Quantcast

Monthly Archives: January 2010

The VIX Becomes Worthless, Again (VXX, VXZ)

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 3:43 pm

The CBOE Volatility Index or "The VIX" has turned worthless as a market indicator.  This happens from time to time, and it is often followed by rapid change.  Today the ...
Read Full Story »

Rig Counts Look OK, Sans-US (BHI, OIH, USO)

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 12:14 pm

Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE: BHI) announced its weekly rig count data, but what is interesting is that the latest data shows a 2009-end with comparisons to a 2008-end.  If you ...
Read Full Story »

Physical Platinum & Palladium ETFs Launch (PPLT, PALL, GLD, SGOL, SIVR, SWC, PAL, PTM, PGM)

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 11:50 am

Your wait for the platinum and palladium ETF products is over.  Today marked the launch of the ETFS Physical Platinum Shares (NYSE: PPLT) and ETFS Physical Palladium Shares (NYSE: PALL).  ...
Read Full Story »

Today’s Best Market Rumors (1/8/2010) (BAC)(AMR)

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 9:04 am

Updated throughout the day. GM got last minute bids for Saab NBC wants to move Jay Leno back to his late-night part of the TV schedule. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) ...
Read Full Story »

Non-Farm Payrolls Doesn’t Make The Grade

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 8:38 am

The Labor Department has just released what is so far the most important jobs data in 2010.  The December unemployment rate came out at 10.0% and the change in non-Farm ...
Read Full Story »

Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (MS, GS, JPM, NLY, BCS, BKC, CLNE, KO, CL, DB, PCS, TJX, WBSN)

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 8:25 am

These are this Friday's top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from early Wall Street research calls.  There were several banking and broker-on-broker cuts: Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), Goldman Sachs ...
Read Full Story »

Ford’s New Onboard Software: A Prelude To Rising Accidents

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 5:56 am

Ford's (NYSE:F) slogan used to be "Have You Driven A Ford Lately?" Those who have not will find that the firm's new cars come with access to Twitter, online maps, internet ...
Read Full Story »

The Worst May Not Be Over In Europe: Unemployment Hits 10%

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 5:41 am

The worst of the economic downturn may be over in the US, China, India, and other economies in Asia. It is another matter in Europe. Spain has a double-digit jobless ...
Read Full Story »

The Return Of Massive Bonuses At Bank Of America

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 5:09 am

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) CEO Ken Lewis is gone now, but the culture of big pay packages established on his watch is not. The bank will pay large bonuses for 2009 to ...
Read Full Story »

The Vilification Of SAC’s Steve Cohen

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 4:54 am

Bloomberg News editor-in-chief Matthew Winkler recently gave a talk to his reporters and editors about the dangers of using anonymous sources.   He argued that sources without names or identification as to ...
Read Full Story »

A Chance To Gamble Away The National Debt

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 4:33 am

Pennsylvania will now allow poker, blackjack, and a number of other games of luck and skill to be played at its 14 slot machine casinos. Politicians in the state say ...
Read Full Story »

Media Digest 1/8/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NY Times FT, Bloomberg

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 4:02 am

Reuters:   Oil is at $82 and will move based on US jobs data. Reuters:    Reliance upped its offer for Lyondell to $13.5 billion. Reuters:   An former SAC employee was caught in a ...
Read Full Story »

Asia Markets And Europe Open (1/8/2010)

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 3:30 am

Markets in Asia were modestly higher The Nikkei rose 1.1% to 10,756. The Hang Seng rose .1% to 22,297. China Mobile (NYSE:CHL) rose. The Shanghai Composite was up .1% to ...
Read Full Story »

Cramer’s Technology Tsunami Picks for 2010 (GOOG, AAPL, AMT, CCI, SBAC, SWKS, ALTR, CY, XLNX, AMZN, CSCO, ERTS, QCOM, INTC)

Posted: January 7, 2010 at 6:49 pm

Tonight on CNBC's MAD MONEY, Jim Cramer continued with his stock picks for 2010 based on investment themes.  We have already seen energy shortage picks, counter-terrorism and homeland security picks, ...
Read Full Story »

AOL Looking At Mashable Purchase: Price Tag $18 Million

Posted: January 7, 2010 at 2:53 pm

There are rumors in the media press that AOL (NYSE:AOL) will buy tech blog Mashable. What is the company worth? According to the 24/7 Wall St "Twenty-Five Most Valuable Blogs In ...
Read Full Story »