The Euros Zone
I want to toss out a half-baked idea for others to play with, criticize, and adjust.But first, a fully baked idea: the Euro was doomed to fail. Any core Euro after kicking out the miscreants is also doomed to fail. You...
Read MoreAuthor: David Merkel
Book Review: Waffle Street
Imagine that you had a privileged position analyzing mortgage securities, only to see your world blow up as the prices of residential real estate began to fall across the US. You have now been fired. You’re young, with a...
Read MoreBubbles are Easy to Spot, well almost…
Bubbles are easy to spot. Wait, don’t most people say that bubbles are impossible to spotI’ll say that again: bubbles are easy to spot. Why People have the wrong theory on bubbles. They listen to those that...
Read MoreBook Review: The Greatest Trades of All Time
This book grew on me. Think of it as “How I hit a home run in investing.” Who are the sluggers that earned outsized returns But, there is a problem here, and the book would have been better if it had recognized the...
Read MoreBook Review: China and the Credit Crisis
This is a book that is bullish on China; it does not visit any of the arguments of the bears.That said, there are many reasons to commend the book:It accurately describes China’s foreign policy including its interactions...
Read MoreRedacted Version of the November 2011 FOMC Statement
September 2011November 2011CommentsInformation received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in August indicates that economic growth remains slow.Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in...
Read MoreThe Foul Deed of the SEC in 2004
It started with reading Abnormal Returns, something I do daily, and innocent enough. But the article mentioned at SSRN was significant, and far more than a set of book reviews. It cited a GAO study and a speech given by SEC...
Read MoreGrowth in Fully Converted Book Value
I’m working on changes in client portfolios (and mine as well, they mirror my portfolio; I eat my own cooking!), and I spend time looking at longer-term returns on a book value basis. I agree with Buffett; growing book...
Read MoreValue Versus Growth — II
One of my readers posted the following comment, and I felt it was worth following up:I continue to struggle with the Growth vs Value designation (never mind where to invest). According to Buffet’s letter, they are joined...
Read MoreEliminate Leveraged ETFs
Have a look at this article. He makes the case as to why leveraged ETFs should not be held over the long term, as I have argued before. There is a problem with this. Imagine for a moment that all users of leveraged ETFs...
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TraderPlanet’s Quick Guide to Candlesticks
