neers87

Credit Card Companies Gone Wild and Other Economic Happenings

Not a comment on the Mkt, but rather relating to CC practices of financial institutions. Have a 770 credit score, I know this from recent refinance of mortgage. HSBC card with 7 years history paying a fixed rate of 7.9%. Just received a letter stating that the rate is going to go to prime plus 10.????%. Currently that would yield @ 14%. How is it that they can change a contract for fixed rate on an active current account with excellent history to a variable? I have the option of opting out, maintaining my current rate till the thing is paid off, Current bal @ 2k. but losing access to utilize the card further. I'm considering a run-up and opt out strategy just for kicks, I really don't need to do this, but I figure, my current availability of credit is going to take a hit and from cash flow standpoint I should just hang onto any and all funds and run this card up for any purchase I had considered for the next year.

Does Wall Street Believe in the Rally?

Sounds a bit like the last girl I dated, I couldn't make any more sense of her than I can this mkt. When in doubt - Get Out!

Is Wells Fargo Regretting Its Wachovia Acquisition?

I have not read thru all the previous comments, so this may be a repeat. If you consider the more conservative approach WFC is known for; it may lead one to believe that not rushing into payment of the TARP funds follows that conservative approach. I suspect that there will be little question as to WFC ability to operate within the parameters of any "Stress Test" regulators impose after repayment of the funds.

A 130/30 Generic Pharma Trading Strategy

You missed one, AZN purchased Medimmune labs, and recently announced they will be targeting Bio Generics as a part of that unit.

Housing Price Decline: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

Great Post, so what is your take on how this plays out to the rest of the US?

Pharmaceutical Facts Investors Should Know

"'try a million combinations of everything' approach to drug development traditionally followed by big pharma."

Exactly my point! Drug modeling allows this approach to be teased out with significant reductions in time and obviously expense.

As for "Enter Biotech and rational drug design", Agreed!!! And big pharma is well positioned financially as the young limber unencumbered companies will need partners to bring these entities to market. Much like the NIH as mentioned above. Think AZ-MedImmune.


Disclosure: Long AZ

Pharmaceutical Facts Investors Should Know

Pharma has long operated profitably under these premise. The trick these days is to reduce time from discovery to market, extending time on the market with exclusive patent protection. Eliminate candidates as earily in the process as possible for a reduction in cost. New technologies make this possible, drug modeling software is a much larger aspect of R & D. Your article looks at the situation as if it were static. Dynamic changes are in the industry beyound what is mentioned here.