Valuations

• High Yield Closed End Funds 68% over NAV, 3% avg premium. Loan Participation CEFs 40% over NAV, -1% avg discount. Conditions r medium hot $$ Apr 07, 2012
• Why Stocks Look Too Pricey http://t.co/TWqZzGg3 Various Indicators Suggest the Market Is No Longer a Bargain, at best fairly valued $$ Apr 07, 2012
• Contra: The alarming fall in syndicated lending http://t.co/hiGK9UoK With the high yield mkt running hot why not avoid restrictive banks $$ Apr 06, 2012
• Not so new… Eddy Elfenbein said something similar 4 months ago: http://www.crossingwallstreet… http://t.co/mhIxGGwt Apr 04, 2012 (on inflation expectations driving stock prices in the short run)
• Time to take some risk off the table http://t.co/sCuYxc6u Trends breaking globally, US looks okay. Humble Student has made good calls lately Apr 04, 2012
• The Dangers of an Interventionist Fed http://t.co/thKsHa8J QE Removal: what happens to banks if Fed does & 2 inflation if Fed doesn’t $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Junk Bonds – Getting Risky for a New Reason? http://t.co/7bJ08JxT Record pace of junk issuance bodes ill 4 performance… 3 yrs from now. $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Two Pros Weigh In on U.S. Stocks: Ben Inker’s Bearish View http://t.co/iJ7742P5 Katie Nixon’s Bull View http://t.co/Zn9jj503 $$ Apr 02, 2012
• Eichengreen on Credit Bubbles http://t.co/bSs0MHPA Leading indicator of finl stress in em mkts: loan growth > 2x GDP growth 2 yrs earlier $$ Apr 01, 2012
• Taking the High Out of High Yield http://t.co/WYIvHb0n Nonprofessionals are the ones buying junk at the margin. This won’t end well. $$ Apr 01, 2012

Central Banking

• The ECB has completely lost control over the monetary policy for Greece http://t.co/MHNTXLHo Massive liquidity drain; total credit failure Apr 07, 2012
• Post-war financial repression is back http://t.co/JGLo9Aic If the post-war experience is any guide, savers face many years of suffering. Apr 06, 2012
• Bernanke – I’m Slowing Down the Ship http://t.co/TJcJl20n Stocks don’t like less inflation coming and so they fall. But bonds rally. $$ Apr 06, 2012
• Draghi Scotches ECB Exit Talk as Spain Keeps Crisis Alive http://t.co/rREDdqrW LTRO can only go so far; can solve liquidity, not solvency Apr 06, 2012
• The Market’s Obsessive Fixation on The Fed & QE http://t.co/W6kg1n7k Runs through a Fed tightening scenario, thinks Fed won’t sell bonds $$ Apr 04, 2012
• Oest.. Nationalbank follows Bundesbank in refusing some periphery collateral http://t.co/96xx0xg7 Not so big in itself; Tear in EZ fabric Apr 04, 2012
• Draghi Tested as German Pay Deals Add to Euro Divergence http://t.co/glKumOZx Inflation rising @ core? May even labor productivity some $$ Apr 04, 2012
• @federalreserve Tried using your Data Download Program today http://t.co/vRroRPMt I managed 2get the data I needed, but it was tough 2use Apr 03, 2012
• Bernanke – ‘The Fed never makes mistakes’ http://t.co/JBgRHqx2 He goes, speaks to soft audiences, argues that no one could have known #dope Apr 01, 2012

China

• Coup Rumors in China Have Deeper Meaning http://t.co/QaoDxKFF Small fissures appearing in the Communist Party’s hold on power $$ Apr 07, 2012
• Australia’s Export Slump Intensifies Rate-Cut Pressure http://t.co/sIDzeteW China sneezes, Australia catches a cold, mate. $$ Apr 06, 2012
• China doomsayer sees crash coming http://t.co/2QatU1ps Hardly a crash, but GDP shrinking. Wait, that *is* a crash for China? $$ Apr 06, 2012
• The Revenge of Wen Jiabao http://t.co/nw5qvCNa Long read. Eye-opening. Formal system of Comm Party eclipsed by family coalitions that war $$ Apr 04, 2012
• The informal aspects of how China is governed relies on rival coalitions of elite families over the long run. Short-run, Comm party rules $$ Apr 04, 2012
• China Accelerates Markets Opening as QFII Quota Doubles http://t.co/yrXVDcdR May prove 2b significant due to unintended consequences $$ Apr 04, 2012
• China Manufacturing Gain Masks Exporters’ Woes http://t.co/VyeN9AWF Goods unneeded by the rest of the World build up in China $$ #glut Apr 03, 2012

