The Financial Times – Bitcoin endorsed by top hedge fund manager Financial advisers who gathered in New York to hear leaders of the asset management industry impart their best investment ideas for the year ahead were given a surprising tip by one prominent hedge fund manager: Bitcoin. Michael Novogratz, co-chief investment officer of macro funds… Continue reading Should Bitcoin Be In Your Portfolio?
The Economist – Athletic investment: Skin in the game An American footballer will offer fans a slice of his career Now shares in athletes may be coming to the masses. On October 17th Fantex, a start-up in San Francisco, registered with the SEC a “convertible tracking stock” whose value would be tied to the brand… Continue reading Is Arian Foster A Strong Buy?
The Guardian (UK) – The oracles at CNBC: good stock advice doesn’t come from TV Stock market superstars and pundit prognosticators may have loud and lucky forecasts, but they don’t have any crystal ball Turn off the television. Put down the remote control. Back away from the streaming CNBC content. Turn off the noise. By… Continue reading Don’t Get Your Stock Advice On TV
Bloomberg.com – Fed Said to Issue Warning About Lax Loan Underwriting Practices Top banking regulators in the U.S. are recommending lenders strengthen underwriting standards for leveraged corporate loans as borrowing of the high-risk debt approaches levels not seen since before the financial crisis, according to nine people with knowledge of the matter. The Federal Reserve… Continue reading Banks Handing Out Loans To Everyone Again
Psychology Today – Does Studying Economics Breed Greed? More deception for personal gain: Economics students in Germany were more likely than students from other majors to recommend an overpriced plumber when they were paid to do it. Greater acceptance of greed: Economics majors and students who had taken at least three economics courses were more… Continue reading Greedy Economists
RealtyTrac – Institutional Investor Purchases Reach New High in September with 14 Percent of all U.S. Residential Sales RealtyTrac®, the nation’s leading source for comprehensive housing data, today released its September 2013 U.S. Residential & Foreclosure Sales Report, which shows that U.S. residential properties, including single family homes, condominiums and townhomes, sold at an estimated… Continue reading Real Estate – Cash Buyers Half Of All Sales
<Click on chart for larger image> MoneyBeat (WSJ Blog) – Shutdown Outflows a Reminder of Dangers Lurking in Money Funds Money market funds were among the biggest victims of the standoff in Washington, bearing the brunt of the disruption in short-term Treasury bills and suffering the biggest exodus from investors in two years. That should… Continue reading Money Market Funds
<Click on chart for larger image> The Wall Street Journal – Federal Reserve Excess Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is about to provide the republic with another watershed moment. Last week it was reported that total reserves held for banks on the Fed’s balance sheet reached more than $2.365 trillion. Of that total, only about… Continue reading The Fed’s Balance Sheet
MoneyBeat (WSJ Blog) – Government Shutdown Clouds U.S. Oil-Export Data Oil traders got a double helping this week of government data on inventories and demand, after the Energy Information Administration returned to work. But the market is more in the dark than usual about one key bit of data that’s been driving prices lately: how… Continue reading More Data Fallout From The Shutdown
<Click on chart for larger image> MoneyBeat (WSJ Blog) – Risky Business of Rising Margin Debt Small investors have levered up their portfolios to record levels. Normally, such a move would be cause for concern. Not this time. Investors borrowed $401.2 billion against their brokerage accounts last month, exceeding April’s record of $384.4 billion, according… Continue reading Record Margin Debt
Bloomberg.com – Pension Funds Love Wall Street Public pension funds have been moving huge amounts of money into alternative investments managed by Wall Street. According to a recent report by Cliffwater LLC, an adviser to institutional investors, from 2006 to 2012 state pension funds more than doubled their allocations to alternative investments, which include private… Continue reading Profiling Pension Funds