Taxpayers now own a 36% stake in Citibank. The deal was announced before the markets opened Friday. Investors expressed their unhappiness and promptly sold the averages down. The Dow and the S&P500 fell to new lows in the morning with the NASDAQ not far behind. Still, Citibank is one of those blessed with the “Too [...]
Entries from February 2009
It’s Nationalization—No Matter What They Call It
February 27th, 2009 · 1 Comment
Tags: @ the Market
Don’t Confuse the Stock Market with the Economy
February 27th, 2009 · No Comments
The daily machinations of the stock markets permeate our lives. Via the radio, the internet, television and print we are bombarded with the market’s daily ups and downs from the opening bell to the close. No matter how hard we try to ignore it, over time it begins to influence how we think about the [...]
Tags: Portfolio Advice
The Worst Kind of Decline
February 20th, 2009 · No Comments
Bear market corrections usually end with a bottom. If you have been in the markets long enough you know what to expect. It is a grand finale of sorts where panic roars through the trading floor, grown men cry and fortunes are won or lost in seconds. Volume explodes, stocks markets make new lows, and [...]
Tags: @ the Market · Uncategorized
The Stimulus Bill—Why the Markets don’t Care
February 13th, 2009 · No Comments
You would think that the largest stimulus package in American history might have provided a wee bit of cheer to the stock market this week. Instead, the markets moved lower with the Dow and S&P500 down over 5% while the NADAQ was off 3%. The Dow, in particular, is less than 300 points from its [...]
Tags: @ the Market
“There is No Easy Out”
February 12th, 2009 · No Comments
Don’t be surprised by the tepid response to the Obama Administration’s $789 billion Stimulus Bill. Most of us, I suspect, were hoping for more (or less) from the government depending upon one’s political philosophy and affiliation.
Tags: Macroeconomics
Stocks Up in Anticipation of a Stimulus/Banking Plan
February 6th, 2009 · No Comments
This Monday investors are betting that the new U.S. Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, will announce a once-and-for-all solution to the nation’s on-going banking crisis. In addition, there are high hopes that the Obama stimulus package will pass the Senate. Rather than wait, the markets have decided to get a jump on the news.
Tags: @ the Market
Go Get ‘Im, Mr. President
February 6th, 2009 · 1 Comment
The cap on compensation paid to top executives at companies that receive significant taxpayer money was passed this week. I suspect it will be greeted by a resounding round of applause from Main Street. Hopefully, it marks the end of an era that has brought shame, if not repentance, to Wall Street.
Tags: Macroeconomics · Uncategorized
This Fund is a Winner
February 6th, 2009 · 1 Comment
From time to time, a really interesting fund will come to my attention. One such fund, the ETF Market Opportunity Fund (ETFOX), has chalked up some impressive returns over the last several years and appears ready to offer investors a rewarding and safe ride out of this recession. Better yet, the manager, Paul Frank, is [...]
Tags: Exchange Traded Funds · The Fund House