BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Barney Frank encourages Fannie, Freddie to relax lending standards]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/22/barney-frank-encourages-fannie-freddie-to-relax-lending-standar/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/22/barney-frank-encourages-fannie-freddie-to-relax-lending-standar/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/22/barney-frank-encourages-fannie-freddie-to-relax-lending-standar/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Outspoken congressman Barney Frank has no shortage of critics, and they're sure to be out in force today. This morning, The Wall Street Journal reported that the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, along with his colleague Anthony Weiner, is actually recommending that Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) relax their lending standards on condominiums.

The controversial request follows a decision by both Fannie and Freddie to tighten mortgage-lending standards for condos. In March, Fannie said it would no longer guarantee mortgages on condos in buildings where fewer than 70% of units have been rented, up from its previous benchmark of 51%. Freddie is due to implement similar measures in July. In a letter to the CEOs of both mortgage lenders, Reps. Frank and Weiner expressed their concerns that the higher standard "may be too onerous," and asked the lenders to "make appropriate adjustments" to their approach.

Continue reading Barney Frank encourages Fannie, Freddie to relax lending standards

Barney Frank encourages Fannie, Freddie to relax lending standards originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Anthony WeinerBarney FrankcondocondominiumFannie MaeFNMFREFreddie Macinthenewslending standardsmortgageMon, 22 Jun 2009 10:40:00 EST<![CDATA[How do hedge funds differ from mutual funds?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/12/how-do-hedge-funds-differ-from-mutual-funds/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/12/how-do-hedge-funds-differ-from-mutual-funds/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/12/how-do-hedge-funds-differ-from-mutual-funds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Has your broker repeatedly sold you on the "safe" investment vehicle, the mutual fund? Investing in a wide variety of prominent companies, with solid, long-term track records, mutual funds have been an easy-to-understand and popular investment choice for decades.

Mutual funds are hugely diversified, holding large stakes in recognizable names such as Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Citigroup (NYSE: C), Walmart (NYSE: WMT), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), General Electric (NYSE: GE), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), and Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM).

Continue reading How do hedge funds differ from mutual funds?

How do hedge funds differ from mutual funds? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alternative investmentsEric Jacksonfeaturedhedge fundsHedgeFundBlogger.cominvestment fundsmutual fundsRichard Wilsonshort sellingFri, 12 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: Rolling back the clock ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/10/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-rolling-back-the-clock/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/10/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-rolling-back-the-clock/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/10/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-rolling-back-the-clock/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says we're trying to repeal what happened financially last year. Will it lead to strength industrially?

How low were we really? What was the real baseline pre-Lehman Brothers? What was going on in the country and the world before that financial atomic bomb dropped?

I struggle over that now, about what the true price of copper should be, about what the true price of oil should be, about the price of steel, all kinds of things. I try to figure out what the prices for everything were going to be before Lehman.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Rolling back the clock

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Rolling back the clock originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aigfeaturedfnmfregmgmqgnjim cramerJimCramerWed, 10 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The 'big picture' of our economy]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/08/the-big-picture-of-our-economy/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/08/the-big-picture-of-our-economy/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/08/the-big-picture-of-our-economy/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In celebration of Barry Ritholtz's critically-acclaimed new book Bailout Nation, he held The Big Picture Conference, which I was fortunate to attend.

Here are the main points from the most reputable speakers, Congressman Alan Grayson, Nassim Taleb, Doug Kass, and Josh Rosner.

Florida Congressman Alan Grayson discussed how systemic risk is an excuse for socialism and that interconnectedness is the main reason that these institutions are "too big to fail." In fact, these institutions no longer hold social or economic purpose, they are simply too big to exist.