United States

• When safe assets return http://t.co/QLUPuj1j Long piece on the status of money-like instruments, public and private. Many questions. $$ Apr 07, 2012
• Income Inequality Is Killing the Economy, Obama Says—Is He Wrong? http://t.co/xrA4pGu2 Going up in developed world, going down globally $$ Apr 07, 2012
• And I don’t get it as well, Josh.  I’m as Libertarian as they come, but with financial services, I know that trickery… http://t.co/lIJDCr1Y Apr 05, 2012
• More woes in Fedl subsidized solar power: http://t.co/83ch2YUM & http://t.co/6XaEjl10 ht: @zerohedge | Send bureaucrats 2study physics? $$ Apr 04, 2012
• The return of the US manufacturer http://t.co/75WCMyPi Manufactured goods represented 61 per cent of all US exports during 2010 $$ Apr 04, 2012
• +1 RT @ReformedBroker: ADP is the Diet Arizona Iced Tea of Employment gauges. Like, we’ll take it if it’s there but no one’s looking for it Apr 04, 2012
• When does the US Treasury bubble burst? http://t.co/8agHomQH “Pomboy pointed out that Treasury yields are less than current CPI rates” $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Why Are the Fed and SEC Keeping Wall Street’s Secrets? http://t.co/bZYF3LgV Fed & SEC view those they regulate as their clientele $$ Apr 02, 2012
• US consumers dipping into savings http://t.co/757XDPuW Implies that the recovery is weaker than presently posited, demand comes from savings Apr 01, 2012
• Obama Campus Fervor Losing 2 Apathy as Students Sour on 2012 http://t.co/kcyQbWKI Students thought they were getting change, got Bush-plus Apr 01, 2012
• How Stockton, California Went Broke in Plain Sight http://t.co/ggOzSOmV If you hand out benefit increases like they are candy… $$ Apr 01, 2012

Finance

• Quants: The Alchemists of Wall Street http://t.co/L0CzLQVN Recommend this video, features Paul Wilmott, Matthew Goldstein, & more $$ Apr 07, 2012
• The 401(k): Americans ‘just not prepared’ 2 manage their own retirement funds http://t.co/8Tr0wggt Conclusions similar http://t.co/etCEp8BT Apr 06, 2012
• Hedge Funds Accomplishing Very Little in the Aggregate… http://t.co/pxqjw2kk HFs tend 2b volatility-averse, weaker funding than long-only $$ Apr 04, 2012
• Ackman SPAC a nice touch, no? RT @ReformedBroker: Private Equity-held Burger King coming public again. “Hooray!” said no one to no one else Apr 04, 2012
• Performance persistence in hedge funds http://t.co/zORfjAts How do hedge funds differ v unlevered value investors? $$ gets pulled vals drop Apr 04, 2012
• ETN Double Dipping With GAZ? http://t.co/Uo9y1T5p Interesting piece. An ETN issuer can make more $$ stopping creation & lending shares Apr 04, 2012
• Loan classes “season” over 10-30% of the life of loan… defaults/prepays stabilize. Large cohorts 4 bond issuance go bad in the 3rd yr $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Merrill, Morgan Stanley seen losing grip on rich http://t.co/44mW7ki0 Top 4 brokers mkt share 56% in 2007, 45% in 2011 & still falling $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Low Vol Underperforming http://t.co/NYqjw2Fp Every valid strategy has times when it doesn’t work, to shake out the weak hands $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Corporate pension funds break away from equities http://t.co/EMPaDGea Yes, when yields r low, DB plans move 2 bonds. Brilliant. $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Does Danger Loom for Multiemployer Pension Plans? http://t.co/VpfDZ04m Plans that are <80% funded must take steps 2 nurse plans 2 health $$ Apr 01, 2012
• Credit Suisse Opened Volatility Bets to Small Investors http://t.co/ZLMGANXh Wall Street produces products 2 benefit itself, not retail $$ Apr 01, 2012
• Keynes: One Mean Money Manager http://t.co/WJ2jESFE “The board of King’s College gave him uncontested authority to invest as he wished.” Apr 01, 2012

