PUNK

How to Start Your Own Hedge Fund

I am gonna start one called Thug Life LLC hedge fund. There are a lot of folks down in the streets who do lots of cash sales and they would like a way to make some returns.

We Don't Get Paid For Being Original -- I'm Going Long GE Call Options

I am long GE stock myself. 3344 shares average price 17.95
I sold 3 puts with a strike price of 16 at 1.24 expiring in march 2010.

Covered Calls: No Free Lunch

I write covered call spreads. So I get the income but if a big run happens I participate.

GE: Still a Compelling Proposition for Value Investors

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statements often address our expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as
“expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” believe,” “seek,” “see,” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to
different degrees, uncertain. For us, particular uncertainties that could cause our actual results to be materially different than those expressed
in our forward-looking statements include: the severity and duration of current economic and financial conditions, including volatility in interest
and exchange rates, commodity and equity prices and the value of financial assets; the impact of U.S. and foreign government programs to
restore liquidity and stimulate national and global economies; the

GE Capital Back in the Game (to Win)

The Obama administration's proposed regulatory overhaul could force big changes at financial firms. But one large lender, GE Capital, may find them especially painful.

Though General Electric's lending arm has $613 billion in assets and provides large amounts of credit to consumers and businesses, the vast majority of its operations don't currently fall under the purview of a bank regulator. If the administration's changes become law, GE Capital, because of its size and reach, would likely be classified as a systemically important firm. Such firms would operate under a stricter regulatory regime.

For GE Capital, such an adjustment would be tricky. Perhaps the biggest potential headache for GE is a demand that regulatory supervision be extended to any systemically important firm's parent company and other subsidiaries. Under the proposed rules, these firms would also face restrictions on "nonfinancial activity." Since GE would be unlikely to countenance limits on its industrial businesses, it might become necessary to split off GE Capital.

That would bring its own challenges. GE would have to ensure that GE Capital had sufficient capital and stable funding to satisfy regulators and investors. In a recent presentation, it said its Tier 1 "common" ratio was a respectable 6.9% at the end of 2008. However, since it isn't a bank, GE Capital doesn't provide a standard firm-wide Tier 1 capital ratio, the main regulatory measure. On this yardstick, it might fall below large banks.

When it comes to funding, the new regulations envision "rigorous liquidity requirements" for systemically important firms. One of GE Capital's weaknesses going into the credit crunch was its reliance on short-term funding, underscored by its continued use of government guarantees on shorter-term debt issues.

Change is coming. Maybe not the type GE bulls can believe in.

(Peter Eavis has written for Heard on the Street since the start of 2008. Previously, he was a reporter at Fortune and TheStreet.com, where he won a Gerald Loeb award for his coverage of Fannie Mae. He can be reached at 212-416-3112 or by email at [e-mail])

(TALK BACK: We invite readers to send us comments on this or other financial news topics. Please email us at TalkbackAmericas@dowjo... Readers should include their full names, work or home addresses and telephone numbers for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit and publish your comments along with your name; we reserve the right not to publish reader comments.)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 17, 2009 15:22 ET (19:22 GMT)

Incredible Shrinking Microsoft

It is a growth stock, but not for common shareholders.

Two Veteran Perspectives on the Vix

All I know is all the Call options I wrote 8 weeks ago collapsed in price due to the low VIX.

Stock Analysis: General Electric

I bought 1000 shares today at 29.97 instead of putting it into a CD.

I do not need the money for 20 plus years, I am 24 and used my savings to buy this stock. I will reinvest the dividends. I still drive my 96 corolla.