A break-up of the big banks is on the minds of none other than analysts at the banks themselves. Wells Fargo reckons shareholders might "intensify demands" for it, especially as the likes of Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C) and JPMorgan (JPM) trade at discounts of 25-30% to more-focused rivals. JPM's analysts have questioned the viability of running an investment bank "as part of a universal banking business." [View news story]
It was a tough call - they weren't possibly ever going to let them fail and the only other options were TBTF or government takeovers... It is however funny how it is starting to hurt based on the market currents' point that they "trade at discounts of 25-30% to more-focused rivals."
With Russia awash in cheap natural gas, Gazprom is leading a push to massively expand the use of the fuel in vehicles. A 1998 Lada sedan can drive 140 miles on as little as 120 rubles ($3.80) of natural gas, or around the cost of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. The Toyota Prius would need three gallons to make the trip. Problems abound, though, including a lack of filling stations and fears of the cars blowing up. [View news story]
CNG conversions are big business outside the US already, a very under-reported trend here. Europe, Lat Am and SE Asia are all engaged in it. There are boutique operations in the US but it isn't nearly as pervasive as elsewhere, which is pretty odd considering how cheap our nat gas is by comparison, as well with regards to the current oil/gas ratio.
It seems US consumers are either much more capable of absorbing the growth in pricing that has occurred in oil over the last few years, or perhaps it is the lack of infrastructure (virtually zero public refueling stations in my area - Greater NYC), or perhaps the US consumer views electrics and hybrids as a better choice...
Australia's Woodside Petroleum shelves the $40B Browse gas-export project, a strong sign the country's energy construction boom may be peaking. Browse also counts Shell (RDS.A) and BP as partners. The decision wins praise from investors worried about the price tag but it's a blow for Australia’s economy, as the delay means the country may miss the boat in becoming a major beneficiary of Asian demand for LNG. [View news story]
Respectfully disagree with this current: it fully appears Australia is first in line to become a "major beneficiary of Asian demand for LNG" as most of its projects are far closer to completion than competing projects elsewhere.... I do agree "too much too fast" there is so much LNG capacity coming online over the next decade its getting hard to find consumers for the stuff.
Eldorado Gold's (EGO) $1B plan for the Skouries mine in Greece has bitterly divided the country, but the fight is more than a conventional standoff between the forces of development and environmental protection. Authorities’ ability to navigate the conflicting demands in Greece’s biggest-ever metals project will provide a telling clue to how soon Greece emerges from its economic crisis. [View news story]
Local government and the local population have more sway than non-Greek observers realize. Resolution of this issue is unlikely to reflect on how or when Greece will "emerge from its economic crisis."
Mining for minerals isn't very popular, even though mining stone is. It is likely reflected in the perception that gold is money and stone is, well, stone.... Oil and gas exploration isn't very popular either.
But most importantly, the specific area of the mining project in question happens to be a major tourism destination for Greeks. There's going to be massive opposition to even a microscopic potential pollution issue.
Tesla Motors (TSLA +3.2%) CEO Elon Musk pushes for support in Texas on a bill which would allow electric vehicle manufacturers to sell cars directly to consumers. Though the automaker has won a few victories in other states, the battle against Texas auto dealers could be a bit tougher. [View news story]
I think it's because a lot of us were raised repairing combustion motors.
You learn to troubleshoot pretty efficiently over time. I have a hard time troubleshooting electrical issues too, but I think the one valid problem for electrics is that when they fail they fail, they don't 'wear out' usually.
So you can spin a bearing on a combustion engine and still sorta limp home, but you blow a critical relay and you aren't moving till it's replaced....
Tesla Motors (TSLA +3.2%) CEO Elon Musk pushes for support in Texas on a bill which would allow electric vehicle manufacturers to sell cars directly to consumers. Though the automaker has won a few victories in other states, the battle against Texas auto dealers could be a bit tougher. [View news story]
Huh?
The wear and tear parts - brakes, shocks, wheels, etc - are not vehicle specific and should be available at any competent auto shop, the electric parts are far more easily and readily 'repairable' than a gas based vehicle.... no valvetrain you know.... crankshaft.... timing belt....
