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Will Obama Replace Geithner with Dimon?

Day dreaming has a better chance than Obama's policies to balance the trade deficit .

What matters most is the man at the top. Why is it everyone running like chicken with the head cut? Am I the only one seeing the naked emperor?

How Will a Sustained Recovery Be Possible?

Current political climate is anti growth and does not support sustainable economic growth in America. Responding to some of the earlier comments

1) To a large extent global corporation’s financial performance has been de-linked to America’s economic performance, either they are expanding abroad or cutting cost in America. So Captainccs comment is not relevant.
2) If current percentage of healthcare is 16%, then with government takeover is it going to go down? Certainly not, it will go up while quality going down. There are countless examples, within and outside of fantastically failed government programs
3) Each American is on the hook to the tune of $36,000 for their part of the federal debt. Almost, ½ the population pay no tax, what do think the other tax payers are going to do? Both capital and people are frantically moving to reduce their tax exposure
4) Leading to the next point, the cash on the sidelines will be inefficiently deployed to reduce/avoid tax or altogether leave shore, further putting a damper on the growth
5) With Obamacare small businesses have to pay 8% of the payroll to the government if they do not offer healthcare. Naturally businesses will cut cost by reducing the headcount further increasing the unemployment rate
6) Additionally Americans have barrowed to their hilt, compounding the debt load; the mirage of social security, retiring baby boomers have to cut their expenses to sustain, so the consumerism will be in hibernation for a generation now

All in all not good for economy, maybe end of life counseling is not all that inappropriate.

After Sun, Is Red Hat the Next Takeover Candidate?

Pr144

I said that too, seekingalpha.com/user/...

IBM does not need to acquire RHT. In fact an independent RHT is better equipped to compete.

Is an IBM Purchase of Red Hat Inevitable?

Novell (NOVL) is a better buy for IBM than Red Hat (RHT).

NOVL products range compliments much better than RHT products for IBM to extend its integration services and business process management.

Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing: What's Next?

Actually BI/DW is becoming more integral part of the IT solutions landscape. All these years IT did manage to deliver the process automation and information delivery by using mainframe, client-server to internet technologies. In addition they were focused on cost containment using vendor management, tool selection and outsourcing.

In most IT shops BI/DW was more an afterthought. Predominantly BI/DW projects were like prototype or addressed a narrow realm of information needs. Only recently the organization maturity is coming around to view BI/DW as an important tool to be ubiquitously integrated as part of the overall IT strategy. IBM is well positioned to make it possible with vast array of tools and services. In fact technologically IBM has superior expertise in commercial data mining solutions.

IBM: Reflating the Corporate Bubble, GE-Style

I agree stock buyback using borrowed money does not make sense. Particularly when they are carrying debt in their books.

But linking layoff to the topic is meaningless.

Is This Really Just a 'Junk' Rally?

When it is a GDP contraction of 6.1% is good news for stock market? As noted earlier it is a sucker rally. A little uptick in consumer spending cannot be interpreted as sustainable improvement in consumer's financial situation. The consumer fundamentals are:

1) Average debt still high
2) Average asset way down (stocks,home price)
3) Increasing unemployment rate
4) Looming inflation
5) Aging baby boomers no time left to save

At best market is having selective hearing and totally missing the broad negative undercurrent. GM is pretty much dead. How can a company run by UAW and federal government be competitive? Over and above Fannie and Freddie, now AIG and Citi are practically GSE’s. US taxpayers can’t even get any tax write-off ‘s for the trillions of TARP and TALF losses. The depletion of inventory does not mean that there will be new capital investment.

From where I sit the DOW range till 2010 will be 7,000-8,000. Over 8,000 sell, under 7,000 buy.

Sun to IBM: We're Willing to Talk Again

Clearly SUN goofed it.

Information Technology is a commodity business. By putting together parts one can make computers like DELL and Google have demonstrated. The Aura of high-tech is gone. The goofballs at SUN are still drinking the cool aid. It is the total solutions, were the money is.

IBM has built true global delivery capability in this area. With or without the acquisition IBM will get the services business as SUN customers look to insulate themselves by migrating to another vendor while SUN goes Kaput.

IBM Could Replace Sun in the Hot Seat the Next Time Around

All in all the deal is good for both. For IBM it is better, but they deserve it as a prudent organization. SUN does have valuable assets. In the hands of IBM they will be put to good use. Ultimately that is what matters. SUN is a good idea and engineering company, very poor management company. The deal fixes the poor management problem and will eliminate the free riders to save cost.

IBM Wants to Buy Sun - Why?

It totally makes sense. SUN's problem is immature management team. IBM should be under no illusion that they can cut cost easily even though tremendous opportunity exists. SUN's culture is somewhat suicidal; they would rather die instead of making the tough business decision. Tremendous synergistic opportunity does exist at the same time blocking CISCO is strategic. In fact I would not be surprised if CISCO makes counter offer.

The 15 Most Cash Rich Companies

PFE cash is committed to IRS and WYTH purchase.

IBM and Boeing Bring Work Closer to Home - Bad News for Outsourcing?

In addition why do one have to work when the new administration is going to cut tax (even when one does not pay any tax - read welfare). One more reason why outsourcing will continue.

Where the Obama Stimulus Plan Helps Tech

Yep, we will modernize schools, but still the kids won't be able to speak or write correct and complete sentence in English, not know the history, trail rest of the work in arithmetic. But we will have broadband to every school supported by offshore engineers.

Go IBM..