Show-me Account Talk

[Show-me]

Meridith Whitney, before she called CitiGroup correctly she was Forbes Magazines number two stock picker for 2007. I would say she carries tremendous weight in the investing community. I listen when she talks and she is easy on the eyes.

 

[airlift]

"..... easy on the eyes." I liked your description.

 

[Silverbird]

Thomson Financial News
China exporters moving away from the dollar - report
03.27.08, 9:56 PM ET

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - Chinese exporters are increasingly shunning the US dollar or devising ways to offset the impact of the falling currency as they face rising labor and raw material costs at home, the Financial Times reported, citing the chief executive of online business-to-business company Alibaba.com....

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/03/27/afx4824740.html
:worried: This is baaadddd. Not unexpected, and contrary to paranoia, doesn't have to be a PLOT to bring down the USA. Would you want to be paid in falling $????

 

[Bullitt]

Chinese exporters are increasingly shunning the US dollar or devising ways to offset the impact of the falling currency

LOL. I thought the Smart Money was supposed to buy low? China is still a bit perturbed over the fact that they tossed a couple billion out the window in their investment in BX. You've gotta hand it to the management at BX with their demonstration on how to sell into euphoria at the top. (Crooks)

China has bigger problems to worry about than the US dollar. They know they're going to get caught holding the bag when the music's over at the Olympics.

 

[Silverbird]

Oh, they will have the Olympics, but the marathon run winner is going to be the one guy left standing; everyone else is going to be stopped along the way coughing up a storm.

 

[Show-me]

Dear Mr. Emswiler,

I am vehemently opposed to the proposed rule to limit the number of interfund transfer requests to two per month. The Thrift Board is being foolish in trying to enact IFT restrictions that would save TSP members only a few dollars per year while costing them literally thousands of dollars in lost retirement income per year!

If others wish to do nothing with their TSP let them. I on the other hand wish to make as much money as I can before retirement and that requires frequent transfers. Restricting TSP transfers has force me to limit my contributions to only 5% and use TSP Loan Program to leverage my personal accounts to make up for the injustice the board is imposing.

Try reading the Wall Street Journal about the "Lost Decade". The last 9 years the S&P 500 is at the same level. You are hindering participants by not working to find a better solution. Times are changing and it is time TSP catches up with the faster pace.

 

[Show-me]

The Week Ahead

The Week Ahead

Last Update: 28-Mar-08 12:49 ET

With all of the angst about the economy and the credit market, there's little question that the key developments in the coming week will be (in order):

(1) Fed Chairman Bernanke's testimony on the economic outlook before the Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday

(2) the March employment report on Friday

(3) the ISM Index and ISM Services Index for March on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively and

(4) Best Buy's earnings report before the open on Wednesday.

Readers seeking additional insight on the Economic Calendar and Earnings Calendar for the upcoming week should click on the preceding links.
________________________________________________________________
Monday, March 31:

• Earnings: H.B. Fuller (FUL), RiskMetrics Group (RMG)
• Economic Data: Chicago Purchasing Managers Index for March
• Events: None
• Conferences: Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference
• Fed Speakers: San Francisco Fed President Yellen discusses foreclosures in CA (12:00 PM ET)

Tuesday, April 1:

• Earnings: No major or widely held companies have confirmed announcements
• Economic Data: March Auto and Truck Sales... February Construction Spending... March's ISM Index
• Events: None
• Conferences: Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference and Credit Suisse Wireless Forum
• Fed Speakers: None

Wednesday, April 2:

• Earnings: Best Buy(BBY), CarMax (KMX), Lululemon Athletica (LULU), Monsanto (MON), Micron (MU), Research in Motion (RIMM)
• Economic Data: ADP Employment Report for March... February Factory Orders... Weekly Crude Inventories (week ending March 29)
• Events: None
• Conferences: Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference and Credit Suisse Wireless Forum
• Fed Speakers: Fed Chairman Bernanke testifies in front of Joint Economic Committee in D.C. (9:30 AM ET)

Thursday, April 3:

