The investment..speculation, out right gambling thread

[DocT]

<p>[How</a> tick data foretold the Apple news - MarketWatch](<a href=“http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-tick-data-foretold-the-apple-news-2013-05-16]How”>How tick data foretold the Apple news - MarketWatch)</p>

[Krlilies]

<p>

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President John Williams said the Fed as early as this summer may begin slowing the pace of its $85 billion in monthly bond-buying amid signs the economy is gradually gaining strength.</p>

<p>…Williams said… “We could reduce somewhat the pace of our securities purchases, perhaps as early as this summer” and end the program late this year.

<a href=“Businessweek - Bloomberg”>Businessweek - Bloomberg;

[dstark]

<p>Doct’s post looks like bs to me. An old guy sells 42,000 shares in the first qtr…</p>

<p>How much is that in aapl stock? 18 million dollars? </p>

<p>How much is aapl worth? Hundreds of billions? </p>

<p>Now if people want to react to this…</p>

<p>Is Tepper selling? Tepper said he expects qe to diminish. However, if Tepper decides to sell, we will know after Tepper sells.</p>

[dstark]

<p>We get a very incomplete picture of these guys like Tepper and what their funds actually do.</p>

<p>Tepper invests all over the world and American stocks are just a part of his firm’s portfolio. Tepper buys distressed debt. He is long index funds. He trades futures and options and who knows what else. </p>

<p>Aapl is Something like 2 percent of his fund if that. I think the stock postions that were released yesterday were less than 30 percent of his fund.</p>

<p><a href=“http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appaloosa_Management[/url]”>http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appaloosa_Management&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I guess my point is Tepper trades and invests in securities that the public doesn’t so we are comparing apples and oranges when we compare public stock investors to traders like Tepper. I bet Tepper’s tax rates are lower too. </p>

<p>Buffett borrows at negative interest rates. </p>

<p>Intc was not on my mind much today and the stock broke 24. Wasn’t quite expecting that. Whatever…</p>

[DocT]

<p>Just because its irrational, doesn’t mean the market particularly the algorithms behave this way. They are skimming headlines without the ability to interpret the meaning of news items and reacting, just like today. A couple of fed guys make some comments about “tapering” qe and the market sells off. It is totally irrational as these same guys have been saying this for months.</p>

[DocT]

<p>[‘Profitless</a> Rally’: Stocks Are Heading for a Slowdown](<a href=“http://www.cnbc.com/id/100743436]'Profitless”>'Profitless Rally': Stocks Are Heading for a Slowdown)</p>

<p>For all you experts, how can this be a “profitless rally” if there is little expansion of the market PE.</p>

[dstark]

<p>I know firms trade using headlines because I invested in a firm that traded headlines. </p>

<p>Even if the firm trades on headlines and sells, the stock would bounce back if the headline was meaningless. </p>

<p>This 18 million dollar sale in the first qtr having a meaningful impact on the stock is ridiculous… Unless… Would you sell aapl because of that sale? </p>

<p>We are talking a first qtr sale…Before the buyback announcement. This is my stroooong opinion. Not a fact. </p>

<p>Tepper’s comments about aapl were worse to me, but the stock didn’t crater.</p>

[dstark]

<p>Yes… Firms are going to automatically trade qe headlines.</p>

[dstark]

<p>[Wal-Mart’s</a> Customers Are More Broke Than Anyone Realizes - Yahoo! Finance](<a href=“http://finance.yahoo.com/news/wal-marts-customers-still-living-151359483.html]Wal-Mart’s”>Wal-Mart's Customers Are More Broke Than Anyone Realizes)</p>

[RacinReaver]

<p>

" Bottom line here: Food and gas price deflation have not yet caused the Wal-Mart shopper to spend more during each trip."

</p>

<p>Not sure about where you guys live, but food prices are still up, and gas has been on the rise for months.</p>

[dstark]

<p>Food costs are up here. Not sure about gasoline.</p>

[DocT]

<p>Food costs here are up each week but who cares it isn’t inflation, we only eat three meals a day.</p>

[notrichenough]

<p>I thought the problem at Walmart was this:</p>

<p>[Wal-Mart</a> Struggles to Restock Store Shelves as U.S. Sales Slump - Bloomberg](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?)</p>

[dstark]

<p>Interesting. Wmt has problems and the stock is near mew highs.</p>

<p>[Analyst</a> not surprised by Wal-Mart’s weak 1Q - Yahoo! Finance](<a href=“http://finance.yahoo.com/news/analyst-not-surprised-wal-marts-163042386.html]Analyst”>Analyst not surprised by Wal-Mart's weak 1Q)</p>

[DocT]

<p>Doing too much trading today.</p>

[Krlilies]

<p>Pope Francis chimes in on the current global economy. Will CNBC give him airtime?</p>

<p>

Pope Francis has attacked the “dictatorship” of the global financial system and warned that the “cult of money” was making life a misery for millions.</p>

<p>He said free-market capitalism had created a “tyranny” and that human beings were being judged purely by their ability to consume goods.</p>

<p>Money should be made to “serve” people, not to “rule” them, he said, calling for a more ethical financial system and curbs on financial speculation.</p>

<p>“While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling,” said Francis, who as archbishop of Buenos Aires visited slums, opted to live in a modest flat rather than an opulent Church residence and went to work by bus.

[Pope</a> Francis Rips Global ‘Cult Of Money’ - Business Insider](<a href=“Pope Francis Rips Global 'Cult of Money'”>Pope Francis Rips Global 'Cult of Money')</p>

[dstark]

<p>I very much like what the Pope said.</p>

[razorsharp]

<p>Other than the fact that most of what the Pope says is not true, his message sounds good.</p>

[dstark]

<p>Must be fun living in a fantasy…</p>

<p>Interesting link on America’s middle class…</p>

<p><a href=“Optimism Dims for U.S. Middle Class - The New York Times”>Optimism Dims for U.S. Middle Class - The New York Times;

[razorsharp]

<p>The percent of Americans in poverty in 1959 was about 22 or 23 percent. In 2011 it was about 14 to 15 percent. If people stopped having children out of wedlock, the percent of poor probably would be cut in half. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/incpovhlth/2011/figure4.pdf[/url]”>http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/incpovhlth/2011/figure4.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;