OptionManiac's Comments OptionManiac's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/user/429265/comments Prepare For The Coming Retirement Crisis http://seekingalpha.com/article/1459591/comments?source=feed#comment-19241511 19241511 Sat, 25 May 2013 11:46:23 -0400 Using The Fed As A Fig Leaf http://seekingalpha.com/article/1458901/comments?source=feed#comment-19208661 19208661 Fri, 24 May 2013 11:27:26 -0400 Using The Fed As A Fig Leaf http://seekingalpha.com/article/1458901/comments?source=feed#comment-19208551 19208551 Fri, 24 May 2013 11:25:32 -0400 A theme bubbling up at the start of the annual MLP conference (where attendance is up 38% Y/Y): the largely retail ownership of MLPs is slowly shifting as more institutions get interested in MLPs. Individuals tend to be unwilling to sell MLPs as the deferred tax burden rises, and more institutional ownership could fuel more trading or short-short selling in MLPs. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/1041971?source=feed#comment-19144451 19144451 Wed, 22 May 2013 21:07:52 -0400 Weighing The Week Ahead: Will Consumers Step Up - Especially On Housing? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1427351/comments?source=feed#comment-18754781 18754781 Mon, 13 May 2013 07:48:06 -0400 Weighing The Week Ahead: Will Consumers Step Up - Especially On Housing? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1427351/comments?source=feed#comment-18754751 18754751 Mon, 13 May 2013 07:47:22 -0400 Weighing The Week Ahead: Will Consumers Step Up - Especially On Housing? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1427351/comments?source=feed#comment-18744971 18744971 Sun, 12 May 2013 20:32:50 -0400 Priced in gold, the median single-family home is down 74% from its 2001 peak. But since making new 32 year lows last year, the gold-metered single-family home price has just broken above its eight-year, downward sloping trend channel. (Chart of the Day) http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/1019961?source=feed#comment-18742661 18742661
% increase between 1930 and 2008
New Home 6112%
Loaf of bread 3000%
Wages 1957%
Gold 4122% (a 7500% increase for 2012 gold)

Homes are a heck of a lot bigger now and contain a lot more stuff. We all have a lot more stuff - which makes the wage number a little nonsensical.]]> Sun, 12 May 2013 18:18:49 -0400
% increase between 1930 and 2008
New Home 6112%
Loaf of bread 3000%
Wages 1957%
Gold 4122% (a 7500% increase for 2012 gold)

Homes are a heck of a lot bigger now and contain a lot more stuff. We all have a lot more stuff - which makes the wage number a little nonsensical.]]> Priced in gold, the median single-family home is down 74% from its 2001 peak. But since making new 32 year lows last year, the gold-metered single-family home price has just broken above its eight-year, downward sloping trend channel. (Chart of the Day) http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/1019961?source=feed#comment-18742471 18742471 Sun, 12 May 2013 18:05:26 -0400 Weighing The Week Ahead: Will Consumers Step Up - Especially On Housing? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1427351/comments?source=feed#comment-18742301 18742301 Sun, 12 May 2013 17:56:50 -0400 Weighing The Week Ahead: Will Consumers Step Up - Especially On Housing? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1427351/comments?source=feed#comment-18741181 18741181 Sun, 12 May 2013 16:48:18 -0400 Weighing The Week Ahead: Will Consumers Step Up - Especially On Housing? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1427351/comments?source=feed#comment-18741141 18741141 Sun, 12 May 2013 16:46:54 -0400 Priced in gold, the median single-family home is down 74% from its 2001 peak. But since making new 32 year lows last year, the gold-metered single-family home price has just broken above its eight-year, downward sloping trend channel. (Chart of the Day) http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/1019961?source=feed#comment-18741111 18741111 Sun, 12 May 2013 16:46:01 -0400 Weighing The Week Ahead: Will Consumers Step Up - Especially On Housing? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1427351/comments?source=feed#comment-18735451 18735451 Sun, 12 May 2013 12:29:29 -0400 April Nonfarm Payrolls: +165K vs. consensus +145K, 138K previous (revised from +88K). Unemployment rate 7.5% vs. consensus 7.6%, 7.6% previous. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/996821?source=feed#comment-18400871 18400871 Fri, 03 May 2013 10:02:15 -0400 Facebook (FB) Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has cut his annual pay to $1, according to an SEC filing. Zuckerberg’s compensation, excluding stock grants, was $2M in 2012. His base pay was $503K. At the time of the IPO last year, Zuckerberg exercised options on 60M shares, then sold about 30M shares to cover taxes on the gains. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/976121?source=feed#comment-18174601 18174601 Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:39:36 -0400 Facebook (FB) Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has cut his annual pay to $1, according to an SEC filing. Zuckerberg’s compensation, excluding stock grants, was $2M in 2012. His base pay was $503K. At the time of the IPO last year, Zuckerberg exercised options on 60M shares, then sold about 30M shares to cover taxes on the gains. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/976121?source=feed#comment-18174521 18174521 Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:34:35 -0400 Initial Jobless Claims: -16K to 339K vs. 350K consensus, 355K prior (revised). Continuing claims -93K to 3.00M. