user225084

How the U.S. Financial Crisis Resembles Japan’s 'Lost Decade' - And How to Play it

Emerald,

Right on about "infrastructure" being code speak for a new bubble inflated with public works money. If I hear one more plug for JEC on tv I'm going to puke.

Is Online Search Microsoft's Vietnam War?

The customers simply do not want Microsoft to be successful in advertising. They have seen what Microsoft success leads to, and they do not want to see it again. So even if Microsoft can get their technical stuff together, the customers will resist..

The SEC's Campaign Against Naked Shorting: Misguided or Right On?

Not all brokers are disallowing shorting the dirty 19, but some require that you enter the order anew every day. Ameritrade is one of them. In any case, the restriction is in place only until July 29, it will soon be back to normal again.

The effect is purely psychological.

The SEC's Campaign Against Naked Shorting: Misguided or Right On?

Another guess: A-B-C is 0-100-0.

This is pure manipulation by the SEC, They are simply trying to frighten the shorts, and they are doing the bidding of all the financial firms that realized that too many people were getting in on a game that they like to have for themselves. And this time they were themselves on the receiving end of some very well deserved shorting, so they wanted to create a psychological barrier to shorting.

Think of it as a truce among financial companies: No more shorting of each other, and frighten the rest of the world not to short them as well.

It won't work in the longer run.

You Knew the Short Squeeze Was Coming

Gabe,

If you define "the economy" as "the stock market", then yes the economy looked better the last two days. Of course, "fiscal and monetary stimuli" is the same as "the federal government running up an even larger deficit and giving the proceeds to rich speculators". OTOH, if one does not equate the economy with the stock market, then no, there has been no improvement.

If the economy is poised for growth, why did it need so much artificial life-support?

You Knew the Short Squeeze Was Coming

Looks like the new rule-of-19 scared the shorts for a moment this morning, or rather they decided to wait for the pop before shorting again. Look at the steep up/down action of nearly all the 19 stocks on the list.

Setting the Record Straight: Taxpayers Not Funding JP Morgan's Bear Buyout

The fed is risking 30B of capital by lending it out against some pretty shady The public, through the fed, is taking on the risk of this loan. Meanwhile, the fed has to keep interest rates artificially low so that JPM/BSC can make money on the deal, to the general detriment of the people (inflation, opportunity cost, what have you).

So, the public takes on the risk and subsidizes the interest rate. Losses can occur at any time. How is this not a bailout, again?