distinguished fellow

Why I Couldn't Ignore GE

I think this transformation has been a great disservice to the corp, the nation, and the many families that have trusted in GE/Hotpoint applicances.
I am beginning to think O'Reiley is correct, i.e. that Immelt is ruining the company.
Bye, the Distinguished Fellow.

GE's Dividend Assertion is Dangerous

My comment i aimed at the primary author.
Seems to me GE's Immelt has sold off the real link for most people with GE : the appliance and lightbulb sector. I am very suspicious that Immelt did this to generate money to cover his fanny over crazy expenditures that were thought to be big fast money (such as securitized mortgage loans) makers to support the usual 2nd half 20thC profit sharing bonanza for the management!
Now i'm wondering if the move to tap the federal bailout pot is another management move to shore up 'winnings' so as to float more profit sharing bonanzae for upper management! I'm beginning to think O'Reilly is right when he says Immelt is ruining the company.
Bye, from the Distinguished Fellow.

Who's to Blame for IndyMac's Failure?

I agree with Central Ny'er, Laurent, and similar commentaries. I express gratitide and praise for Speculator Watcher's first treatise, but had no time to read subsequent ones. I shall trust that S.W. is accurate, that Mr. Soros was Mr Schwartz, and that he is a dastardly self indulgent smartie who manipulates his way into huge sums of money regardless of how much the common good suffers. Therefore i posit he and Mr. Schumer display their being birds of a feather flocking together.

Since i never knew this material about Mr. Soros, i am once again impressed at how the U.S.media, especially that of television, fails to expose the likes of Soros the Schwartz. While we could all benefit from exposure of GOP cronies, it is most regretable and very serious that the media will do all it can to hide the Dem Cronies of DCLand. I also wish to remind people of the fun film using "the Schwarz" to play a take off on "The Force" of Star Wars fame.

Could we force the media to reveal more if we all begin to refer to him as Soros the Schwartz? That seems more fun than Schwartz Soros or The Schwartz Soros. Wonder what Billious the Bad would have to say here. Seems obvious to me if the media did not have Mr. Obama to highlight they'd be doing it for Mrs.Clinton. We do not have a truly objective clear headed media in America. They do not serve us well as they should. And they never ask "What's in it for Schumer?" They just automatically operate as if he were a good guy. Maybe it's time for SS to mean Soros & Schumer. That'd be a blast, er, I mean " a force."

The 20 Highest Yielding Dividend Aristocrats

I think the 'disclaimer' written as " this portfolio is for illustrative purposes only" should be in the first or second sentence of an article such as this, and it would be even better to include the definition of DivPayoutRatio being used as well as the 'position' that the author doesn't 'like' stocks with a DPR that's >50%. (Some of us are nearly beginners trying to get better.)

Is Pfizer's 7% Dividend Safe?

I thought your article was clearly written. Does the author ever return comment on these commentaries by the readers?

Eight Semi Picks From Those in the Know - Barron's

Statements like "TXN is underloved" are lacking in helpfulness. Who did it? Barrons, the analyst Barrons was quoting, or Mr. Hoffman?

Amgen Investors Waiting for More Results on D-mab

A well written article easily understood. I would have appreciated reading the reason 'mab' has become generally added onto meds derived via monoclonal anti-bodies. If that is the case, and it certainly sounds logical, while it makes sense, how'd that happen?
The Doctor.

Banks Using Leverage to Force Home Equity Repayments

Your article isn't sufficiently clear as to whom it is that makes / pays the reimbursement (nor why it is called a reimbursement, which makes it sound like some government payment to banks) mentioned in:
"When HELOC securitizations reach a certain delinquency level, banks are no longer reimbursed for HELOC advances to borrowers."
Dr.LKR.

Some Straight Talk On the Mortgage Mess

Comments stimulated by Herb Greenberg/Mark Hanson article and Sec. Paulson's WSJ 12/07/07 editorial section article:

Seems to me there are two basic problems underlying the mortgage mess. 1) people, such as mortgage brokers, who lied when filling out the related paperwork, and 2) a combined failure of good sense and prudent banking principles.

Herb Greenberg's inclusion of Mr. Mark Hanson's descriptions gives the best yet revelation of how the banking systems failed to use both good sense and prudent banking principles, and it is the first for me at revealing how borrowers who had good money and good value in their homes may not have used good sense in the amount of money they borrowed and / or may not have used good sense in how they used that money. E.g., if they took most of that money and spent it on vacation travel or bot expensive cars or invested in securities such as CFC or IMB, (and failed to sell them when these securities did their bonanza run up) they may suffer in making good on their mortgage loans. If they invested in PG or BA back in 2003 or 04, they can sell those at a profit and pay off those loans. For those who plowed the money into home remodelings and refurnishings, (as apparently happened on Long Island) and incurred greater property tax bills, it remains to be seen what will happen there. All this i've described relates to people who had a good financial position and availed themselves of the results of the FOMC's low interest rates for several years of the 2000's. (As i see it no one in good conscience can blame any of this on the FOMC as some talking heads have done on tv.)

My reading of Sec. of Treasury's WSJ article of Dec.7/07 is that certain subprime borrowers who have managed to continue their payments (I here assume this means payment of principle and interest, as in the good old fashioned fixed rate 30yr mortgages prior to ARM's being invented by the mortagage and banking industry.) in the period of time before the ARMs kick in are to be the ones who will benefit from efforts described as "The government is uniquely positioned to help avoid unnecessary defaults."

This makes sense to me as it appears to relate to enabling certain people to remain in "their" homes, continue to pay at a rate the mortgage industry sanctioned, and develop another batch of American home owners rather than increase the number of people living in "public housing." There is societal, indeed even conservative, value here. The mortgage and banking industry 'thunked' up these tactics and marketed them; they should bear most of the 'costs;' I as i read it Sec. Paulson's article mainly doesn't relate to most of the costs.

This should be able to be done with out the U.S. Treasury bailing out Freddie Mac or FNMA.
Best wishes to all, Dr. L.K.Richards, m.d., d.l.f.a.p.a.

A Few Lessons From Exubera

good job doctor. LKR,m.d.