Back in the USSR! Kerry and Putin!

First it was a big hearty like smile when shaking hands with Kerry yesterday!


Then a good endorsement for Mr Trump!


And now - white flag to USA! Mr Putin is pen to warmer friendly relationships with USA!


Win Win Win for Russia?

Can Gold Finally succumb to Gravity?

3 Digits has been very solid for Gold! Impossible to fall below $1000!


And that might finally  change. If Gold settles below $1000- then there should be no stopping for till election results are predictable.


It might look like it has come a long way from its peak- but it has gone up a whole lot more than it has come down.

Bubble inside a Unicorn?

WHAO?


Yes - A startup Unicorn creates a VC inside with $80 Million! Purpose is to invest in other startups.


Very creative- doing like Google and other Technology companies -
But being a start up- no matter how solid the revenue base is - its kind of looks silly- other than to say how much power these entities have over return seeking desperate Funds and Hedgies and the likes!


As long as the money is being PLAYED using other peoples money with no transparency - anything is game till it stops!


Abruptly-


till then it makes good headlines and good reading!

Raining Rates!

Looks like the Banks waited for the call by Yellen to be over before raising the one way rates! Prime is up- but they pretty much said that they will not be passing on the savings to the consumers. Net Interest Income does not add up if you pass a nickel or two to those who put their faith in these banks!

I wonder what will happen if a couple of people go to a few banks with placards saying - give me that nickle rate!

Alphabet's "C" Initiative!

Looks like its official.

C is being polished for the U threat! Uber-ific news from what used be Google!

Looks like Google Maps or is it M- after losing out at Uber decided to find its own customer. And it is C for Car - Auto - cannot be Driverless and "d" as California just released its possible guidelines for Driverless car- it has be be driven with a Driver at all times!

Guess Yellen is Spelled S-A-N-T-A!!!

Though the rate was baked- and everything from Oil compex to High yield market ready to pound teh market- Janet Yellen's magic with words and her ability to toy with the reporters- amazing!

Can She be the most mesmerizing Federal Reserve we have seen in its existence?

Certainly more composed than Ben! And more understandable than the Maestro! 

Can Lower Oil Market Kill the Market?

May be some consolidation in the corporate world exposed to debt and high yield debt- but they only get bought or change ownership - moving wealth from one bucket to another.

The market might go sideways - which it has done for over a year- but with so much of liquidity and so few making decisions on where to put the money- unless there is a change of guard influencing the policy makers-

Equity will be king! And that is with or without Oil!

Another day & another Apple Down grade!

Is he the last one?

A big $5 down grade from $155 to $150!

That makes Apple 35% or something like $210 plus billion dollars from where it is now.

Hedging or being brave?

Can Apple really run out of ammunition and lost its MOJO?

Given where we are in the Communication II cycle- the first one was Telecommunication Era - which lasted 100 plus years and several Trillion dollars of wealth creation-

these down grades could only be an opportunity!

So as Mr Cramer would say --  Buy! Buy!! Buy!!!

The New Bond Prince Explains!

CNBC is quick to embrace the new Bond King, atleast according to Forbes, and bring Mr Gundlach on way before the dethroned Mr Gross.

In our usual arrogant opinion He is a Prince till he can dictate terms with the policy makers-

And today in his live interview on CNBC's Fast Money Half Time interview- he does what Mr Cooperman did earlier in the show - Explain!

Yes - Mr Gundlach has been vocal in saying Fed Will not raise rate this year- changing his tune to Fed Should not Raise rate- to the explanation!

Why they would today!!

Well its always better to be a proxy King and manage other people' money!

I am sure we will hear more about this one way or the other in the new year and we will keep watching!

Can Taylor Swift turn the tide?

For Apple-

Its been a while since he had any good happen to Apple- stock wise!

Analyst after analyst go negative but still keep their sky high target numbers- being on both the sides at the same time!

Product , stock buy back - press release - what ever...seems to be having no magic?

Can The Taylor Swift streaming bring some new cheer this Christmas for Apple?

CNN and RNC II

CNN I and CNN II -

May be a little bit too much!

If CNBC was bad- CNN-II was just plain boring!

If you have two sets of debates and a boat load of candidates - and are restricted to 1 or 2 topics- please make them do a Sumo wresting and let the winner be declared based on who does a wedgie successfully!

over and over and over......on the same ...even though it is the most important dialogue and policy matter we are facing-

just a tad too much!

Winner? Looked like Rubio was the better speaker- though Cruz did a better job articulating and fighting- Bush tried hard and Trump was the come from back kid who became his own self in the back half!

The rest also tried and befriended the audience.

The well rehearsed Carly - brought more anger to the table and little less on the policy! Surgeon went a little flat with his comparisons and being a bit comedic here and there!

We really are living in a 40 character impulsive and fleeting moments and running like that - everything from Public policies to elections - and here we are watching a rerun of the 70s also ran soap - we only hope the cord cutting will actually lead to a better format the next tie around!

Howard Stern Stays put: SIRIously?

America saw the softer, gentle side of Howard Stern- on AGT!

Possibly one of the best that could have happened to Howard Stern &  SiriusXM.

