Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial analysis, Management Issues.

Description: CEO of New York Community Bancorp Joseph Ficalora discusses the financial crisis and how the banking industry has changed since.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Nov 26, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/11/26/investing-new-york-community-bank-tarp-banking.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • Why did some banks not take TARP?
  • What does this report suggest about the risks taken by bank managers?

Posted by & filed under Financial Planning, Governments & Regulators.

Description: Pimco’s Mohamed El-Erian says the question now is not if the Federal Reserve will support the market, but if its policies will work.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Nov 18, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/11/18/investing-mohamed-el-erian-pimco-stock-market-federal-reserve-bubble.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • Why does El-Erian believe it is time to take some money out of stocks?
  • Who is benefitting most from current monetary policy?

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis.

Description: Don’t look now – but uranium prices rose almost seven percent in the latest quarter to around $40 US, making it one of the better-performing hard commodities. Joe Mazumder, analyst with Canaccord Genuity, says there is still an oversupply of uranium that is keeping prices from approaching pre-Fukushima levels.

Source: BNN.ca – video report

Date: Nov 29, 2013

Link: http://www.bnn.ca/News/2013/11/29/Uranium-quietly-gains-ground.aspx

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does this report suggest is the direction for uranium prices?
  • What are the major factors that will influence the future price of this commodity?
  • What are the risks to investors and miners?

Posted by & filed under Governments & Regulators, Management Issues.

Description: News that JPMorgan Chase would pay a $13 billion fine, the largest government penalty levied on a single company, initially led to calls that CEO Jamie Dimon should step down. That’s not going to happen. Board members have rallied around Dimon. What’s more, it’s unlikely that Dimon had any direct involvement in the troubled mortgage deals. In fact, he warned his executives about the dangers of subprime loans.

Source: Fortune.com

Date: Nov 27, 2013

Link: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2013/11/27/jpmorgan-bankers-13-billion-settlement/?iid=SF_F_River

Questions for Discussions:

  • Summarize the criticisms leveled at the legal and regulatory processes aimed at dealing with the problems related to the banking and financial crisis.
  • Do you think the criticisms are fair?

Posted by & filed under Financial analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation.

Description: Investors are rediscovering their taste for equities. Stock funds took in $148 billion in the year’s first 10 months, after five years when money flowed out, according to Investment Company Institute data. The shift marks a reversal from the four years through 2012, when investors put $1 trillion into bond funds, and the financial crisis drove many to abandon stocks and miss out as the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index almost tripled from its March 2009 low.

Source: BusinessWeek.com

Date: Nov 27, 2013

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-27/record-highs-lure-investors-back-to-stocks#r=nav-fst

Questions for Discussions:

  • Explain the flow of funds from bonds into equity?
  • Do you believe the risk level has reached a peak for investors?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial analysis, Management Issues.

Description: The movie studio has figured out how to keep milking money out of successful franchises like the Hunger Games and Twilight.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Nov 22, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/11/22/investing-buzz-lionsgate-entertainment-hunger-games-catching-fire.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • What is the “formula” being used by studios like Lion’s Gate?
  • Would you be a buyer of the stock today?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial analysis.

Description: Cristina Alesci reports on the performance of Herbalife. She speaks on Bloomberg Television’s “In The Loop.” (Source: Bloomberg)

Source: Bloomberg.com – video report

Date: Nov 22, 2013

Link: http://bloom.bg/18VYOzD#ooid=xncG9raDojHmeoHBjPmU0dC79osxQsKf

Questions for Discussions:

  • Explain why a leveraged buyout makes sense for Herbalife?
  • What are the possible ending scenarios for Herbalife?
  • Which do you think will likely be the one to play out?

Posted by & filed under Financial Planning, Growth & Valuation.

Description: Wall Street deals haven’t gotten any less convoluted since the financial crisis. We got some more evidence of that this week.

Source: Fortune.com

Date: Nov 22, 2013

Link: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2013/11/22/yahoo-buyback/?iid=SF_F_River

Questions for Discussions:

  • Summarize the criticisms leveled at Yahoo for the way this deal was structured.
  • Do you think there is anything unfair or misleading about the changes to the balance sheet?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description: The fashion label Vince creates slouchy, mid-priced luxury basics that sell well at Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Barneys New York, and Saks Fifth Avenue, among other retailers. And while it may seem safe to assume that those comfy T-shirts are designed by a guy named Vince, well, there’s no Vince at Vince.

Source: BusinessWeek.com

Date: Nov 22, 2013

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-22/the-anonymous-fashion-line-that-s-cleaning-up-on-wall-street#r=hp-lst

Questions for Discussions:

  • How do fashion businesses like Vince typically finance their growth?
  • At what point is an IPO considered a logical next step?
  • What are the risks to owning stock in the fashion business?

Posted by & filed under Financial analysis, Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis.

Description: Activist investor Carl Icahn has clarified his comments that contributed to pushing stocks to session lows on Monday.

Source: MarketWatch.com

Date: Nov 19, 2013

Link: http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2013/11/19/carl-icahn-clarifies-his-stock-caution-comments-as-others-downplay-them/

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does the report say about investor reactions to comments by investors like Carl Icahn?
  • Do you believe the markets are due for a correction?