Fed, Bernanke Breakdown: More BS Than QE

The Contrary Investing Report

Investing and Trading News, with a Contrarian, Sarcastic Twist!

The Federal Reserve reported today that it will “roll over” principal payments on its mortgage holdings into long-term Treasury securities.  Bloomberg reports: Federal Reserve officials will maintain their holdings of securities to prevent money from being drained out of the financial system in their first attempt to bolster the economy in more than a year. […]

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Personal computer chip stocks Intel, AMD, and others are all getting slammed this morning, as a couple of bearish research reports were issued regarding the outlook for PC’s: Personal computer orders are “falling off a cliff,” according to J.P.Morgan analyst Christopher Danely, who issued a research report downgrading his revenue and earnings estimates for Intel, […]

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Last week we issued a Renter’s Manifesto of sorts, which took a look at the virtues of renting (versus buying).  One of the items we touched – demographic trends here in the US, which are not as favorable to housing as they’ve been over the past 50 or so years. On that thread, Symmetry Capital […]

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If your personal income is stagnant, or even declining, you’re not alone in the US. Personal income declined 1.8% year-over-year in 2009 according to data released from the Commerce Department. The Wall Street Journal reports: Income declined in 223 metro areas last year, increased in 134 and was unchanged in nine regions. Even though prices […]

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Today’s unemployment report was a big disappointment – and I’m not quite sure why to be honest, because I don’t see any noticeable private sector hiring. Nevertheless, the market was spooked as stocks moved sharply down early in the trading day, though they managed to pare back much of their losses later in the session. […]

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A new article in BusinessWeek hails Obama as the new Venture Capitalist-in-Chief. Oh goodie. Meet the country’s venture capitalist-in-chief, President Barack Obama. By the end of 2011, the White House plans to channel more than $50 billion to thousands of clean-technology companies through tax credits, low-interest guaranteed loans, and grants. Add in money for a […]

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Chinese energy consumption has officially surpassed the United States – wow!  For a breakdown on Chinese energy consumption by source, here’s our friend Marin Katusa with the tale of the tape… — China Is Winning the Energy Race By Marin Katusa, Casey’s Energy Opportunities Stop the presses. The United States is no longer the world’s biggest […]

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Today, wheat prices hit their highest levels in two years.  Russia announced a ban on exports, sending wheat “limit-up” on the day, as September futures closed at $7.83 a bushel.  It’s been a wild ride for wheat this year: Since the 4th of July, wheat has really taken off. (Source: Barchart.com) Wheat headlining the Wall […]

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Has any trade over the last few years frustrated more sophisticated investors than the “one-way” bet on rising long-term government interest rates? For the last 2 or 3 years, many (including myself) have been piling into ETFs (like TBT) that act as short proxies for rising long term interest rates.  And the logic has been so sound, […]

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Which Way Wednesday – On the 50% Line – Again Courtesy of Phil Davis at Phil’s Stock World Wow, what a ride! Here we are back on the 50% retracement line at 1,121 on the S&P. As Barry Ritholtz points out, it’s the 5th time we’ve been here and, as I said yesterday, Barry says “Its going […]

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