Articles filed under 'News & Interest'
That clever dude Ugly is at it again. With the Zimbabwean dollar reaching a record exchange rate of around $20 Million Zimbabwe Dollars per $1 US Dollar, Ugly has decided to repurpose a web classic by launching the Million Zimbabwean Dollar Homepage. I used it to launch an ad for my newly created MoneyShui.
As we all know there has recently been pressure on China to appreciate their currency because of the trade imbalances seen in Europe and America. As well, other East Asian countries are running into problems with their markets because China’s currency is doing so much better then theirs. Here is a quick run down of the problems, which can help you to analyze the situation.
The biggest problem is that China’s currency is undervalued by as much as what some people think is up to 35%…
I don’t usually post links from link requests emailed to me, but I got one from Ken Fisher’s team… and I think Ken Fisher is pretty cool. I like his book. He writes for Forbes, which I should start getting since Business 2.0 went under. He’s pretty smart and has been right about the market more often than not. I like the way he thinks.
Check out my review of The Only Three Questions That Count.
And then checkout Mr. Fisher’s website to find more stuff by him. Learn about Kenneth Fisher and his contributions to the world of finance at KennethFisher.com.
Monday, Nov. 26, 2007
by Jason
This two-part series by Bryant Urstadt is some of the best investing writing I’ve ever read. Bryant gives a run down of exactly what-the-f happened this Summer 2007. After reading these two pieces, "it all makes sense, man".
Part 1: The Blow Up
Teaser:
On Wednesday, August 8, not long after the markets closed, 200 of the smartest people on Wall Street gathered in a conference room at Four World Financial Center, the 34-story headquarters of Merrill Lynch. August is usually a slow month, but the rows of chairs were full, and highly paid financial engineers were standing by the windows at the back, which looked out over black Town Cars below and the Hudson River beyond. They didn’t look like Masters of the Universe; they looked like members of a chess club. They were "quants," and they had a lot to talk about, for their work was at the heart of one of the most worrisome summer markets in decades.
Part 2: The Blow Up
If you’re prompted to subscribe, do it. It’s very quick, and I’ve gotten no spam from these guys.
(thanks, Ugly)
Monday, Nov. 5, 2007
by Jason
As we all saw on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve made equal 25 basis point cuts to the Federal Funds Rate and the Discount Rate. While we are happy that core inflation is not going to be a large problem with this rate cut, and that we are easing rates in a growing economy where we just saw the U.S. economy grow at an annualized growth rate of 3.9%, I believe that many other problems will arise.
While lowering rates will bring along a lower borrowing cost I do not think that our economy needs this. Doing this will only bring people to spend more money on things they do not need. As we saw already companies that sold necessities like The Procter & Gamble Company(NYSE:PG) and Johnson & Johnson(NYSE:JNJ) have both been doing well though the subprime market problems.
Lowering rates now will also…
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 You may notice a new widget in the right sidebar. There’s a little form for you to join our mailing list. Do it now, and then I’ll tell you why.
What do we mail out over our mailing list? Nothing yet. We’re still figuring it out, but it will likely have to do with updates on what’s going on with the blog and stuff we’re giving away. One thing you can be sure of is that we will never give, sell, or rent your email address to someone else. We hate spam and don’t want to contribute to your inbox problems. We’ll never send more than a couple emails per month… if that.
We’re just looking to bring our community together in new ways. If you are an InvestorGeeks reader and support the articles we’re writing and the stuff we’re doing for charities, then sign up and become a “member”.
Speaking of give aways. People who sign up for the mailing list over the next month will have a chance to win a free copy of Active Value Investing, by Vitaliy Katsenelson (see our review here). We will choose a couple (exactly 2) winners at random. The grand prize will be a signed copy of Active Value Investing. One runner up will receive a non-signed copy of the book. It’s a great book that y’all should read and will look great on your trading desk (you do have one of those don’t you?).
Monday, Oct. 29, 2007
by Jason
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While you wait for the rest of my Google analysis (it may be a while), you can read this article over at Forbes that closely matches my own thinking.
Google Still Cheap Atop Tech Heap by Georges Yared.
Peace out, Investor Geeks.
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007
by Jason
The consumer is tapped out. After consistent 25 basis point increases to the Federal Funds Rate, we are finally starting to see the effects on the stock market.
Yesterday morning we saw three headlines that caught my attention. The first detailed Sears’ guidance for this quarter – a reduction from $2.12 to from $1.06 to $1.32 per share. These revisions are, at best, a 30% reduction and, at worst, a 50% reduction from their previous optimistic estimates.
Notably, declines were across all categories. If you follow the theory that the consumer is on thin ice, then it is hardly surprising to find big ticket items are not being purchased. Sears is having trouble selling new stainless steel fridges and widescreen TVs because consumers do not feel confident about their financial situation. The only sector that wasn’t hit as hard was women’s apparel and footwear – suggesting stressed housewives may be engaging in retail therapy.
Steve, who blogs here and at UnderTrader.com, is looking for sponsors for the bike ride he will be doing in support of the Arthritis Foundation next Fall.
We will be riding bicycles along the coast from San Francisco to Santa Monica, California. It takes 8 long, tiring days! All it takes for you guys is a click on a website. I think that’s a fair trade. Even the smallest donation helps and it’s a tax write-off.
InvestorGeeks is now a non-profit operation, and we’ve donated $400 of our war chest to Steve’s cause. If you’re a fan of Steve’s or InvestorGeeks in general, or an arthritis-hater, please take a few moments to show your support as well. You can donate here. And just like in saving and picking up girls, every little bit counts.
Thanks.
Wednesday, Mar. 21, 2007
by Jason