Continue reading The 'big picture' of our economy

The 'big picture' of our economy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alan GraysonBailout NationBarry RitholtzBig Picture ConferenceBlack SwanDoug KassFannie MaefeaturedFNMFREFreddie MacJosh RosnerNassim TalebTimothy GeithnerMon, 08 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Closing Bell: When confidence trumps housing (FSLR, CSIQ, FRE, GE, GM, MSFT)]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/05/26/closing-bell-when-confidence-trumps-housing-fslr-csiq-fre-g/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/05/26/closing-bell-when-confidence-trumps-housing-fslr-csiq-fre-g/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/05/26/closing-bell-when-confidence-trumps-housing-fslr-csiq-fre-g/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

All in all, this was actually a light day on the news flow for major stocks. Today's dismal Case-Shiller data for a record drop in housing prices was trumped completely by a surge in consumer confidence this morning. The notion that North Korea did a nuclear bomb test was only important for discussions during the very early morning, but slowly faded thereafter.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 8,473.49 +196.17 (2.37%)
S&P 500 910.31 +23.31 (2.63%)
Nasdaq 1,750.43 +58.42 (3.45%)

Top 10 Analyst Calls

Continue reading Closing Bell: When confidence trumps housing (FSLR, CSIQ, FRE, GE, GM, MSFT)

Closing Bell: When confidence trumps housing (FSLR, CSIQ, FRE, GE, GM, MSFT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CSIQFREFSLRTue, 26 May 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fannie Mae needs another $19 billion driving its net worth below 0]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/05/08/fannie-mae-needs-another-19-billion-dollars-driving-its-net-wor/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/05/08/fannie-mae-needs-another-19-billion-dollars-driving-its-net-wor/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/05/08/fannie-mae-needs-another-19-billion-dollars-driving-its-net-wor/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Let's look at the numbers. Fannie Mae needs $19 billion. Match this against a loss of $23.2 billion and you have a net worth below zero.

That's not the end of it. Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM)is expected to need more money going forward, drawing on the government to supply the funds. Now some of this has been brought on by the government itself when it made Fannie program administrator for the government's housing market rescue.

Fannie suffered a net loss of $4.09 per share, which forced it to draw upon a $200 billion federal lifeline which was established for Fannie and Freddie.

Continue reading Fannie Mae needs another $19 billion driving its net worth below 0

Fannie Mae needs another $19 billion driving its net worth below 0 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Fannie losses postedFannieLossesPostedfnminthenewsFri, 08 May 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Closing Bell: Directionless market, but directed stocks (BA, CAL, COF, FRE, WFC, OSTK)]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/22/closing-bell-directionless-market-but-directed-stocks-ba-cal/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/22/closing-bell-directionless-market-but-directed-stocks-ba-cal/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/22/closing-bell-directionless-market-but-directed-stocks-ba-cal/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Despite the market being up the last hour, today's stock market made six changes between being up and down. Oil inventories continued their building to record or near-record levels. It was very light on the economic calendar today so traders had to use the cumulative earnings as the directional report. Even very weak global recovery targets from the IMF were ignored.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 7,886.41 -83.15 (-1.04%)
S&P 500 843.56 -6.52 (-0.77%)
Nasdaq 1,645.85 +2.00 (0.12%)

Top Analyst Upgrades
Top Analyst Downgrades

Continue reading Closing Bell: Directionless market, but directed stocks (BA, CAL, COF, FRE, WFC, OSTK)

Closing Bell: Directionless market, but directed stocks (BA, CAL, COF, FRE, WFC, OSTK) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>COFfeaturedFREfreddie macFreddieMacIMFoilOSTKWed, 22 Apr 2009 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Closing Bell: Set up profit taking on news (CVX, DNDN, FNM, GS, JNJ)]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/closing-bell-set-up-profit-taking-on-news-cvx-dndn-fnm-gs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/closing-bell-set-up-profit-taking-on-news-cvx-dndn-fnm-gs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/closing-bell-set-up-profit-taking-on-news-cvx-dndn-fnm-gs/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Today was just a day of selling the news. We had weak retail sales and we had lower than expected PPI data showing no inflation. But after a 5-week straight rally, investors were selling into earnings despite many estimates looking excessively easy to hit.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 7,918.11 -139.70 (-1.73%)
S&P 500 841.87 -16.86 (-1.96%)
Nasdaq 1,626.40 -26.91 (-1.63%)

Top Analyst Upgrades
Top Analyst Downgrades

Continue reading Closing Bell: Set up profit taking on news (CVX, DNDN, FNM, GS, JNJ)