Japan

• Just a guess, but after Japan’s Current Account goes into deficit for ~2 years, the big adjustment down in the Yen will happen. $$ #ouch Apr 06, 2012
• @valuewalk Probably because so many have lost money shorting the yen, & some have made $$ long the yen, that many just trust the momentum $$ Apr 06, 2012
• @valuewalk long-dated yen currency puts have fairly low vol Not doing that either, but… someone will. Apr 06, 2012
• Yen Forecast: Xie Sees 40% Drop, Japan Bubble Bursting http://t.co/EjI7hytt Wow. Thinks Japan near tipping point 4 internal financing fail Apr 06, 2012
• Japan’s Strongest Storm Since 1959 Slams Into Tokyo Region http://t.co/CCOVz7C6 Very unusual 4 Tokyo 2 have such strong winds w/no typhoon Apr 03, 2012
• Yen Losing Most Since ’95 Not Enough for Toyota http://t.co/IT0g84s8 Japanese Industry cheerleaders 4 “penny parity” $$ #race2thebottom Apr 02, 2012

Insurance

• Advisers, B-Ds retreat from Hartford http://t.co/garB6Bwn Not offering new annuities means can’t roll to $HIG products when surr chg ends $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Agents will try to get holders of $HIG annuities to roll elsewhere when surr charge ends (new commission $$ ), but be careful if you own an+ Apr 03, 2012
• annuity from $HIG, b/c one reason they are getting out of the biz, I think, is that some of the secondary gtees were 2 generous + Apr 03, 2012
• there is probably a business in analyzing secondary gtees, b/c some r quite valuable, &u wouldn’t want 2get tricked into rolling it by agent Apr 03, 2012
• Contra: Rising equity markets to drive US life insurers-Barclays http://t.co/S6JtPun7 Catch my comment at the end, didn’t get new DAC issue Apr 02, 2012
• Insurance Fees, Revealed http://t.co/mLzhpT6V NY State says agents must disclose how compensated & offer to provide full details #woohoo Apr 01, 2012

Personal

• Sinkhole at the bottom of my street after a water main break. The water is more than 5′ deep & and hollowing out the road beneath. Apr 07, 2012
• Street is one way, so I took my son who is a Police Explorer 2 talk to the policeman there. They knew each other. It’s a one-way street so + Apr 07, 2012
• I asked the policeman (who was short handed) if he would like us 2 block street 2 traffic. Gratefully “yes.” We set up the safety gear. Apr 07, 2012
• This is the opposite of last summer where we didn’t have power 4 6+ days, but we had water. We have power but no water. Hope it won’t b long Apr 07, 2012
• Three Year Anniversary http://t.co/0HDD3iyD Congratulations, Hunter! @DDInvesting is our internet guide to all distressed debt $$ Apr 04, 2012
• LinkedIn Events: Towson University Investment Group – Markets Summit http://t.co/kpgkDTto I’ll b participating on a panel. See you there! $$ Apr 04, 2012
• @Frank_McG @volatilitysmile As I said to my wife today, “Take care of your wife, and she will take care of you.” Worked for the last 25 yrs Apr 02, 2012

Miscellaneous

• Reprise: The Elfenbein Gold Model http://t.co/r3rHvZw3 @eddyelfenbein at his best, I fully subscribe to his model, reflecting cost of carry Apr 06, 2012
• Matzo Ball Soup, Check. iPad, Check. For Passover, Jews Try Techie Seders http://t.co/xUW3izZl I dislike technology in religion. Yuck $$ Apr 06, 2012
• Flying Auto Reviving Dreams of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang http://t.co/WixQb8AV Cheap @ $279K, this one might actually work $$ Apr 06, 2012
• This discussion has problems because there is no agreed upon definition of what “free will” means.  As with all quest… http://t.co/NoMpZf0U Apr 04, 2012
• Here Come Tablets. Here Come Problems. http://t.co/ezFK4Wfu Five common mistakes: a slow rollout is better to get the bugs out. $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Gene Maps Are No Cure-All http://t.co/JOLTtWTK Study Warns That DNA Scanning to Predict Disease Can Mislead; ‘Not a Crystal Ball’ $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Ten Claims in Support of IFRS Adoption by the SEC – & Why They are False http://t.co/nj2PZ1pd & http://t.co/4YrMSvaH & http://t.co/7lLtioGo Apr 03, 2012
• The Mighty Mathematician You’ve Never Heard Of http://t.co/9Qp1NqOB Never heard of her & her impact on physics was as great as that of math Apr 01, 2012
• Mangled Horses, Maimed Jockeys http://t.co/6Dl1gEmJ Maybe there is a public policy reason to close down racetracks, & after that boxing $$ Apr 01, 2012

