Why The Market Doesn’t Trust Bernanke
Times have changed since the beginning of the decade. Back in the day, the Fed Chairman, Alan Greenspan, would make offhanded comments on ‘irrational exuberance’ and the market would plunge. Similarly, if he signaled an interest rate cut, a rally commenced. People trusted Greenspan. Optimism...
Pick of the Week: When Tobacco is a Good Thing (MO)
Investing can be a complicated affair. You’ve probably become painfully aware of volatility issues in the market. But there are other factors to consider too. You’re not simply buying a company believing it will rise over time. Sometimes you’re buying an idea you believe in. For instance,...
Bailout or Stimulus?
Living through history, it’s sometimes difficult to grasp the importance of big events. As tragic as 9/11 was in 2001, it was hard to imagine the U.S. jumping into a global war against terrorism – at least not that day. As events unfolded in subsequent weeks, it became more obvious there...
Is it Too Late to Sell?
Did the market bottom today? Does a VIX near 60 signal capitulation? Are there some compelling buys out there? We don’t know if the bottom is in. Maybe it was today, maybe it is tomorrow. It might be next week. That said, it could be a major mistake to sell out and risk missing the...
A Wall Street Fairy Tale
Once upon a time there were some banks in New York City. They were big banks with billion dollar buildings and multi-million dollar traders. These banks had some really smart bankers. These guys could rattle off PE ratios in their sleep. Coming from the highest-tier MBA programs in the country, these...
ETF Deathwatch – October 2008
This month’s ETF Deathwatch list contains 59 entries. Rather than limiting my list to just 20 ETFs on the verge of collapse, this time I included any ETF (or ETN) that failed to generate $100,000 of average daily Trade Value during the month of September. Trade Value may be new terminology...
