Japanese Government Bond Market at Risk of Collapse? [View article]
If UK is any guide, the borrowing limit is ~250%. UK hit that magic number three times (1848, 1919, 1946) and managed to escape disaster in each instance.
German Empire ran up the numbers to at least 400% by 1918 and was doomed.
Why Should Banks Loan When They Can Play the Yield Curve? [View article]
I happen to get access to some really old Value Line stock reports from 1958. Between 1938 and 1949, US banks actually owned more government securities than commercial loans. For example in 1949, Chase Manhattan had $1.819 billion in government securities vs $1.351 billion in loans; Hanover Bank $0.636 billion in government securities vs $0.444 billion in loans; Wells Fargo had $0.319 billion in government securities vs $0.462 billion in loans in 1950.
Today, the latest Federal Reserve statistic shows that US commercial banks are holding $1423 billion in government securities vs $6696 billion in commercial loans.
As the US consumers' deleveraging process goes on, I won't be surprised to see US government securities making up the same proportion in banks' portfolios as in 1949.
The latest Schlumberger company presentation (phx.corporate-ir.net/E..., page 2-3) expects plenty of excess capacity during next few years. Unlike some other institutions, Schlumberger actually benefits a lot from tight supply situation so it is unlikely to bash the "peak oil" scenario,
U.S. Public Pension Funds: $2 Trillion Short [View article]
I expect Obama and Democrats to print all the way until 2012. Once employment starts going down as a result of money printing (stimulus), they will win elections. These guys know this and they will use their legislative majority to buy their next election.
After 2012 election, when S&P made a new high and everyone becomes bullish, watch the nightmare unfold....
Asia to the West: Get Off Your High Horse [View article]
Well, government intervention in HK seems to have worked as HK fared way better than Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand after 1998.
Yes, it's hypocrisy on our side, but what are they going to do about it? If this guy thinks that HK can get away with US, EU, and Japan in perpetual depression, he must be smoking some really powerful stuffs.
Jacobs Engineering Group Offers Exceptional Value [View article]
If you define JEC as serial acquirers, then how would you call Berkshire Hathaway, run by Ben Graham's best student?
Acquisitions are by nature not evil, some of the best companies (stocks) in market history prospered through acquisitions, such as BRK, CSCO, and JNJ. The key here is that management knows what to buy and how much to pay.
How the Senate Bill Would Change Healthcare [View article]
Palo Alto Medical Foundation is charging $400 for a simple 15 minutes physician visit for uninsured people.
But insurance easily knocks that amount down to ~$140, and Medicare will bargain all the way down to $96.
Do you believe a sick, uninsured individual has any chance and energy to haggle with the hospital? This kind of pricing scheme shows just how crooked the current healthcare system is.
How Might Health Insurers Respond to Medical Loss Ratio Regulation? [View article]
If an illegal shows up at ER with life-threatening ailment, would doctors forsake all their medical ethics training to let this person die, or disregard the legalese and save this person anyway?
BTW, hospitals often let poor people die in China, and their healthcare expenses are accordingly low.
Japanese Government Bond Market at Risk of Collapse? [View article]
German Empire ran up the numbers to at least 400% by 1918 and was doomed.
Why Should Banks Loan When They Can Play the Yield Curve? [View article]
Today, the latest Federal Reserve statistic shows that US commercial banks are holding $1423 billion in government securities vs $6696 billion in commercial loans.
As the US consumers' deleveraging process goes on, I won't be surprised to see US government securities making up the same proportion in banks' portfolios as in 1949.
James Quinn on Peak Oil [View article]
U.S. Public Pension Funds: $2 Trillion Short [View article]
After 2012 election, when S&P made a new high and everyone becomes bullish, watch the nightmare unfold....
Will Middle East Tensions Drive Oil to $300? Part I [View article]
Asia to the West: Get Off Your High Horse [View article]
Yes, it's hypocrisy on our side, but what are they going to do about it? If this guy thinks that HK can get away with US, EU, and Japan in perpetual depression, he must be smoking some really powerful stuffs.
Yield = Poison (2010 Edition) [View article]
Meanwhile, large speculators on ICE have piled into USD long trade. Last time they were so bullish about USD was August 2008.
Just 16 months after its debut, Google's (GOOG) Chrome leapfrog's Apple's (AAPL) Safari to become the world's No. 3 browser. Meanwhile, Microsoft's (MSFT) IE is bleeding share at an alarming rate. [View news story]
If you like Youtube, Chrome is by far the most superior browser, unsurprisingly.
But overall, I still like Firefox the best.
China, Greece, U.S.A., Euro: All Connected? [View article]
US is too big to bail.
Beware the Subtleties of Central Bank 'Speak' [View article]
I need to parse central banks' words a lot more carefully in the future.
Cramer's Mad Money - Building Long-Term Wealth (12/31/09) [View article]
Jacobs Engineering Group Offers Exceptional Value [View article]
Acquisitions are by nature not evil, some of the best companies (stocks) in market history prospered through acquisitions, such as BRK, CSCO, and JNJ. The key here is that management knows what to buy and how much to pay.
How the Senate Bill Would Change Healthcare [View article]
But insurance easily knocks that amount down to ~$140, and Medicare will bargain all the way down to $96.
Do you believe a sick, uninsured individual has any chance and energy to haggle with the hospital? This kind of pricing scheme shows just how crooked the current healthcare system is.
How Might Health Insurers Respond to Medical Loss Ratio Regulation? [View article]
BTW, hospitals often let poor people die in China, and their healthcare expenses are accordingly low.
The question is, do we want to become like them?
What Use Short Selling? [View article]
The question is whether you want a society full of short sellers.