Energy

• Australia LNG Boom Threatened by US Shale Exporters http://t.co/qleN6sVd Cheap US Hydrocarbons invert prior economic certainties $$ #shale Apr 04, 2012
• Shale oil: from curse to cure for East Coast refiners? http://t.co/MdlXvjIb US Shale oil is high quality; challenge is delivery2refineries Apr 04, 2012
• Repsol Worst Debt Swaps on YPF Seize Threat http://t.co/BewpJA4p Argentina not 2b trusted; would buy $REP bonds on weakness, stock a ?? $$ Apr 04, 2012
• Encana in Play as Petronas Seeks Natural Gas http://t.co/SEx832F1 Petronas looking long-term, b/c prospects for natgas pricing r poor $$ Apr 04, 2012
• Why high gas prices at the pump? The answer is BICS http://t.co/LopjaesG Brazil, India, China, & Saudi Arabia have increased gasoline demand Apr 03, 2012
• The rapidly shifting supply fundamentals in US natural gas http://t.co/myofZrQD Injection cycle starting early w/supplies high already $$ Apr 03, 2012

Rest of the World

• Contra: The Buck Stops Here: A BRIC Wall http://t.co/RYykjXXr The BRIC nations r2 statist 2 link 2 gold. Good idea, doesn’t fit the politics Apr 06, 2012
• Germany Asked to Forgo $1.3 Billion Deutsche Telekom Payout http://t.co/b8cvOOlB Interesting how Capex constrains euro-telcos, not US $$ Apr 04, 2012
• Europe’s Ratings Revenge Founders on Market Reality http://t.co/D3dNu7sF Eurocrats stumble in dark; will return 2 old system; it worked $$ Apr 04, 2012
• How A Baby Bust Will Turn Asia’s Tigers Toothless http://t.co/VE78u9tu Economic growth is partially population growth; sterile societies $$ Apr 01, 2012
• Swedish High Street Rebound Ends Bets for Riksbank Cuts http://t.co/jYioq0NN A relative bright spot in Europe; having the Knonor helps $$ Apr 01, 2012

Company News

• RE: @emergingmoney Never been crazy about firms that perpetually run w/neg working capital. Interesting idea, though. http://t.co/Xx6yFf8v Apr 04, 2012
• Optical Delusion? Fiber Booms Again, Despite Bust http://t.co/9QiAmZOH Whouda thunk it? I knew this was getting close, demand 4new fiber Apr 04, 2012
• Scarred Avon Is Takeover Target http://t.co/f2T9E7V7 Don’t think $AVP is a good takeover target: toss dist syst or incompatible syst $$ Apr 03, 2012
• Technology obsoletes too easily, particularly in hot sectors. Very difficult to get to $1T of Market Cap. Bit-by-bit… http://t.co/XjGU9ouG Apr 03, 2012
• $AAPL ‘s War on Android http://t.co/ILGQVAZD Long, fascinating article; perversely, attempts to enforce patent can invalidate patents $$ Apr 02, 2012
• Dude, is There any Value Left in $DELL ? http://t.co/iG5q5iea U know your marketing is stale when people reference advertising >10yrs ago $$ Apr 02, 2012

Housing

• The rebound is now http://t.co/l4coNvgt Worth watching, but I would wait until the foreclosures have been mostly cleared, b4 saying bottom Apr 07, 2012
• Home Prices Seen Dropping 10% in US on Foreclosures http://t.co/BBjzxKiU Once f/cs clear out, the market will normalize maybe even rise $$ Apr 03, 2012
• McClellan on Lumber’s tendency to leading housing stocks http://t.co/cevWyVTs If past is prologue, housing prices are set for another dip $$ Apr 01, 2012

Funds

• I’ve owned this in the past, but not now.  It’s been around for 19 years as a CEF — just have to watch the premium/d… http://t.co/XMVs6RBS Apr 06, 2012
• Why I Won’t Be Buying TAGS http://t.co/2S8bqcQJ Expense ratio does not include the expenses paid on underlying ETFs owned by $TAGS $$ Apr 04, 2012

Financial Distress

• Reddy Ice Considers Filing for Bankruptcy http://t.co/IgpYjHue Is it just me, or are we seeing an uptick in insolvencies? $$ Apr 04, 2012
• Hostess Serves Up New Batch of Cuts http://t.co/fHBXwHes Future failure as people don’t buy so many of the “sugar fat bombs” 4 kids $$ Apr 02, 2012
• Failures: Pinnacle Airlines http://t.co/BXkJ8v9j AFA Foods http://t.co/xs4wsFEE Airlines & Meat renderers r born 2 fail $$ Apr 02, 2012