liack's Comments liack's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.comuser/37352/comments House flipping is back. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/37832?source=feed#comment-796265 796265 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:25:31 -0500 BlackRock (BLK) completes its $15.2B acquisition of Barclays Global Investors (BCS), becoming the world's biggest asset manager, with $3.2T in AUM. The company will keep the iShares ETFs. CEO Laurence Fink answered some questions last week and recently became the top financial exec on Forbes' powerful-people list. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/37462?source=feed#comment-785071 785071 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:45:47 -0500 Every country, including China, wants Chinese consumers to spend (consumption is 35% of GDP, half that in the U.S.), so why aren't they? Barriers to consumption in an economy over-geared to "making stuff" - one that might create more jobs if its citizens saved and invested less and consumed a little more. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/37437?source=feed#comment-784558 784558 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:13:04 -0500 Vonage (VG) isn't doing all that well since Mark Lefar joined as CEO a little over a year ago, so why does the company's 10-Q say they just hiked his travel allowance from $250K to $600K for private (i.e. jet) travel, plus more money for commercial travel? http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/36243?source=feed#comment-754222 754222 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:09:15 -0500 In a rare response to media reports, NY Fed's general counsel explains why it directed AIG (AIG) to pay top dollar on credit-default swaps: "In its negotiations with its counterparties, AIG just didn't have the same bargaining power that it did with the Federal Reserve standing in the background. The only sensible outcome was to give them what they were legally entitled to." http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/35389?source=feed#comment-736002 736002
if i have the fed behind me, i better feel like i can eat all the ice cream i want and not get fucked in the process!!!!!!!]]> Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:43:43 -0400
if i have the fed behind me, i better feel like i can eat all the ice cream i want and not get fucked in the process!!!!!!!]]> Goldman Sachs (GS) chief Lloyd Blankfein's apartment is drawing vampire-squid puppets. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/35028?source=feed#comment-731223 731223 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:08:55 -0400 New Jersey is paying $1M a month to Goldman Sachs (GS) for protection against rising interest rates - on bonds that were redeemed over a year ago. The state's transportation fund entered a swap agreement in 2003 that doesn't expire until 2019, though it replaced the auction-rate bonds last year after that market froze. Says one rulemaker about swaps: "The world’s got to see what stupidity even the sophisticated investors like the transportation fund can get into." http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/34913?source=feed#comment-727168 727168
taxpayer: ....
Gov't: eh, wacha gonna do]]> Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:09:47 -0400
taxpayer: ....
Gov't: eh, wacha gonna do]]> The U.S. and Germany are already out of recession, Barclays says, signaling the end of the global contraction. "In short, we have grown in confidence that the rebound that started in Asia early in the year has now become a truly global rebound." http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/30127?source=feed#comment-620220 620220 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:53:06 -0400 David Rosenberg's takeaway from the Meredith rally: "The fact that the equity market could rally this much based on one analyst's commentary is testament to the view of how badly investors want to believe that the recession and credit crunch are behind us and that unbridled prosperity lies ahead." http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/27893?source=feed#comment-587602 587602 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:30:16 -0400 NYSE to extend stock trading to 4:15 after suffering technical glitches. (Bloomberg) http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/27226?source=feed#comment-572132 572132
NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE

ok first the DNDN "glitch", now this????? who are pulling these strings!!!!!!!!]]> Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:37:37 -0400
NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE

ok first the DNDN "glitch", now this????? who are pulling these strings!!!!!!!!]]> Merrill Lynch now sees H2 U.S. GDP growth of 2.7%, almost double its previous forecast of 1.4%. Firm predicts stronger consumer spending due to stimulus programs, and thinks home sales could continue to level off. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/27173?source=feed#comment-571347 571347 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:29:54 -0400 Goldman (GS) spokesman Lucas van Praag defends his firm for the NY Post, having done similarly for Felix Salmon last week. "We are painfully conscious of the importance in being a force for good," he says, and notes conspiracy theorists have missed pinning on Goldman "the third shooter (in JFK's killing) and faking the first lunar landing." http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/27079?source=feed#comment-569838 569838 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:07:04 -0400 "Green shoots" are sprouting everywhere ... at least in the language of officials, pundits and reporters, who have made the phrase ubiquitous. "These may be the two most overused and annoying words of my investment career," says an adviser. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/26996?source=feed#comment-568976 568976

On Jun 30 03:25 PM jeandit75 wrote:

> the most ever over-used by far: Boooooooooya!]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:30:46 -0400

On Jun 30 03:25 PM jeandit75 wrote:

> the most ever over-used by far: Boooooooooya!]]> Futures don't give much of a sense of direction for Q2's final day after a low-volume, low-volatility overnight session. At 10:00 we get Conference Board's consumer confidence measure, with plenty of fedspeak later today (see full calendar). S&P futures +0.15% at 923. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/26978?source=feed#comment-568218 568218 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:26:19 -0400 Former IBM CEO Louis Gerstner urges regulators to shut down the Wall Street casino by taxing daytrading gains by 80%. Six-months later, it should be 60%. And five-year gains should be tax free, he says. (via) That's one way to bring back buy-and-hold in a hurry. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/26738?source=feed#comment-562486 562486
I say tax the ubber rich, like Louis, 80% of their income. Not like anyone can't live off anything less than 50k, then reduce all gov't employee incomes to 30k

all that disposable income can easily pay off the debt faster than any smart ass scheme]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:41:29 -0400
I say tax the ubber rich, like Louis, 80% of their income. Not like anyone can't live off anything less than 50k, then reduce all gov't employee incomes to 30k

all that disposable income can easily pay off the debt faster than any smart ass scheme]]> A CNBC interview of Rep. Barney Frank turns into a train wreck after Frank and CNBC's Mark Haines can't stop talking long enough to listen. Are these two related? http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/25844?source=feed#comment-543493 543493 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:48:42 -0400 Retail chain store sales rose 0.3% from a week ago, ICSC says, and rose 0.5% Y/Y. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/24022?source=feed#comment-500097 500097 Tue, 12 May 2009 08:22:43 -0400 Banks may be trying to drive up the value of inventory by creating a shadow market of foreclosed homes that are not being put up for sale. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/21512?source=feed#comment-457292 457292 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:06:36 -0400 Four small banks become the first to repay TARP funds: Signature Bank (SBNY) returns $120M, Old National Bancorp (ONB) returns $100M, Iberiabank (IBKC) returns $90M and Bank of Marin Bancorp (BMRC) returns $28M. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/21016?source=feed#comment-447646 447646 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:07:52 -0400 Americans drank 3% less soda in 2008 - the biggest pop-drop on record. Coke's (KO) volume was off 2.5%, while Pepsi's (PEP) fizzled by 6.5%. Their diet drinks fared even worse, down 3% and 7.5% respectively. Frugal consumers are drinking less, and cutting back even more on expensive name brands. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/20884?source=feed#comment-445490 445490 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:40:08 -0400 Geithner, responding to question from lawmaker, What's the backup plan? "Congressman, this plan will work." IOW none. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/20508?source=feed#comment-438390 438390 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:13:19 -0400 The end of America? http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/20293?source=feed#comment-434125 434125 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:19:23 -0400 Friday's economic calendar: 12:00 PM Bernanke speaks on the financial crisis http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/20164?source=feed#comment-433270 433270 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:17:28 -0400 "At least we haven't yet seen the resolution that was proposed in the English parliament, in 1720 in the aftermath of the South Sea bubble, that bankers be tied in sacks filled with snakes and tipped into the Thames. But it's still early days." http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/20231?source=feed#comment-432697 432697 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:33:08 -0400 Fannie Mae (FNM) is due to pay retention bonuses of $470K-$611K this year to some executives, despite enormous losses. Freddie Mac (FRE) plans to pay similar bonuses, but hasn't provided details yet. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/20169?source=feed#comment-432008 432008 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:29:32 -0400 The Economist says Goldman Sachs' (GS) new home page looks more like the site of an NGO trying to help women in developing countries than that of a serious bank. "Such a sign of the times. I never thought I’d see the day Goldman felt the need to project a warm, fuzzy, feel good image." http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/19707?source=feed#comment-423546 423546

On Mar 12 01:38 PM Herbert Hoover wrote:

> The only place you'll ever see a African-Amaerican woman at GS is
> on their home page. Hilarious.]]> Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:43:09 -0400

On Mar 12 01:38 PM Herbert Hoover wrote:

> The only place you'll ever see a African-Amaerican woman at GS is
> on their home page. Hilarious.]]> WSJ digs up a "confidential document" that names AIG's counterparties - who collectively have received $50B of the $173B the government has used to bail out AIG (AIG). http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/19393?source=feed#comment-417622 417622 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:31:50 -0500 Bank stress tests come with some grim forecasts. The White House wants to make sure banks can survive unemployment above 10% and a further 25% fall in home prices. Officials say they don't expect things to get that bad, but want banks prepared just in case. http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/18675?source=feed#comment-404969 404969
I'm guessing that they're in such a shit condition that 10% is a high stress event]]> Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:29:44 -0500
I'm guessing that they're in such a shit condition that 10% is a high stress event]]> Is this the bottom? http://seekingalpha.com/news/market_currents/post/18704?source=feed#comment-404964 404964 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:25:13 -0500 Will PIMCO Be Needing a Bailout Soon? http://seekingalpha.com/article/119414-will-pimco-be-needing-a-bailout-soon?source=feed#comment-382504 382504

On Feb 09 05:11 PM Tom Bombadil wrote:

> This is an article? One chart and a few words to the effect of "Treasury
> prices are dropping?" Yeah, we already know, thanks anyway.]]> Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:35:41 -0500

On Feb 09 05:11 PM Tom Bombadil wrote:

> This is an article? One chart and a few words to the effect of "Treasury
> prices are dropping?" Yeah, we already know, thanks anyway.]]>