Closing Bell: Set up profit taking on news (CVX, DNDN, FNM, GS, JNJ) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dendreonDNDNfannie maeFannieMaetarpTue, 14 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Will Fannie Mae's Allison head TARP?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/will-fannie-maes-allison-head-tarp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/will-fannie-maes-allison-head-tarp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/will-fannie-maes-allison-head-tarp/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The follically challenged Herb Allison is likely to take over from Neel Kashkari, the former Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) banker who brought his shiny pate to Congress to get kicked in another part of his anatomy as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) continued to frustrate almost everybody. If approved, Allison's formal title will be assistant secretary for the Office of Financial Stability which administers TARP. Under former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, TARP went from being a way to buy toxic assets to a source of capital for big banks -- whether they wanted it or not.

Now, Treasury Secretary Geithner wants to revive Paulson's original idea to the tune of a deeply flawed $1 trillion program to further enrich a handful of billionaire hedge fund and private equity honchos. And Geithner appears to have selected a very cold fish for that job -- former Merrill Lynch executive Allison -- a Yale philosophy major and Stanford MBA who lost out on the CEO's chair at Merrill Lynch a decade ago to the far more stock-broker-friendly David Komansky.

Continue reading Will Fannie Mae's Allison head TARP?

Will Fannie Mae's Allison head TARP? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allisonfnmgeithnergsinthenewspaulsontarpTue, 14 Apr 2009 10:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac planning massive retention bonuses]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/03/fannie-mae-freddie-mac-planning-massive-retention-bonuses/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/03/fannie-mae-freddie-mac-planning-massive-retention-bonuses/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/03/fannie-mae-freddie-mac-planning-massive-retention-bonuses/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

According to a report today in The Wall Street Journal [subscription required], Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) -- those twin titans of mortgage mayhem -- are planning to dish out $210 million worth of retention bonuses over the next 18 months. James Lockhart, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, explained that $51 million in payouts were distributed in late 2008, with the rest of the bonuses to be disbursed through 2009 and into early 2010.

The news is already raising politicians' ire, since Fannie and Freddie are staying afloat only through the grace of government bailouts. The two lenders reported combined losses of roughly $108 billion in 2008, says the Journal, yet 80% of Freddie's employees and 61% of Fannie's payroll will score retention bonuses based on this bleak operating performance.

Continue reading Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac planning massive retention bonuses

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac planning massive retention bonuses originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barney frankBarneyFrankchuck grassleyChuckGrassleyfannie maeFannieMaefeaturedfnmfrefreddie macFreddieMacjames lockhartJamesLockhartmortgageretention bonusRetentionBonusFri, 03 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[$12.8 trillion -- 90% of GDP! -- to bail out bad bets]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/31/12-8-trillion-90-of-gdp-to-bail-out-bad-bets/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/31/12-8-trillion-90-of-gdp-to-bail-out-bad-bets/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/31/12-8-trillion-90-of-gdp-to-bail-out-bad-bets/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

$12.8 trillion of our money is going to bail out the bad bets of bankers, auto execs, and ordinary folks who took on mortgages they couldn't repay over the last 20 months. If you're among the 90% of the country that's been playing by the rules all these years, you may be wondering why that $12.8 trillion should come out of your pocket. After all, doesn't free markets mean that bettors get the pot when they win and pay the piper when they lose?

The "good" news is that of that $12.8 trillion, only a third -- or $4.2 trillion -- has actually been committed to a total of 34 distinct programs. The remaining $8.6 trillion is the limit of how much has been approved. And of that $12.8 trillion, 61% is under the control of the Fed in 20 programs, 16% is in the hands of the FDIC in 5 programs, another 21% will be spent by the Treasury in eight programs and the remaining two percent is being doled out by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in one program.

