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The United States of Wusses
From The Business Insider, Dec. 1, 2009:When Dubai wobbled last week, everyone rushed to the Internet to await
confirmation of the imminent bailout.
And they saw what they wanted to see!
The airwaves (and pipes) were clogged by a steady stream o
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Top Searches of 2009: Financial Hangovers and Market Darlings
With 2009 coming to a close, Yahoo! has released the year's most searched terms. As you might imagine, the searches related to finance reflect grim realities many Americans are facing. These "financial hangovers" include unemployment and foreclo
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Online
Yahoo
Rosenberg: Gold Going to $2600 Thanks to China
From The Business Insider, Dec. 1, 2009:Gold has finally surpassed the $1200/oz mark.
But it may be going much higher. China is going to increase its
holdings signficantly, according to Breakfast With Dave, Gluskin
Sheff's analyst newsletter with David
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What Recovery? U.S. Consumers Getting "Dramatically Worse," Howard Davidowitz Says
According to the National Retail Federation, retail sales over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend were $41.2 billion, up slightly from a year ago, while about 195 million consumers shopped, up from 172 million last year. Meanwhile,
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Howard Davidowitz Sees Our Future And It Is Japan
Many economists draw comparisons between the United States now and Japan in 1990.For those who aren't familiar with Japan's recent economic history, this is not a good thing. Japan's stock market peaked in 1989 at about 40,000. It now trades a
Howard Davidowitz's Winners of the Retail Apocalypse
Retail analyst Howard Davidowitz debuted on our show in February and declared the American consumer is toast, and that the U.S. standard of living is permanently changed. One of Tech Ticker's most popular guests ever, Davidowitz lit up our message boards.
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What Recovery? U.S. Consumers Getting "Dramatically Worse,” Howard Davidowitz Says
According to the National Retail Federation, retail sales over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend were $41.2 billion, up slightly from a year ago, while about 195 million consumers shopped, up from 172 million last year. Meanwhile,
"We've Seen the Bottom," Blue Nile CEO Diane Irvine Says
"We've seen the bottom" in U.S. consumer spending and confidence, says Diane Irvine, president and CEO of Blue Nile.Other retail executives may not share her optimism (at least not so openly) but Irvine spoke to Tech Ticker after Blue Nile notch
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The Government's Job Is to Create Jobs: Should Obama Listen to Paul Krugman?
President Obama this week is trying to tackle his biggest foe: the economy. On Thursday the President will hold a "jobs summit" at the White House with some of the nation's top CEOs. The goal is to come up with ideas that will help ease the 10.
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Software
Steve Jobs
Barack Obama
Black Friday Shopping: They Came, But Spent Less
American shoppers hit the stores and Web sites as expected over the Thanksgiving weekend. But while malls were more crowded, consumers spent less -- sticking instead to their budgets and hunting for deals. Average spending over the weekend fell to
$343.3
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Black Friday
Tiger Woods Needs To Explain What Happened: Accident Could Hurt His Bottom Line
After two days of silence and refusals to talk to the police, Tiger Woods finally published a statement yesterday.In it, he took responsibility for ramming his car into a tree, but he didn't address several key questions about what happened.Specifically,
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Dubai Debt Crisis: Fallout Already Over or Just Getting Started?
While most Americans were focused on the turkey, financial markets around the world tumbled late last week amid a brewing debt crisis in Dubai. The Dow fell 150 points on Friday in a holiday-shortened session, but the decline was not as bad as initially
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Niall Ferguson: Even Krugman Admits the Deficit Is Unsustainable
From The Business Insider, Nov. 30, 2009:Niall Ferguson is travelling from publication to publication,
spreading his message of fear and the end of the US empire, unless we
do something to get our debt in check.
This time he shows up in Newsweek, in an
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Black Friday: D-Day for 'Deals' and a 'Dismal' Economy
Black Friday finally is here. The day after Thanksgiving unofficially kicks off the holiday shopping season. (Merchants use the term "Black Friday" to refer to the period when retailers' books historically go to black from being in the red.) But
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Black Friday
"Ben Bernanke Has Never Gotten Anything Right," Peter Schiff Says: Fed Officials Respond
Putting Peter Schiff on a panel with St. Louis Fed President James Bullard and former Fed Vice Chair Alan Blinder is asking for trouble or, at the very least, a heated debate.That's just what occurred last Sunday night in New York at an event sponsored by
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Alan Blinder vs. Peter Schiff: When Will the Dollar Lose Its Reserve Status?
The almighty dollar ain't what it used to be.The decline of the dollar was one of the topics of debate Sunday night when St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard and former Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Alan Blinder faced off against longtime gold bug and doll
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Are We Really Better Off Than We Were a Year Ago?
