DonSuper

Tangible Common Equity: How Much Is Enough?

"Sophisticated investors"...more like sophisticated morons...by the way, you forgot your disclosure...

and you didnt mention pre-provision, pre-tax earnings...which are really the first buffer to absorb losses, before your much hyped TCE...some banks in fact have higher pre-prov pre-tax earnings than TCE...but I guess either you are not smart enough to figure that out, or it wouldnt be as helpful for the short position you probably have...

Be It Resolved: The Days of $500k Economists Are Over

and even the ones that "predicted it" has been predicting it for decades (i.e. even a broken clock is right twice a day)...these economists are just parasites...

Why Are Companies Hesitant to Cut Dividends?

I think you are right, it doesnt make any sense to try to keep a dividend when the company has to issue debt at high cost to fund it. That is bad management, but there are companies that have acted responsibly and reduced or cut the dividend until conditions improve.

In my opinion, other countries have better policies than US companies, where they usually pay a % of earnings (e.g. 50%). I think that is a lot smarter.

Buffett Metric Doesn't Say It's Time to Buy

hey! you are the genious that was recommending to buy dow chemical at around $40 right?

your (pseudo) analysis lacks a key variable, interest rates, as well as the inflation rate, which are critical to value any financial asset...

also, he has bought more shares than just BNI, he has recently bought significant stakes in COP, and USB. And not too long ago he made the JNJ and KFT purchases at higher prices than today.

Earnings Datapoint of the Day

it would be far more useful to point out the price/book ratio.

Why Investors Should Have a Healthy Distrust of Management

I dont think these are particularly good examples. As pointed out, there was some disclosure with respect to Jobs health. Also, in the case of BAC, maybe they were foolish with the MER acquisition, but not dishonest. They seeked help in december, much later than when the acquisition was announced, not at the same time as the article says. And it was prudent from management to try to cancel the acquisition given that conditions got much worse in the last months of 2008. The government didnt want BAC to cancel the acquisition, that is why they are offering the guarantee.

Nationalize Citigroup and Bank of America

I agree with Informed investor, you are very irresponsible Felix for creating this type of speculaiton on false premises.

For all we know it might even be a positive for BAC if they made some good negotiation with the FED in order to not CANCEL the acquisition of MER. Until jan 20 we wont know if the drop in share price is justified. And as Informed investor pointed out, BAC has not posted a single loss since the crisis started...you know, for a company to be insolvent it has to have negative earnings AND not have enough cash flow to pay its obligations, BAC is far, very far from that...

Global financial intermediation is broken, Alan Greenspan writes in an Economist op-ed. "Today, fearful investors clearly require a far larger capital cushion to lend, unsecured, to any financial intermediary." He thinks banks will need another $250B.

great! that means tha we have hit bottom...he is a great contrarian indicator...

Cramer: Stupendous Short Sale Volume Drove Banks Stocks Down

Manipulation has to stop, and the uptick rule restored...

However, banks could have given this shorts a good lesson buying significant amounts of stock at those depressed prices, to give them a lesson like the one Posche gave shorts with VW stock...

More Evaporating Billions at Morgan Stanley

yeap, most analysts are either corrupt or idiots...maybe it would be best if the SEC prohibited them from making "buy", "sell", etc. calls...take away one of their weapons of manipulation...and restore the uptick rule, as Charles R Schwab has correctly pointed out, is an effective way to reduce manipulation...

Ben Stein Watch: December 14, 2008

the guy is a complete idiot, I cannot believe the NYT pays him to write so much nonsense, but I guess as long as there are people that are dumber than he is, he'll have an audience...

What Is the New S&P Normal?

you forgot to add inflation, duh!!!

2 Dividend Paying Energy Efficiency Picks

Thanks Tom for the recommendations...I remember reading an article you wrote where you mentioned New Flyer, I did DD, and bought some shares. I think it's a good company, the only thing is that I see little gowth, capital intensive, and there is always the risk of a strike. But the yield looks relative safe IMHO, and they seem to have good management.

One question I do have is, what do you think will happen after 2020 after the subordinate notes mature (or 2012 when they can be called)?

Just How Sensitive Is the Economy to the Auto Industry?

but there is no rule that if the GM/Ford/Chrysler jobs are gone, so would these...since people would still buy cars, the suppliers would just sell to Honda, Toyota, etc...or even GM/Ford...just because their shareholders get wiped, does not mean the companies have to liquidate...

Pay Bankers Much Less

You are correct Felix, most bankers are grossly overpaid, and as explained in Liar's Poker, they dont even care much about the total amount, but by the relative amount they earn compared to others in the company/competition.

A friend has a P.h.d in Physics, she is very bright, and instead of working to solve serious problems, she was attracted to work in trading models for Wall street because she made much more money, but I bet her talent would be put to much better use in another place solving real world problems.