- $SPY - Market thoughts! Wow, could the volume be any lighter? The market has had a big run lately in what is the weak month of the weak season (Summer). So throw that out the window this year. Oh, and last year, too.
- Despite the market rallying, you never know when the next headline event will derail stocks for ... oh, lets call it about 4% or so. Rounding. So far, those have been BTFD (buy the dip) opportunities. Of course, if you're long and strong and have no cash to throw at stocks then you just go for the ride. And it has been a good ride.
- I remain long, but trimmed a little last week.
- "The Islamic State runs a self-sustaining economy across territory it controls in Syria and Iraq, pirating oil while exacting tribute from a population of at least eight million, Arab and Western officials said, making it one of the world's richest terror groups and an unprecedented threat." So what's the difference between tribute and taxes? I live in CA and just found out that gas taxes are going up January 1st for AB 32, which is the CA government money transfer scheme to fight a war against the Sun God ("global warming").
- "Football stadiums will be packed this weekend for the kickoff of the college season. But many of the student sections are likely to have empty seats." So it seems that ticket prices are going up. Shocker. The article goes over some ideas on why attendance is falling off. For me personally, I would cite that I have a very nice big screen HD TV and love to watch many games at the same time rather than fight the crowds and pay the high costs at a game where I'm usually seated far away from the action. But that's just me!
- Maybe.
- Yes, that's Christine Nguyen the porn star. Oh well. I cropped it. Safe for work!
- Snapchat has a $10 billion valuation? Wow. LOL. That will end badly, right?
- So, are bonds going to keep rallying? Makes no sense to me. Is the economy really that horrible? I don't think so.
- Home prices are at a 70-month high, but folks are worried that the pace is slowing down. I think the bottom line is that home prices are largely influenced by rising wages and the ability of homeowners to make higher and higher monthly payments.
- Yes, I haven't been too active in blogging or Facebook or Twitter or Audioboo lately. You know, it's a bull market. About everything is making money. There is nowhere else to put money but in US stocks. So, I haven't felt like talking about it when it seems as if the market is just heading up until something changes.
- Hope you're having a great "last week" of summer. Seems like most kids are in school already around here, though.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Market Thoughts and Randomosity (and Christine Nguyen!)
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Market Thoughts
$SPY - My latest market thoughts: This has been an amazing bull market. I am amazed that the market continues to move up without more than pulling back a few percent here and there.
I wonder how much of it is due to the fact that there just isn't anywhere else to put money to make a return? Even mediocre earnings and shaky world politics can't seem to do more than to just create a BTFD (Buy the Dip) moment.
I continue to be mostly long and trading in and out of various things here and there. It's been a good year so far. I don't know when it will all change.
It will.
Someday.
***
I know. Haven't been posting or Audioboo-ing much at all lately. Sigh.
Russia shuts four McDonald's
The One Hand vs. The Other Hand
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Coach Ditka
Monday, August 18, 2014
Up to Our Ears in Corn
U.S. Farmers Are Up to Their Ears in Corn
Tony C. Dreibus
The Wall Street Journal. - The Wall Street Journal. - Mon Aug 18 17:30:00 UTC 2014
"We're going to drown in corn this year." The assessment, from Jeff Brown, 45 years old, a fifth-...
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Japanese economy contracts
Japanese economy contracts sharply
BBC News
BBC - BBC - Wed Aug 13 05:38:12 UTC 2014
Japan's economy contracted by an annualised 6.8% in the second quarter of the year, the biggest fall...
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Wage Inflation?
What will your pay raise be in 2015? Salary increases are edging higher
Diane Stafford
Kansas City Star - Kansas City Star - Tue Aug 12 17:41:05 UTC 2014
Smidgen by smidgen, employee pay raises are edging higher. Projected wage and salary increases fo...
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Wednesday, August 06, 2014
Scrap corporate income tax, and make shareholders pay
Scrap corporate income tax, and make shareholders pay
By Eric Toder and Alan D. Viard
MarketWatch - MarketWatch - Wed Aug 6 19:28:35 UTC 2014
The U.S. corporate tax system is broken. Recent efforts by major corporations such as Medtronic ...
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Russia to block US agricultural imports
Report: Russia to block US agricultural imports
JIM HEINTZ Associated Press
Associated Press - Associated Press - Thu Aug 7 01:01:10 UTC 2014
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hit back hard against countries that have imp...
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Walgreen May Be the Exception
Walgreen May Be the Exception to the Logic of Inversions
By KEVIN ALLISON
The New York Times - The New York Times - Wed Aug 6 21:05:16 UTC 2014
Walgreen has encountered a limit to the logic of inversions. The drugstore chain will keep flying th...
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