I wonder what you are talking about, perhaps you could be more specific?
Understanding Futures-Based Commodity Fund Returns [View article]
Wow this article ranks easily as one of my favorite ever to appear on SA. I really enjoyed it; I have experience in dealing with futures but the author here provides research, graphs, and info that are very insightful.
I expect to link to this liberally in the future....
U.S. gasoline demand in the coming peak spring-summer driving season will slip to a 12-year low of 8.87M bbl/day as fuel-efficiency gains more than offset increasing highway travel, EIA forecasters say. The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline is projected at $3.63/gal., down 1.8% Y/Y, due mostly to slightly lower crude oil prices that account for 65% of the pump price. [View news story]
And counterpoint:
Domestic supplies at a 22 year high, US consumption falling since '06, demand growth from EM decreasing, Saudis slowing down production with no one to sell to, DX in an uptrend since swing low to $78 on Feb 1.... means prices -should- be going down... hmm...
AT&T (T) responds to news of Google Fiber's expansion into Austin by stating it, too, is ready to build a 1Gbps "fiber optic infrastructure" in Texas' capital. Naturally, Ma Bell, which offers U-verse services in Austin, says it expects to be "granted the same terms and conditions" as Google from local officials. But it provides virtually no details on service reach or pricing. Is this a PR stunt, an attempt to discourage Google from further expanding Fiber, or something more? [View news story]
Disagree. Google bought a lot of Dark Fiber after the tech bust when it was dirt cheap. That is likely part of what is fueling this initiative, many years later.
Their cost is likely a lot lower to build out a new network than virtually any other potential entrant into the space. This is a competitive advantage that shouldn't be sneered at, and is the result of Google thinking long term with a wide reach, and this type of thinking is likely to lead to Google's continuous long term success as others fall by the wayside.
The race to provide charging stations for electric vehicles heats up on the West Coast after Kroger (KR) joins Walgreen (WAG), Whole Foods (WFM), and IKEA to provide customers parking lot charging stations. What to watch: Retailers continue to slowly edge into the field in an effort not to get left behind, but until a major restaurant chain (say McDonald's (MCD)?) jumps in with a partnership to offer a national network of charging stations along major interstates the phenomenon will remain a primarily limited to affluent urban areas. [View news story]
Actually, EVs are supportive of the grid. EVs can be used as 'capacitors' to smooth out the production/consumption dynamics of generation, reducing the need to fire up more expensive 'peak' generation capacity in times of demand in favor of base load generators with plugged in EV batteries covering spikes in demand.
"On site" generation from non-renewable sources is just as subject to the vagaries of supply-demand and source disruption as utility generation is, for the most part.
The race to provide charging stations for electric vehicles heats up on the West Coast after Kroger (KR) joins Walgreen (WAG), Whole Foods (WFM), and IKEA to provide customers parking lot charging stations. What to watch: Retailers continue to slowly edge into the field in an effort not to get left behind, but until a major restaurant chain (say McDonald's (MCD)?) jumps in with a partnership to offer a national network of charging stations along major interstates the phenomenon will remain a primarily limited to affluent urban areas. [View news story]
Intel Beats ARM At Its Own Game With Avoton [View article]
Taalib:
I don't disagree at all, but I don't think we are quite there yet. And my point to that is, well, sure ARM has a bright future ahead, but Intel's pipeline isn't looking too shabby either.
By the way, I'm not a ARM hater, but I do think ARM's impact in the personal computing market has been rather overstated by many observers. Most of what ARM has done has been in spaces where it doesn't compete with INTC, and most of Intel's equity price decline stems from honest to goodness balance sheet issues, as in, a weak PC market, not competition from ARM - my opinion on tablets/smartphones being that they are not PC replacements (yet).
One day I hope to have one device, like Thorsten Heins from BBRY says, I plug into a monitor anywhere I go and it serves 100% of my computing needs. I can't say if it will be powered by an ARM based product or an x86 processor, but the competition is good for the consumer.
