admin @ January 31, 2008 # One Comment
Bond Insurers have been absolutely crushed by the credit crisis. The two industry leaders Ambac and MBIA have both lost more than 80% of their market value in just over a year. These bond insurers are only as good as their credit rating because, in order to provide insurance bonds, they must […]
More on: Bond Insurer Gets a Boost of Capital
admin @ January 30, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Two big stories surfaced on the macroeconomic front today. First, the Commerce Department released the fourth quarter GDP results. On an annualized basis the economy grew at .6% which was a disappointment, as the consensus on Wall Street called for 1.2% growth. Clearly, the credit crisis played a large role in slowing […]
More on: Helicopter Ben to the Rescue
admin @ January 29, 2008 # No Comment Yet
The Home Depot seems poised to break out of its recent disappointing stock performance. When you look at what the market has historically been willing to pay for HD it is selling at a noticeable discount. For example, Home Depot’s price-to-cash-flow currently is about 8.27, which is well below its historical range […]
More on: Home Depot on the Rise
admin @ January 28, 2008 # No Comment Yet
To claim that home builders have had a tough year would be somewhat of an understatement. As evidence of this, released today was data on new home sales which was the weakest in 12 years. There were 41% less new homes sold this year than in the prior year. This lack of […]
More on: Home Builders Take Another Knock
admin @ January 24, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Apple Inc. has enjoyed being a cornerstone of the bullish market of recent history. Between July 2006 and the end of 2007, AAPL shares experienced dramatic and impressive price appreciation from about $50 to nearly $200. However, as is true of the market in general, 2008 has not been kind to Apple. At present, […]
More on: Low Hanging Fruit
admin @ January 23, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Financial stocks, for the most part, are getting a really nice bounce today. Some of the biggest banks have enjoyed a considerable rise today including Bank of America, Wachovia, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan Chase. It appears that the market is beginning to come to terms with the economic slowdown and is […]
More on: Put Your Money Into Banks
admin @ January 22, 2008 # No Comment Yet
The day began with the announcement by the Fed to substantially cut rates. The announcement came in the wake of markets around the world suffering sizable losses on Monday as U.S. markets were closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In anticipation of U.S. markets diving in sympathy with plunging global […]
More on: A Day to Remember
admin @ January 18, 2008 # No Comment Yet
The stock market continues to suffer losses in the early part of this year. The government plans to step in with a stimulus proposal to head off an economic downturn. Both fiscal and monetary policy relief are going to be used in an attempt to aid the economy in short order. We hope […]
More on: The Time for Value is Now
admin @ January 17, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke today before the House in support of implementation of a temporary fiscal stimulus plan. He covered himself with the caveat that it must be implemented quickly yet it must be properly constructed to gain his full support. His prepared testimony before the House Budget Committee this morning […]
More on: Bernanke Bail Out?
admin @ January 16, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Someone with even a cursory interest in politics would almost certainly have encountered one of the presidential candidates discussing ways to revive the U.S. economy. Many potential voters have listed the economy as one of the most important issues facing America, and many of those voters see that the potential for […]
More on: Government Stimulus Proposals: Political Lip Service