• Earnings: Acuity Brands (AYI), Constellation Brands (STZ), Lawson Software (LWSN)
• Economic Data: ISM Services Index for March and Weekly Initial Jobless Claims (week ending March 29)
• Events: None
• Conferences: Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference; Credit Suisse Wireless Forum, and; Credit Suisse Real Estate Private Fund Group Conference
• Fed Speakers: San Francisco Fed President Yellen speaks on U.S. economy at Stanford University (8:00 PM ET)... Fed Governor Mishkin speaks about central bank commitment at Princeton Club in NY (8:15 PM ET)

Friday, April 4:

• Earnings: Family Dollar(FDO), Mosaic (MOS)
• Economic Data: March Employment Report
• Events: None
• Conferences: Credit Suisse Real Estate Private Fund Group Conference
• Fed Speakers: Fed Governor Kroszner discusses global economic and financial challenges in FL (2:45 PM ET)

--Jeffrey Ham, Briefing.com

 

[Show-me]

Chicago Purchasing Managers Index for March came in better than expected but still below 50.

 

[Show-me]

A little bit about LEH.

http://www.briefing.com/GeneralCont...or&ArticleId=NS20080331171848AfterHoursReport

LEH announced it intends to offer three million shares of non-cumulative perpetual convertible preferred stock. Lehman Brothers also expects to grant the underwriter for the offering an option to purchase up to 450,000 additional shares of the preferred stock to the extent the underwriter sells more than three million shares of the preferred stock in the offering. The proceeds from this offering will be used to bolster the firm's capital and increase financial flexibility. Separately, Moody's downgrades the ratings of 279 tranches from 27 Alt-A transactions issued by Lehman XS Trust Series. 162 downgraded tranches remain on review for possible further downgrade. Additionally, 97 tranches were placed on review for possible downgrade. The collateral backing these transactions consists primarily of first-lien, fixed and adjustable-rate, Alt-A mortgage loans. The ratings were downgraded, in general, based on higher than anticipated rates of delinquency, foreclosure, and REO in the underlying collateral relative to credit enhancement levels.

 

[Steadygain]

A little bit about LEH.

http://www.briefing.com/GeneralCont...or&ArticleId=NS20080331171848AfterHoursReport

LEH announced it intends.

Thanks Show-me,
Very informative and interesting. I think the media sights I typically go to will continue trying to convince everyone that the worst is over; the damage is now being repaired, we're on our way to RECOVERY. Then I find these gems that you and others on the MB provide and decide to follow my gut and wait it out a little longer.

 

[Bullitt]

Ohhh boy. Financial Soothsayer, Meredith Whitney, downgraded LEH on 3/24.

Whitney said on March 17 that U.S. financial stocks 'have further downside of as much as 50 percent.'
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aJK.Tjdjyl5Y

 

[Show-me]

Bullitt,

I watched her make that call, she is not cutting LEH or C much slack. Oppenheimer is getting a ton of free marketing with her and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[Bullitt]

Oppenheimer is getting a ton of free marketing with her

That's for sure. They've gotta be lovin' the commissions she's been reeling in.

 

[Show-me]

This smells like a pump and dump. LEH offers more shares to raise capital they don't need according to them. UBS writes off $19B and DB is setting the tone for a big write off and their stocks go wild. Don't fight the tape.

 

[Show-me]

S&P 500 has 92 companies represented in its Financial Sector. The next closest is 86 in Consumer Discretionary and 71 in Information Technology.

http://www2.standardandpoors.com/po...s_500/2,3,2,2,3,1,2008,0,0,5,1,0,0,0,0,0.html

 

[12%ayear]

Do you know when the official transfers will start on the TSP site for all? ty.

 

[12%ayear]

If you mean when will the limits be enacted, not until May. The comment period closes April 9 and by law they can't enact them prior to addressing the comments and posting the final rule in the federal register. Trabucco, Ray and Long have all said May at the earliest. DOD has requested additional review time. This is JMO...I'm no expert on FRTIB and they have proven themselves to be sneaky and intentionally confusing.

thanks, the sooner the better. This mailing stuff stinks.

 

[Show-me]

 

[Show-me]

Well I'm in the house of pain. Crooks are writing off big loses and the market rallies. Wow, what spin. We lost billions but buy our stock. Don't fight the tape, I will look at a exit point now that I am up against my stop.

Almost a 50 point rally on a billions of dollars of write offs.

 

[Show-me]

ADP report gained 8k private sector jobs instead of losing jobs. Note: ADP has not been very accurate lately.