There IS plenty to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We've certainly come a long way (baby) from a year ago. Let's not forget, avoiding a second Great Depression was no foregone conclusion in the immediate wake of Lehman's collapse. Then there's o
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Dollar Slumps After Fed Talks Turkey: Can Stocks Keep Up with Gold?
Gold soared to yet another new record overnight as the dollar slumped again after Tuesday's release of the minutes of the Fed's Nov. 3-4 meeting.While FOMC members raised concerns about "negative side effects" from a zero rate policy -- includin
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Don't Blame the Shorts: A History of Misplaced Aggression
As the stock market continues its winning streak from March levels, cries against the evil speculators and short sellers have subsided -- for now. If any cracks in the recovery story emerge, beware of attacks against short sellers, says Robert Sloan, mana
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Housing Bottom? "Not Even Close," Barry Ritholtz Says
A fifth-straight monthly gain for the Case-Shiller Index Tuesday and Monday's stronger-than-expected existing home sales report is giving renewed hope to the housing bulls."Disregard them," says Barry Ritholtz, CEO of Fusion IQ, who notes the ex
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A Bad Economy Could Spell Good News on Wall Street for Years to Come
The economic recovery isn't as strong as first thought. Revised GDP figures released this morning show the economy grew at a 2.8% annualized pace in the third quarter, less than the 3.5% initially reported. The revision was in-line with expect
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The FDIC Is $8.2 Billion in the Hole
From The Business Insider, Nov. 24, 2009: The FDIC fund that insures bank deposits is $8.2 billion in the hole.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. released its latest set of grim
banking data moments ago. The FDIC had to set aside $21.7 billion for
ex
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Banks to Give Customers the Boot, Analyst Dick Bove Says
Not happy with your bank? The feeling is likely mutual.Don't be surprised if your bank soon decides they don't want your business anymore, says Rochdale Securities bank analyst Dick Bove.Why?Bank regulators and Congress are looking at ways at making
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Banks to Give Customers The Boot, Analsyst Dick Bove Says
Not happy with your bank? The feeling is likely mutual.Don't be surprised if your bank soon decides they don't want your business anymore, says Rochdale Securities bank analyst Dick Bove.Why?Bank regulators and Congress are looking at ways at making
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The Bull Case for BoA, Citigroup: Dick Bove Loves the Big Banks
With the financial sector ETF up about 135% from its March lows, some of the banking sector's most notable bears are on the prowl again:Last week, Meredith Whitney told CNBC "I haven't been this bearish in a year" and was even more downbeat in a
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CNBC
Bank of America Can't Find Anyone Willing to Take CEO Job
Suddenly, it's the least attractive job in the country. Bank of America has been searching for a new CEO for months, ever since battered Ken Lewis announced that he was stepping down. But no one wants the job. Why not?Because they'll have to l
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Fed Face-Off: Peter Schiff Goes Toe-to-Toe With Alan Blinder, Jim Bullard
Peter Schiff's views as an author, investor and free market idealist are no secret: Abolish the Fed, buy gold and avoid the dollar. With that in mind, Sunday night was something of a dream come true for the President of Euro Pacific Capital.Thanks To Prin
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Jim Bullard Is Not a Dove: St. Louis Fed President Talks Bubbles, Recovery and Fed Audit
St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard has been making headlines and moving markets lately. But as is so often the case, traders may be jumping the gun as the headlines may be misrepresenting Bullard's stance on monetary policy. The irony here is that Bullar
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Microsoft Offers to Pay News Corp to "De-List" Itself from Google
From The Business Insider, Nov. 23, 2009:Microsoft (MSFT) wants to pay News Corp (NWS) and other large
publishers to de-list their Web sites from Google's (GOOG) search
index, the Financial Times reports.
The idea is to force Google (GOOG) to pay for c
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Microsoft
NYT: The Govt. Will Get Creamed When It Has to Refi Its Debt
From The Business Insider, Nov. 23, 2009:The New York Times
-- not usually the first publication you'd think of when it comes to
calling for fiscal prudence -- sounds the alarm over the government's
massive debt load. ...
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Even Goldman's Largest Shareholders Are Getting Mad About Bonuses
On the heels of Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankenfein's apology for his firm's role in the financial crisis, some of Goldman's largest shareholders are unhappy more of Goldman's prosperity isn't being passed along to them, The WSJ reports. ...
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Tim Geithner Is Mad as Hell and Isn't Going to Take It Anymore
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner took some heavy fire on Capitol Hill Thursday. Days after Oregon Democrat Peter DeFazio called for Geithner's resignation, Texas Republican told the Secretary: "The public has lost all confidence in your ability to do
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Are We On The Verge Of Total Global Economic Collapse?
