Here is a letter I sent to friends this week about which Individual Retirement Accounts are out there and which one I use. Working title: "Free Money from the Government if You Pay Taxes and Have Some Savings."
Wondering who really caused the giant U.S. government deficit?Since WWII, conservative Republicans seem to be worst for the government debt, while Clinton (a conservative-ish Democrat) seems to be best. Found this interesting* history of the U.S. debt compiled from by blogger Steve McGourty using data in Microsoft Encarta and the 2006 U.S. Govt Office of…
Tech and semiconductors are hated right now. I don't know how low processors can go or when they will bounce, but I did a risky little trade today to take advantage of the current conditions. Basically, I'm betting Advanced Micro Devices (AMD – $12.89) won't go backrupt.
Right now, Kraft Foods (KFT – $30.55) shares are being sold off by Altria (MO) {aka Phillip Morris Tobacco Giant} shareholders who don't need them in their portfolios. But preferring tobacco to food is a temporary phenomena. Watch out for a hungry Kraft Foods gobbling up some rivals and new brands.
My Grandmother has an interesting strategy on proxy voting.
I bought Vanguard Pacific ETF (VPL – $68.89) for $69.93 today.
Look out Howard, The Panelist goes weekly on Sirius Radio.
I am short U.S. Bonds. I'm short both the ten year futures and the long bond futures. Last week's announcement by the Fed FOMC dropping the hawkish language about inflation made me nervous about my position but I wanted to wait until I heard Ben Bernanke's testimony this week to decide if I would decrease…
Sarbanes-Oxley, a draconian visa application process, in addition to relatively low valuations and higher interest rates, aren't the only things making U.S. capital markets less attractive to foreign issuers of IPO's; a cartel that keeps IPO fees high is also part of the problem.
I glanced at my portfolio looking for stocks that I love but are unpopular with others right now. I found Intel (INTC) and decided to add to my position with an options strategy (cocktail involving four ingredients) that pays me even if the current price war in which Intel is engaged turns the shares into dead money…
I'll be on Karen Salmansohn's show, Be Happy Dammit, on Lime Radio tomorrow (Wednesday March 21) from 8:00 – 9:00am.
I've been buying General Electric (GE – $34.77) , what to sell?
In The New York Times , Alina Turgend illustrates the opportunity for picking stocks that don't sin, a practice that dates back hundreds of years.
Here are my trades for the week of March 11, 2007:
Okay so I found a trader who agrees with me.
Yield Hungry I'm hungry. I've been overweight in cash for the majority of the last ten years. My active trading has helped me maintain respectable returns but I want to start putting more money to work. After all, I want to live off my dividends and income. I've been running value screens on assets all…
I've been watching you at the dance. And now I finally have the nerve to walk across the room…
It's about time.
Hi. My name is David and I'm a Citigroup addict. My addiction started in 1990
I've been long Yen/short dollars waiting for a sudden unwinding of the famous Yen carry trade. With the move from 121 to 115 last week and Monday I decided to cut my position buying back my short yen around 115.6. I plan to put it back on if it seems the fear around the Yen…
Joe Capone of SMaRT Financial Partners LLC, a hedge fund specializing in financial stocks, throws out a zany prediction. "When John Thain steps down from NYSE,
Reduction in earnings expectations? Stocks Drops. I buy using a limit order I put in last month at $39.45.
I added to my position in Amgen Inc (AMGN – $64.59 ) today at $64.68.
My inner contrarian says, "read all about it!" My inner value investor says, "run away!"
Do I buy TXU Corp (TXU – $67.93) now because KKR is buying the company and maybe the price goes higher?