A different demographics and a different market- much larger and main stream into the Howard Stern fold and SiriusXM is bound to enjoy the benefit.

Looks like a major break through!

The Week Aliens Invaded: Disney Awakens!

4100 Theaters!

And Disney delivers-

Mickey finally meets its match??

Disney and George Lucas- makes Star Wars - a multi generation saga- will global reach only Mickey and Mini can match!

Ka ching!

And looks like the recent haircut on Disney might given a opportunity- again!

And then He Talks: Valeant CEO

The mystery is over.
Can he?
Will He?
Should He?
Bill Did?
Bill Who?
Oh Yes...that Bill!
And Finally CEO of Valeant broke the silence with a deal- a market moving one with Walgreens and a price break even Touring will sweat!

And CNBC did a good job of playing neutral after trashing pretty much everything from A to Z during the The GREAT SHORT???

Even after Mr Andrew "VRX" Left - left the short and dialed back- Valeant was silent and rightly so for a very long time. Valeant might be the poster boy for price anamoly in the Pharma industry - but it is not an exception.

As long as the Industry behaves and responsibility can be scattered and buried and supported indirectly rampant and flawed system- what the CEO delivered was typical McKinsey Style.

And CNBC listened- it appears so will the rest!

Is it the season?

its been a awhile since we had no anchor product entering the final stretch of the Christmas buying frenzy-

No fancy gadgets- toys- electronics- new sell out starvation campaign- and the retails are struggling even in a low gas market-

From Tiffany's to Macys to WalMarts of the world- same sobbing story: No Growth Low margin- no hopes of rebounding- the only new design in the fashion world is LuLu wannabes at an arm and a leg price.And Nike seems to be the only one cashing on that trend.

Blaming of the warm weather is one way to look at it-

maybe the consumers are just tired of shopping? As they spend more and more time and money on passive activities on electronics making them less butterfly like? And more nerdish in a sort of kind of way - shere shopping takes a back seat?

Is this a major shift in outlook and behavior? As the society moves towards a knowledge based economy- more and more people drift in that direction - if this is what is happening - the retail industry may have to reinvent itself- beyond the multi channel strategy!

Junk Bond Terminologies!

Repricing, Discovery!

Il-liquid, Mispriced asset class

redemption, Closing the Gates

Spill over, contained

expanding spread-

Its amazing how much it takes to bring fire to smoke!

And when you have something that is named JUNK and you are still willing to throw money at them for a few points over a guaranteed , at least as of now, government money- you certainly are stupid and deserve the loss. the unfortunate thing is the real losers are not the one speculating under the name of ETFS, Funds, Fund of Funds, Hedgies, Hedge funds, Mutual funds - what ever name that has not been used in the previous stupid cycles- they still made their money while being stupid as they are only burning money that does not belong to them - and charged for doing so! And they can come back again under a new name!

Micron accelerates consolidation!

Micron Technology and Seagate have been very opportunistic over the last twenty something years- always buying bargains and consolidating their positions- mostly as the market dumps them and gets closer and closer to the bottom.

Now that Micron has made the move  we just have to wait for Seagate to do the same - and we will know it is near bargain basement and time to back up the truck and load them up!

PIMCO Boys!

Looks like its been a while since we have Bill Gross and El Erian ruled the Bond Market and Media. we have barked at their power and fall from grace, if you want to call their toothless status now, by powerful maneuver by Uncle Ben and the gang during and immediately after the Financial crisis- which ultimately made them lose their coveted role at German puppet PIMCO.

Now that we have seen the less than stellar performance by Mr Gross and still being in the sideline El Erian- should be claim victory and say it was PIMCO and their German Parent which was so powerful after all and the individuals just carried the torch on their behalf?

Maybe , Just Maybe- !

Is Paris and the Deal opens an opportunity?

For Coal?

Given where Coal is today and how all the major companies are doing- it is very easy to assume that Zero is closer than we think.

Then again that seems to be the case for all hard commodities. Given the importance of Coal in energy creation and how hard it is to dig up new mine or replace existing user base with other technology - it will stay here for a very long time and will not go any more than Zero!

If the companies wipe out the share holders with the debt burden they have- it will only show the power players who have been managing this kind of change for over a century and this time is no different.

but the companies and lobbies that channel their power will only make them stronger going forward.

So if you have some spare change put it on Coal as it can buy more than a bag of coal which will be worth a bunde a couple of Christmas from Now

Time Warner : On the bargain basket!

Netflix could be the streaming kind and a Fifty Billion dollar darling in the market- but in a world of expanding display based entertainment- no one has the capability to produce and retain talent and audience like Time Warner.

In its own way it is like a Disney - only different!

The amazing feat of Time Warner is how it converted CNN and Head Line News into an entertainment pipes.  Not to mention how TBS and TNT has become a huge asset to TW. From original shows to reruns- they have pretty much covered all the demographics and their idiosyncrasies.

Is there going to be bump in the road- of course but it only makes it a n opportunity for the franchise lovers.

At the current price - it is a bargain and Netflix could be successful like HBO but it does not eat into TW market - it only expands the over all market as streaming becomes just another delivery mechanism for everyone in the market - its just that more people from more market pay more to have another option.