Continue reading $12.8 trillion -- 90% of GDP! -- to bail out bad bets

$12.8 trillion -- 90% of GDP! -- to bail out bad bets originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aigbacbailoutcfeaturedfinancial crisisFinancialCrisisfnmgeTue, 31 Mar 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Serious Money: Don't overlook these regional banks!]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/20/serious-money-dont-overlook-these-regional-banks/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/20/serious-money-dont-overlook-these-regional-banks/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/20/serious-money-dont-overlook-these-regional-banks/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are very few people on this planet that can honestly say that they have not been affected in some way by the economic firestorm caused by underappreciating risk.

Congress, along with the Securities and Exchange Commission during a period where the White House was comatose, opened up the flood gates for Wall Street's financial wizards to bet the world and lose!

Continue reading Serious Money: Don't overlook these regional banks!

Serious Money: Don't overlook these regional banks! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AIGCcharityCitigroupfeaturedFNMfoodFood BanksFoodBankshungerLos Angeles Regional Food BankLosAngelesRegionalFoodBankMBIMBIASerious MoneySeriousMoneyFri, 20 Mar 2009 17:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Fannie Mae next in line to hand out questionable bonuses]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/19/fannie-mae-next-in-line-to-handout-questionable-bonuses/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/19/fannie-mae-next-in-line-to-handout-questionable-bonuses/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/19/fannie-mae-next-in-line-to-handout-questionable-bonuses/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Who is ready for a second round of bonus outrage (dare I call it a "bonus" round)? This time it is Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) that has awarded retention bonuses to four of its top executives -- let's see how mad everyone gets about this one.

The mortgage company told the SEC in a recent filing that it is going to award bonuses between $470,000 to $611,000 to four of its top executives. As is the nature of a bonus, this payment is on top of the executives' already-hefty base pay.

Continue reading Fannie Mae next in line to hand out questionable bonuses

Fannie Mae next in line to hand out questionable bonuses originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aigbonus paymentsBonusPaymentsFannie MaeFannieMaefeaturedfederal bailoutFederalBailoutfnmfreFreddie MacFreddieMacquestionable bonusesQuestionableBonusesThu, 19 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Inaction and a financial crisis don't mix]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/18/inaction-and-a-financial-crisis-dont-mix/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/18/inaction-and-a-financial-crisis-dont-mix/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/18/inaction-and-a-financial-crisis-dont-mix/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Investor Jim Rogers, noted for his expertise in commodities, is someone Wall Street professionals, business executives, and economists alike pay close attention to, as he's frequently been ahead-of-the-curve regarding market and investment trends.

Still, that's not to say that Rogers sometimes can't overdo it a bit and/or does not get it wrong.

A recent chat Rogers had with Bloomberg News is an example of the latter, as the talk yielded more rhetoric, half-truths, and flat out absurd statements and not a whole not of illumination.

Continue reading Inaction and a financial crisis don't mix

Inaction and a financial crisis don't mix originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banking systembanksbond marketCongresscredit marketsFedJim Rogerstoxic assetsU.S. economyWed, 18 Mar 2009 16:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Portfolio Killer #4: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/14/portfolio-killer-4-fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/14/portfolio-killer-4-fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/14/portfolio-killer-4-fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I lump these zombies -- our first zombies -- together because everyone else does.

You and I are now the proud owner of these lifeless monsters, which have hundreds of billions of dollars in obligations on mortgages of declining quality.

What's more, for political reasons, their future will not be resolved for several years.

True shareholder value: zero

Michael Shulman is a contributor to OptionsZone.com.


Portfolio Killer #4: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>freddie macFreddieMacmichael shulmanMichaelShulmanportfolio killersPortfolioKillerszombie stocksZombieStocksSat, 14 Mar 2009 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Portfolio Killers: 8 zombie stocks to avoid]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/13/portfolio-killers-8-zombie-stocks-to-avoid/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/13/portfolio-killers-8-zombie-stocks-to-avoid/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/13/portfolio-killers-8-zombie-stocks-to-avoid/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Right now there are few things scarier than the post-market report on CNBC. It's almost like watching a horror movie.

And I've got some zombie stocks that you need to stay far, far away from.

A zombie is a dead person brought back to life without speech (keep quiet or you don't get any TARP money) or free will (Uncle Sam is now the largest shareholder).