The race to provide charging stations for electric vehicles heats up on the West Coast after Kroger (KR) joins Walgreen (WAG), Whole Foods (WFM), and IKEA to provide customers parking lot charging stations. What to watch: Retailers continue to slowly edge into the field in an effort not to get left behind, but until a major restaurant chain (say McDonald's (MCD)?) jumps in with a partnership to offer a national network of charging stations along major interstates the phenomenon will remain a primarily limited to affluent urban areas. [View news story]
I believe electric bicycles are on the verge of becoming very popular in overseas because of the stickiness of oil prices, new developments in battery/motor technology, and falling prices.
They don't make a lot of sense in the sprawl of the US but they make tremendous sense in places more congested with high energy prices.
I suspect, to your point, that chargers for non-automotive products may start popping up if this trend develops more, but then again, many of these bicycles have pretty decent ranges for the markets I think they are compatible.
March Retail Sales: -0.4% vs. +0.1% expected, +1% prior (revised). Ex-auto -0.4% vs +0.1% expected. [View news story]
A break-up of the big banks is on the minds of none other than analysts at the banks themselves. Wells Fargo reckons shareholders might "intensify demands" for it, especially as the likes of Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C) and JPMorgan (JPM) trade at discounts of 25-30% to more-focused rivals. JPM's analysts have questioned the viability of running an investment bank "as part of a universal banking business." [View news story]
With Russia awash in cheap natural gas, Gazprom is leading a push to massively expand the use of the fuel in vehicles. A 1998 Lada sedan can drive 140 miles on as little as 120 rubles ($3.80) of natural gas, or around the cost of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. The Toyota Prius would need three gallons to make the trip. Problems abound, though, including a lack of filling stations and fears of the cars blowing up. [View news story]
It seems US consumers are either much more capable of absorbing the growth in pricing that has occurred in oil over the last few years, or perhaps it is the lack of infrastructure (virtually zero public refueling stations in my area - Greater NYC), or perhaps the US consumer views electrics and hybrids as a better choice...
Australia's Woodside Petroleum shelves the $40B Browse gas-export project, a strong sign the country's energy construction boom may be peaking. Browse also counts Shell (RDS.A) and BP as partners. The decision wins praise from investors worried about the price tag but it's a blow for Australia’s economy, as the delay means the country may miss the boat in becoming a major beneficiary of Asian demand for LNG. [View news story]
Natural Gas: What A Difference A Year Makes - Analysis, Outlook, Statistics, Catalysts [View article]
I believe models including the spike and bubble pop of '08 should not be trusted.
The economy can't sustain those numbers, it can barely sustain the current price of energy.
Eldorado Gold's (EGO) $1B plan for the Skouries mine in Greece has bitterly divided the country, but the fight is more than a conventional standoff between the forces of development and environmental protection. Authorities’ ability to navigate the conflicting demands in Greece’s biggest-ever metals project will provide a telling clue to how soon Greece emerges from its economic crisis. [View news story]
Mining for minerals isn't very popular, even though mining stone is. It is likely reflected in the perception that gold is money and stone is, well, stone.... Oil and gas exploration isn't very popular either.
But most importantly, the specific area of the mining project in question happens to be a major tourism destination for Greeks. There's going to be massive opposition to even a microscopic potential pollution issue.
Tesla Motors (TSLA +3.2%) CEO Elon Musk pushes for support in Texas on a bill which would allow electric vehicle manufacturers to sell cars directly to consumers. Though the automaker has won a few victories in other states, the battle against Texas auto dealers could be a bit tougher. [View news story]
You learn to troubleshoot pretty efficiently over time. I have a hard time troubleshooting electrical issues too, but I think the one valid problem for electrics is that when they fail they fail, they don't 'wear out' usually.
So you can spin a bearing on a combustion engine and still sorta limp home, but you blow a critical relay and you aren't moving till it's replaced....
Tesla Motors (TSLA +3.2%) CEO Elon Musk pushes for support in Texas on a bill which would allow electric vehicle manufacturers to sell cars directly to consumers. Though the automaker has won a few victories in other states, the battle against Texas auto dealers could be a bit tougher. [View news story]
The wear and tear parts - brakes, shocks, wheels, etc - are not vehicle specific and should be available at any competent auto shop, the electric parts are far more easily and readily 'repairable' than a gas based vehicle.... no valvetrain you know.... crankshaft.... timing belt....