Are we on the verge of total economic collapse?Don't laugh. The french firm Societe Generale thinks so.The brokerage firm has put the fear of God in clients recently by predicting that developed economies and markets are going to collapse under a mo
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We Need a Second Stimulus Immediately, Says James Galbraith
A fight has broken out among economists about whether what ails the country is too much spending or too much debt.Debt fear-mongers, such as Niall Ferguson, believe that the country's wild borrowing and spending spree has put us on the road to ruin."
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"A Govt. Not Run by the Financial Sector": James Galbraith's Rx for Wall Street Reform
The post-op on the great crash of 2008 continued in Washington Thursday as the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) held a hearing on financial reform."Unfortunately, the regulatory regime that failed so terribly leading up to the financial crisis is preci
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“A Govt. Not Run by the Financial Sector": James Galbraith's Rx for Wall Street Reform
The post-op on the great crash of 2008 continued in Washington Thursday as the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) held a hearing on financial reform."Unfortunately, the regulatory regime that failed so terribly leading up to the financial crisis is preci
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"A Truly Extraordinary Slump": Reports of Robust Recovery Premature, James Galbraith Says
Disappointing reports this week on housing starts and foreclosures, as well as the index of leading economic indicators, have cast a bit of a pall on the "robust recovery" story, putting a crimp in the stock market's ascent in the process.Univer
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Obama, Geithner and Bernanke: America's Top Bond Salesmen Pitch No. 1 Client
As President Obama wrapped up his first trip to China this week, there was plenty of talk about partnerships but few concrete agreements reached on (1) whether or not China will let its currency float freely (2) and China's concerns about U.S. debt."
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Barack Obama
Obama's Challenge: Extend TARP Without Triggering More Outrage
From The Business Insider, Nov. 19, 2009:The White House finds itself in a pickle: How to extend the TARP bank
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Barack Obama
"The Illusion of Prosperity": U.S. Destined to Lag Rest of the World, Peter Boockvar Says
"It's dangerous to be short this market," says Peter Boockvar, equity strategist at Miller Tabak.Despite a penchant for bearishness, Boockvar says the rally can continue as long as the Fed keeps rates at zero. ...
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Why Is the Fed Still at Zero? Bernanke Playing with Inflation Fire, Peter Boockvar Says
Inflation fears resurfaced Wednesday's after October CPI came in higher than expected and St. Louis Fed President Bullard suggested the Fed might stay on hold until 2012, based on its tightening schedule following the past two recessions. ...
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Howard Lindzon's Magnificent Seven: Apple Leads the Pack
In the 1990s, the Nasdaq was led by Microsoft, Intel, Dell, Cisco and the like. Many investors still look to those tech giants for leadership, but Howard Lindzon, CEO of StockTwits.com, says there's a new group of "horsemen" that deserve your at
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Hardware
Microsoft
Intel
Apple
Goldman Says "Sorry" And The World Moves On
In recent months, Goldman Sachs made a good run at becoming The Most Hated Company In The World.
How?
By nearly going bust last fall, getting a cash bailout from the taxpayer, immediately denying that it ever needed any help, and then minting so muc
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John Paulson: Bank of America Is a Double from Here
From The Business Insider, Nov. 18, 2009:Paulson & Co told its clients that Bank of America (BAC)
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John McCain
Kristin Bentz Defends Her Bearish (and Wrong) Call on Abercrombie
For months Kristin Bentz of the Talented Blonde blog has been telling the Tech Ticker audience that Abercrombie & Fitch was a stock headed for disaster. And for months, the stock has continued to climb to a series of new 52-week highs.
Last week,
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Wal-Mart Gets the Buffett Seal of Approval, Wins Another Round vs. Target
Target's third-quarter results beat expectations but its shares slumped Tuesday after the big-box retailer urged Wall Street to be cautious about the fourth-quarter. ...
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China's Not the Disaster-in-the-Making You Think It Is
After the tech bubble and housing bubbles, the world is on bubble-alert, and armchair pundits are seeing bubbles in everything. Like China, for example. Last week, everyone seized on a video of a newly constructed--and empty--Chinese city as evi
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Falling U.S. Dollar: It's Lack of Demand, Not Rising Supply, Pharo's Dow Says
When it comes to the collapsing dollar, hedge-fund manager Mark Dow is a contrarian. He doesn't blame the Fed. Those dollar bears that do take aim at Chariman Bernanke are, "right in terms of the direction of the dollar, but for the wrong reaso
ABC Investing: "Anything But Cash" Keeps Driving Stocks Higher
Investors and pundits have tossed out many reasons over the last few months to explain the epic equities rally. Mark Dow, who manages $2.5 billion at the hedge fund Pharo Management, points to two fairly simple reasons: "Cash pays so little and as w
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Miracle or Mirage? "China Is Very Much at Risk," Gary Shilling Says
Tensions over economic policies were on full display on the eve of President Obama's trip to China. First, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged the U.S. to keep its deficit to an "appropriate size. ...
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