PaperGains

Dendreon's Provenge Looks Likely to Be Approved in Mid-2010

Approval looks extremely likely. Not sure why they didn't request Fast Track given the importance and that this is the second go round.

SEC Shouldn't Rest on Flash Trading Ban

The SEC is still 90% talk. I'm not familiar with the UAL event, but I was sitting at my monitor watching the DNDN event and actually read the same post by someone on a message board that called the event almost to the minute.

If the SEC really wanted to do something I think it would be relatively straight forward, as the culprits have become more and more brazen. 'They' openly break the law now and post on message boards as they do it.

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PaperGains

The Future of Flashed Options

There's a simple argument here. Any formal structure that gives one party an advantage over another in this business is wrong. It erodes the confidence participants should have in the system. This isn't about who's smarter, but about who has more influence and $$.

Some people think the equity markets are crooked. Those people never traded in the derivatives market.

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Flash Trading: Goldman Sachs Front Running Everyone Else

The retail investor will eventually leave all together if regulators and law makers do nothing.

I remember when-you did your research, put together a sound plan, and over time the fundamentals determined whether you won or lost. Now firms like Goldman and large hedge funds determine whether you win or lose.

I've seen more obvious manipulation in the past year in individual stocks that it makes me sick.

Regulators do away with rules that make it more difficult to write programs. Think of it this way, when there are no rules, anyone in the business can write a program. When there are many rules to consider, it becomes very difficult and almost impossible to write a program that might wreak havoc.

Bloomberg Comes Down Hard on Goldman

I believe most people know, even the feds, that Goldman is among the biggest manipulators on the planet. The feds just look the other way, in fact they act more like minions of GS.

Our markets have become so irrational and hazardous to the average retail investor that if the feds don't do something at some point they'll scare many retail investors away for good.

They eliminate and alter rules to give further advantage to firms like GS and hedge funds (like they needed it). No uptick rule, naked shorting, 13 days to settle short sales (i think that's been changed), and of course no enforcement of the rumors and lies they float daily. They're in cahoots with regulators, politicians, reporters, and probably various sources of 'dark money'. Only GS could admit to owning market manipulating code at no risk to themselves. Not to mention the batphone they apparently have to the FBI.

Just think, back in October when hedge funds turned on their old masters (banks), GS was a beggar like everyone else and came to the feds 'hat in hand'. Now they act like the rule the world again. Goldman Sachs - GangstaS

Sierra Wireless: Scrutinizing That Discount to NAV

When this was trading at 2 and change, it was one of the best bargains on the street. I expect the gap between SWIR and NVTL to close soon.

Sequenom's Bombshell

Those two funds deserve to go out of business. They showed they have no risk management which sooner or later spells death to funds, investors, traders, etc. You can't just go swinging for the fence without thinking about the game and where you are in the game.

As far as the stock price. A lot is up in the air and it's hard to make a determination that is nothing more than pure speculation without the details surrounding the error.

I purchased a little hoping to make a lot, but that's money I'm prepared to lose should this situation turn out to be something more than a small set back.

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Dendreon Investors Learn a Hard Lesson in Stop-Loss Orders

You had to know there would be shenanigans in this stock on that day. This has been one of the most controversial stocks traded on any exchange in the past 2 years.

I'm not surprised by the action or by the inaction of the NASDAQ and probably the SEC. No one looks out for the retail investor, so we need to look out for ourselves.

In the future, with a volatile stock like DNDN, don't use stops. It was all or nothing anyway. Stops are meaningless with a stock like this unless you are ready to exit and you know the market is normal that day (i.e. no announcements).

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Dendreon: A $360 Stock? Or Is That Too Low?

The writing is on the wall. I've heard all the talk and read the analysis, this stock goes a lot higher. It looks a lot like Imclone used to look early on. Enough said. I believe late next year it's a $100 stock and after that who knows. Any projections more than a year out is just guess work.

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Life Insurers Face 'Unprecedented Stress' - S&P

The first category "High Risk Investments" doesn't raise any eye brows. The real estate loans are an issue, but I seriously doubt that their survival depends on access to TARP money. If that's the worst of it, I'm ok.

If they had exposure to credit card loans, auto loans, leveraged loans, and what ever else the big banks have, I'd be concerned. Also, most of these smaller banks going out of business have their portfolios highly concentrated in real estate, like 80+%

When you look at the amount of cash these companies generate, I think the large companies will be just fine.

Besides, who believes anything the rating agencies say anymore.

papergains

Sirius XM Available on iPhone: The Wait Is Over

So what's the problem with SIRI. Why all the drama and seemingly constantly on the verge of going under? I think they have a nice offering, but all the other issues.

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This Rally May Have Legs - Bespoke

Those are the signs and I do agree that we seem to be headed higher. With that typed, I wouldn't be surprised if we headed lower, as this market has turned out to be one of the more treacherous in recent memory.

The rules are stacked in favor of those who would increase volatility which makes for an nontraditional market.

papergains

Wind Power: GE, China on the Rise

GE is a must own for actual investors. The upside is huge, the yield is still nice, and let's not forget, this is GE. Whether it's wind, jet engines, or drilling, this company will be around long after we're gone, so all this talk of GE going to 2 1/2 was ridiculous.

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Cramer's Mad Money - Dow Chemical Is Bottoming...Who Cares? (3/25/09)

It's easy to call a bottom in DOW now. I prefer DOW to the others. All this talk of credit quality and risk have created a prime time opportunity in DOW. The upside is tremendous and as far as I'm concerned, the risk is insignificant when measured against the upside.

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How Ken Lewis Has Failed the Test of Good Leadership

The man is a serial acquirer of companies. Bigger isn't always better. The universal bank model is a dangerous model, as it increases too much systemic risk and is too difficult to manage. Lewis purchased too many risky firms in a short time, MBNA, Countrywide, and Merrill. He risked everything, as these companies weren't fully digested before buying the next.

Think about the amount of risk Lewis took and think about how important BAC was to the entire system. Small companies take that kind of risk, not large multinationals. Large companies never risk everything on a deal or series of deals. They protect shareholder's interests firs, thus the reason I don't believe that he was forced to buy Merrill.

Poor leader.

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