Continue reading Portfolio Killers: 8 zombie stocks to avoid

Portfolio Killers: 8 zombie stocks to avoid originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredmichael shulmanMichaelShulmanportfolio killersPortfolioKillerszombie stocksZombieStocksFri, 13 Mar 2009 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: Of course policy matters ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/11/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-of-course-policy-matters/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/11/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-of-course-policy-matters/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/11/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-of-course-policy-matters/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says if you don't believe the administration's action (or inaction) here will have an effect, look at Lehman.

Every time I hear that policy doesn't matter, that rules don't matter, that nothing can be done, I think two words -- "Lehman Brothers." For those of you who think that it doesn't matter what government does, ask yourself whether you would feel the same way about the world today if Lehman Brothers had been bought by another bank, and we would not have had

1. tens of billions in bonds and preferreds destroyed,
2. the buck broken,
3. tens of billions in margin accounts that vaporized,
4. a fire sale of bad assets driving all prices down,
5. a sense of chaos as you knew the government had no plan, even after Bear, Fannie (NYSE: FNM) (Cramer's Take) and Freddie (NYSE: FRE) (Cramer's Take) and everything else that happened.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Of course policy matters

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Of course policy matters originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aigcfeaturedfnmfrejim cramerJimCramerskfWed, 11 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Freddie Mac CEO calls it quits after a few months]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/02/freddie-mac-ceo-calls-it-quits-after-a-few-months/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/02/freddie-mac-ceo-calls-it-quits-after-a-few-months/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/02/freddie-mac-ceo-calls-it-quits-after-a-few-months/#commentsFiled under: ,

When Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) were taken over by the government in September, both were given new CEOs to replace the clowns who got them into the mess.

Now Freddie Mac's CEO is heading for the exits. In a press release, the company said that CEO David Moffett would resign as CEO and as a member of the board no later than March 13. From the press release:

Moffett indicated that he wants to return to a role in the financial services sector. In his letter of resignation, he said, "I have enjoyed my time as CEO of Freddie Mac and I wish all the great employees the very best in the days to come."

Continue reading Freddie Mac CEO calls it quits after a few months

Freddie Mac CEO calls it quits after a few months originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>David MoffettDavidMoffettFREFreddie MacFreddieMacMon, 02 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Seven things investors can learn from Warren Buffett's annual report]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/02/seven-things-investors-can-learn-from-warren-buffetts-annual-re/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/02/seven-things-investors-can-learn-from-warren-buffetts-annual-re/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/02/seven-things-investors-can-learn-from-warren-buffetts-annual-re/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It's been exactly one year since the last time Warren Buffett showed off his incredible investment mind in his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) shareholders and I dissected it for its greatest lessons.

You can read this year's entire 97-page annual report (pdf), or the shorter 23-page letter to shareholders (pdf), or just learn from what I think are some of this year's most important points:

1. While, as has been widely reported, this was Berkshire's worst year, we're only talking a 9.6% drop in book value, which hugely outperformed not only the S&P 500, but just about everyone else with multi-billion dollar businesses, let alone any insurance or investment businesses. Compare to Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX), Aon Corp (NYSE: AOC) and Willis Group (NYSE: WSH), all of which were hit far worse.

Continue reading Seven things investors can learn from Warren Buffett's annual report

Seven things investors can learn from Warren Buffett's annual report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AXPBACBRK.ABXCCOPfeaturedFNMGEGSJNJKOPGWMTMon, 02 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[What will nationalization mean?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/19/what-will-nationalization-mean/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/19/what-will-nationalization-mean/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/19/what-will-nationalization-mean/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

This port was written by Minyanville contributor Minyan Peter.

I think the Government will try at all costs to create the impression that only a limited number of banks are going to be nationalized. To achieve this, Secretary Geithner has requested that the top 15-20 banks in the country undergo a stress test, where regulators will review banks' capital positions under a variety of economic scenarios. And, based on these reviews, those banks that fail will be given convertible preferred stock to boost their capital levels to some yet to be determined level.


Continue reading What will nationalization mean?

What will nationalization mean? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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