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/968351?source=feed#comment-18072321 18072321 Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:00:17 -0400 More on Discover Financial (DFS) Q1 earnings: Discover card sales volume +4% Y/Y. 30-day delinquency falls to a record low 1.77%, off 33 bps Y/Y. Net interest margin of 9.39%, up 30 bps Y/Y thanks to lower funding costs. Reserve release of $154M vs. $274M a year ago. Expenses of $75M, up 12% Y/Y due to higher compensation costs. Shares +2.3% premarket. (PR) http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/959621?source=feed#comment-18010781 18010781 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:58:50 -0400 More on Discover Financial (DFS) Q1 earnings: Discover card sales volume +4% Y/Y. 30-day delinquency falls to a record low 1.77%, off 33 bps Y/Y. Net interest margin of 9.39%, up 30 bps Y/Y thanks to lower funding costs. Reserve release of $154M vs. $274M a year ago. Expenses of $75M, up 12% Y/Y due to higher compensation costs. Shares +2.3% premarket. (PR) http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/959621?source=feed#comment-17973931 17973931 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:24:56 -0400 5 Reasons Why I Am Shorting The Market http://seekingalpha.com/article/1344071/comments?source=feed#comment-17713831 17713831 Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:55:56 -0400 The decline in gold prices could be an opportunity for bulls, quips MBF Clearing commodities trader Mark Fisher. "If you're a long-term believer in gold, then you should love this, what's going on, because it's going to give you a chance to buy a significant position at a much cheaper price." The operative two words in that sentence however, are "long-term." "If you're a short-term speculator, good luck." (Video). http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/944281?source=feed#comment-17672411 17672411 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:33:49 -0400 China increased its holdings of U.S. Treasuries by $8.7B in February according to the Treasury Department. Meanwhile. Japan unloaded $6.8B of U.S. government debt, bringing its stash to $1.097T, a one year low. Analysts attributed some of the selling by the Japanese to positioning ahead of the BOJ's monumental easing campaign. China's holdings sat at a 15-month high going into March.  http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/944211?source=feed#comment-17672091 17672091 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:18:18 -0400 The decline in gold prices could be an opportunity for bulls, quips MBF Clearing commodities trader Mark Fisher. "If you're a long-term believer in gold, then you should love this, what's going on, because it's going to give you a chance to buy a significant position at a much cheaper price." The operative two words in that sentence however, are "long-term." "If you're a short-term speculator, good luck." (Video). http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/944281?source=feed#comment-17672011 17672011 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:15:24 -0400 Initial Jobless Claims: -42K to 346K vs. 388K consensus, 385K prior (revised). Continuing claims -12K to 3.08M. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/937461?source=feed#comment-17578511 17578511 Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:31:59 -0400 Initial Jobless Claims: -42K to 346K vs. 388K consensus, 385K prior (revised). Continuing claims -12K to 3.08M. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/937461?source=feed#comment-17487211 17487211 Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:54:18 -0400 Initial Jobless Claims: -42K to 346K vs. 388K consensus, 385K prior (revised). Continuing claims -12K to 3.08M. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/937461?source=feed#comment-17487131 17487131 Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:53:36 -0400 If today's markets are any indicator, U.S. investors are hardly giving a glance at warnings from Zhang Liangui, a professor of international strategic research at the Chinese Communist Party's Central Party School and one of China's top experts on North Korean affairs. According to Zhang, there's a 70%-80% chance of war on the Korean Peninsula, as "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may want to use this opportunity to force a reunification." Zhang made the comments yesterday in the South China Morning Post. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/936691?source=feed#comment-17474701 17474701 Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:52:07 -0400 With their healthcare costs ballooning, many companies have started to penalize fat employees with regards to healthcare coverage, raising all sorts of legal, privacy and discrimination questions. Michelin North America, for example, plans to cut healthcare credits for staff who fail to meet requirement for waistline and other metrics, and don't sign up to health programs. Other companies making similar moves include Mohawk (MHK), CVS and Honeywell (HON). http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/929481?source=feed#comment-17429291 17429291 Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:24:35 -0400 With their healthcare costs ballooning, many companies have started to penalize fat employees with regards to healthcare coverage, raising all sorts of legal, privacy and discrimination questions. Michelin North America, for example, plans to cut healthcare credits for staff who fail to meet requirement for waistline and other metrics, and don't sign up to health programs. Other companies making similar moves include Mohawk (MHK), CVS and Honeywell (HON). http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/929481?source=feed#comment-17429211 17429211 Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:21:13 -0400