Column Archives

The Fed Decision: Quantitative Easing Continues!

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its statement indicating again that interest rates will remain low for an extended period of time and that proceeds from agency debt and agency mortgage-backed and Treasury securities will ... Read moreFiled under: Market Matters, Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis

The Fed Decision: Not the Time to Take Chances!

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its statement indicating again that interest rates will remain low for an extended period of time. Thomas Hoenig dissented against the FOMC statement and wants a much tighter monetary policy. He ... Read moreFiled under: SEC Filings, Market Matters, Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Fed Decision: No More Excitement for the Week!

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its statement indicating again that interest rates will remain low for an extended period of time. The decision was not unanimous: it came with one dissenting vote. The Fed has, in essence, ... Read moreFiled under: Forecasts, Good news, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Fed Decision: Maintaining an Extremely Delicate Balance!

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its statement indicating again that interest rates will remain low for an extended period of time. The decision was not unanimous with one dissenting vote. The Fed has in essence decided to ... Read moreFiled under: Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Stock Market and the Discount Rate Increase: Damage Control and Mixed Messages!

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Board raised the discount rate by 0.25% after the close of the market Thursday, raised the minimum bid for the Term Auction Facility (TAF) by 0.25%, and shortened the maximum maturity for primary credit loans to overnight. The ... Read moreFiled under: Market Matters, Economic Data, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis

The Fed Decision: The Real News Was Yesterday, Not Today!

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its statement indicating again that interest rates will remain low for an extended period of time. The decision was not unanimous with one dissenting vote. The Fed continues to avoid any ... Read moreFiled under: Market Matters, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Fed decision: Ending extraordinary measures but no monetary tightening

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its statement indicating again that interest rates will remain low for an extended period of time. The decision was unanimous. The Fed continues to avoid any potential language which could ... Read moreFiled under: Forecasts, Other Issues, Good news, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Fed decision: almost exactly as expected!

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its statement almost exactly as expected. The language on interest rates is remaining low for an extended period of time remained largely unchanged, and the decision was unanimous. As I have ... Read moreFiled under: Market Matters, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Politics, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Fed decision: Attempting to be a non-event

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its statement today making its best attempt to be a non-event. The language on interest rates and quantitative easing remained largely unchanged, and the decision was unanimous. This decision ... Read moreFiled under: Good news, Press Releases, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Fed Beige Book: Maybe a bottom but where's the bounce?

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve released its latest beige book report detailing economic conditions across the country based upon observed evidence and conversations. The 12 Fed district banks "indicated that the pace of decline has moderated since the last ... Read moreFiled under: Forecasts, Other Issues, Market Matters, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Fed Decision: Avoiding Landmines!

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its unanimous decision. The language on interest rates and quantitative easing remained unchanged. It indicated that inflation is not a problem despite a recent rise in oil prices and sees ... Read moreFiled under: Forecasts, Press Releases, Market Matters, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Fed Decision: First rule is do no harm!

BloggingStocks: The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its decision on interest rates. The market anxiously awaited the decision to determine if there would be any surprises like the previous decision in which the Fed announced a massive ... Read moreFiled under: Good news, Economic Data, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The real stress of the bank tests: Managing investor expectations!

BloggingStocks: We are getting our first official information about the Bank Stress Test with the release of the White Paper detailing the assumptions behind how the stress tests were conducted. This is the initial step in a process culminating in the release of ... Read moreFiled under: Forecasts, Press Releases, Market Matters, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Politics, Headline News, Housing, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

Bank news: Focus on the assets, not the earnings!

BloggingStocks: Several banks, including Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC), JPMorgan Chase & Company (NYSE: JPM), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), and Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C), have reported earnings that beat expectations substantially. All earnings were down compared to ... Read moreFiled under: Earnings Reports, Economic Data, Housing, Recession, Financial Crisis

The G-20 Meeting and the Financial Crisis: Victory declared but massive economic problems Remain!

BloggingStocks: The G-20 summit was a true public relations success. There were no walkouts by France or any other country as had been previously feared. There were statements that protectionism should be avoided. It appeared that the world learned the lesson from ... Read moreFiled under: International Markets, Good news, Competitive Strategy, American Express (AXP), Amer Intl Group (AIG), Economic Data, Politics, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The bonus tax problem: Recognizing the insolvency is the first step!

BloggingStocks: The government has attempted to allay public outrage over payment of the American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) bonuses by passing a specific bill taxing almost all of the bonus payments. However, several problems have arisen over this ... Read moreFiled under: Deals, Scandals, Amer Intl Group (AIG), Headline News, Financial Crisis

The Geithner Private-Public Partnership: The cure may be worse than the disease!

BloggingStocks: As more details were unveiled yesterday about the Public-Private Partnership proposed by Secretary Timothy Geithner to deal with the "Toxic Assets" currently on the balance sheets of many of the major banks, the equity markets around the world ... Read moreFiled under: Market Matters, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Politics, Financial Crisis

Bonuses in the AIG poker game: We stole it fair and square

BloggingStocks: In my previous post on the Financial Stability plan presented by the Obama administration, I mentioned the dangers involved with dealing with some of the sharpest players on Wall Street. I used the analogy of not knowing who the sucker is when you ... Read moreFiled under: After the Bell, Deals, Bad News, Law, Rants and Raves, Employees, Scandals, Money and Finance Today, Amer Intl Group (AIG), Politics, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

Suspension of Mark-to-Market: Rigging the scale is not losing weight!

BloggingStocks: There has been discussion of the possibility of suspension of the "Mark-to-Market" accounting rule. This has contributed to the current euphoria surrounding financial stocks. The logic is that this would stop the death spiral in the capital base of ... Read moreFiled under: Other Issues, Rumors, Economic Data, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

The Bernanke speech: Regulate the system, not just banks!

BloggingStocks: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke today to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. on the state of the economy and our financial system. In the speech, the chairman acknowledged that the financial system requires a total ... Read moreFiled under: Live Coverage, Money and Finance Today, Economic Data, Headline News, Federal Reserve, Recession, Financial Crisis

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