Ryan Freund

Beware the Financials Value Trap

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Still Too Early For Banks

Good article. Thanks for sharing your insights. I happen to agree with everything you said!

Sell Into the Financials Rally - Morgan Stanley

Thanks for the comments, everyone. Great discussion!

Blood in the Streets: Buy and Hold GE, For Now

bds,

GE is a global player, which partially shields it from inflationary pressure here in the US. Are there better plays out there? Sure, but GE, after getting the crap kicked out of it, might be one of the safest and best plays.

Blood in the Streets: Buy and Hold GE, For Now

Capgain,

No problem! I wish I had a grandfather that planned ahead like that! Good luck, though investors like us don't really need luck... :)

Blood in the Streets: Buy and Hold GE, For Now

Norman,

Even if the stock price doesn't change for another 10 years, the dividend will continue to be paid and increased. Virtually no downside risk and, if the stock does start to get out of its rut, there's significant upside.

Subprime Mortgage Losses: Not as Bad as Advertised

If those in the $282 billion bucket are indeed refi's, this article is quite misleading and should be clarified! Hopefully that wasn't the author's intent!

The Impending Mortgage Crisis

MByington,

It could be that banks are overrun by foreclosures and simply do not have the manpower to respond. That would be my guess. That or they're holding out for the markets to improve, which would be a terrible move.

The Impending Mortgage Crisis

By the way - do you have any short positions? Just curious...

Subprime Mortgage Losses: Not as Bad as Advertised

After reading the comments - IanB has an excellent point. How were these loans paid? If it's through refis, then doesn't that mean that $282 billion is still at risk?

Subprime Mortgage Losses: Not as Bad as Advertised

With house prices declining and cost of living skyrocketing, I believe your $100 billion estimated losses, of the $306 billion, is inaccurate. Only time will tell, though, as it's really up in the air.

I am particularly curious as to how you seem to think CNBC has been all doom and gloom. They have been pumping bank stocks and saying "the worst is over" louder and more often than anyone else.

As a sidenote, I agree that the subprime mess is getting cleared up. Prime, Alt-A, auto loans, and commercial loans are not out of the woods yet. If those perform well, your analysis that everything is OK now is probably correct. If they don't perform well (and honestly, I don't see how they can), then everything is about to get much much worse.

The Impending Mortgage Crisis

Great article, thanks. I agree with everything you've said.

Rail Carrier Trinity Appears Undervalued

I agree that the structural wind tower and barge industries are very promising for TRN. It's basically a mutual fund of the best industries out there, without the management fee! TRN should be selling in the mid $40's.

Thanks for the comments.

Libor Jump Means More Pain for Financials

Take solace in the fact that bank earnings have been severely hampered by the reduction of business. Add to that the reduction in leverage (and the resulting increase of reserves) and banks are still too richly valued. Future quarters will reveal the truth that the market makers are trying to hide.

How To Solve the Housing Crisis Tomorrow

Oh and to clarify, don't help those who have multiple properties, only those with one - their primary residence.