I wonder what you are talking about, perhaps you could be more specific?
Understanding Futures-Based Commodity Fund Returns [View article]
I expect to link to this liberally in the future....
Thanks for posting.
U.S. gasoline demand in the coming peak spring-summer driving season will slip to a 12-year low of 8.87M bbl/day as fuel-efficiency gains more than offset increasing highway travel, EIA forecasters say. The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline is projected at $3.63/gal., down 1.8% Y/Y, due mostly to slightly lower crude oil prices that account for 65% of the pump price. [View news story]
Domestic supplies at a 22 year high, US consumption falling since '06, demand growth from EM decreasing, Saudis slowing down production with no one to sell to, DX in an uptrend since swing low to $78 on Feb 1.... means prices -should- be going down... hmm...
AT&T (T) responds to news of Google Fiber's expansion into Austin by stating it, too, is ready to build a 1Gbps "fiber optic infrastructure" in Texas' capital. Naturally, Ma Bell, which offers U-verse services in Austin, says it expects to be "granted the same terms and conditions" as Google from local officials. But it provides virtually no details on service reach or pricing. Is this a PR stunt, an attempt to discourage Google from further expanding Fiber, or something more? [View news story]
Their cost is likely a lot lower to build out a new network than virtually any other potential entrant into the space. This is a competitive advantage that shouldn't be sneered at, and is the result of Google thinking long term with a wide reach, and this type of thinking is likely to lead to Google's continuous long term success as others fall by the wayside.
The race to provide charging stations for electric vehicles heats up on the West Coast after Kroger (KR) joins Walgreen (WAG), Whole Foods (WFM), and IKEA to provide customers parking lot charging stations. What to watch: Retailers continue to slowly edge into the field in an effort not to get left behind, but until a major restaurant chain (say McDonald's (MCD)?) jumps in with a partnership to offer a national network of charging stations along major interstates the phenomenon will remain a primarily limited to affluent urban areas. [View news story]
"On site" generation from non-renewable sources is just as subject to the vagaries of supply-demand and source disruption as utility generation is, for the most part.
The race to provide charging stations for electric vehicles heats up on the West Coast after Kroger (KR) joins Walgreen (WAG), Whole Foods (WFM), and IKEA to provide customers parking lot charging stations. What to watch: Retailers continue to slowly edge into the field in an effort not to get left behind, but until a major restaurant chain (say McDonald's (MCD)?) jumps in with a partnership to offer a national network of charging stations along major interstates the phenomenon will remain a primarily limited to affluent urban areas. [View news story]
Intel Beats ARM At Its Own Game With Avoton [View article]
I don't disagree at all, but I don't think we are quite there yet. And my point to that is, well, sure ARM has a bright future ahead, but Intel's pipeline isn't looking too shabby either.
By the way, I'm not a ARM hater, but I do think ARM's impact in the personal computing market has been rather overstated by many observers. Most of what ARM has done has been in spaces where it doesn't compete with INTC, and most of Intel's equity price decline stems from honest to goodness balance sheet issues, as in, a weak PC market, not competition from ARM - my opinion on tablets/smartphones being that they are not PC replacements (yet).
One day I hope to have one device, like Thorsten Heins from BBRY says, I plug into a monitor anywhere I go and it serves 100% of my computing needs. I can't say if it will be powered by an ARM based product or an x86 processor, but the competition is good for the consumer.
The race to provide charging stations for electric vehicles heats up on the West Coast after Kroger (KR) joins Walgreen (WAG), Whole Foods (WFM), and IKEA to provide customers parking lot charging stations. What to watch: Retailers continue to slowly edge into the field in an effort not to get left behind, but until a major restaurant chain (say McDonald's (MCD)?) jumps in with a partnership to offer a national network of charging stations along major interstates the phenomenon will remain a primarily limited to affluent urban areas. [View news story]
They don't make a lot of sense in the sprawl of the US but they make tremendous sense in places more congested with high energy prices.
I suspect, to your point, that chargers for non-automotive products may start popping up if this trend develops more, but then again, many of these bicycles have pretty decent ranges for the markets I think they are compatible.