio on lending, not to mention their quest to put everyone in a house even if they couldn't afford it. Yes we can thank our government for our problems today. These things are just not Bush, they are heavily the Congress. The Markets can work if government would put the rules back in place that were there before they changed them..., you know the rules that were put in just after the 1929 Depression and only recently changed, and thus the real cause of what is happening today. My only recommendations are not to vote for any of these people up for re-election and vote for a third party in the Presidential election, that is if you really want change. Our Country is heading in the wrong direction and unfortunately neither of the Presidential Canidates has an answer, nor will change anything. You see..., Both Dems and Reps have joinded into one party and that my friends is the only change you will see from them, no matter what they tell you.

Just the Facts: JPMorgan Buys WaMu's Deposits Division

The worse thing with what happened to WM last night is this. By the FGIC ability to do this type of deal the way they did it, is not for the stock market as a whole. The message the government sent to the citizens i.e. shareholders is this. We will take your assets and give them to whom ever we want without even considering your stake in the company. So why would anyone invest in the stock market at all? If the government has the right to take action without any imput or warning to the very citizens who own the company..., what is next? To me this action is worse then some Social/Communist do when seizing assets of private companies. What right do they have? This is very troubling to say the least and this action by the government will undermind the very free market they are supposed to uphold. I am worried that more investors will see this action and flee the mrakets and common stocks and instead of a run on a bank, this type of action may or could cause a run on the markets. Not a good thing. It is funny that the government wants transparence from companies but do not have to have any themselves. I guess it is time for a third party in this country to bring back the free markets and Capitalism.

WaMu on the Brink

This is one of the real problems with the markets today. People having the ability to post opinions and confuse readers, without the responsibility of providing facts. Agendas have to be considered. I feel posters should fully disclose their position (I am long WM) or not be taken seriously. However, I guess since a certain Senator can call out a name of a bank causing a run on the bank and not be held responsible, then it is understanding as to the many posts that are doing the same thing today. This type of thing is never good for the economy as a whole and the banking system of the country it serves. A "crises" can be created because of the agendas of individuals. This is truly not good and very un American to do. It is one thing to have the facts that support a "crises"..., it is another to cause a "crises" without having the facts to support a statement. Keep in mind that the banking system is based on faith in the system and can be destroyed along with an economy if irresponsibe coments are made without facts to support them.

Now in addition, the removal of the "uptick" rule a year ago has brought the agendas out in force to control the short side of the trade. Just look at the short interest since in almost any stock (some exceptions). Cox and the SEC made a huge mistake in removing this rule and it needs to be reinstated. Also remember the rule existed since 1938 to stabilize the markets, until its removal last year. If it "didn't matter" then why did the SEC put it back in place for 10 major financial institutions for a short time this year. It is the responsibility of the SEC to stabilize the markets. They need to put the "uptick" rule back in place. Also if it "didn't matter" they why remove it in the first place. These questions need to be answered by Cox and the SEC.

Homebuilder Bankruptcies: Who Might Be Next?

I think unless one has hard facts to base ones opinion on, one should never yell fire in a theater. By saying a company is likely to go into bankruptcy, one is doing the markets and these companies an injustice and causing harm. If a company will go into bankruptcy let them be the one to make that announcement, unless one wants to come off as doing the biding for the shorts. Saying something like "there may be other builders close to bankruptcy" without naming any is one thing, but when someone names a name of a company, one better have ones ducks in order and know what one is talking about, or face that company taking one to court if one causes harm.

Ambac's Collateral Losses Mean No Guarantee Business

Actually I think what Ambac did is what needs to be done to start the recovery. Now if only the Banks and Housing would do the same, we could start the healing process. No more government bail outs, let the markets work things out for themselves, afterall isn't that really what a free market system is all about.