Feb 27, 2010

Daily Markets - Financial News And Opinions

Daily Markets - Financial News And Opinions

US Mortgage Rates: Artificially Low Currently?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 06:01 PM PST

I read a few articles yesterday regarding mortgage rates.  The first was on Calculated Risk, a site that I was recently turned onto.  It does a very thorough job discussing the real estate markets and mortgage rates.  The article yesterday mentioned included a graph of historical mortgage rates.  The result that the current yield on a 10 year Treasury - say 3.75% for talk’s sake - should be met with a 30 year fixed mortgage rate of 5.62%

The current 30 year fixed mortgage rate is … [visit site to read more]


List Of Actively Managed ETFs

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 05:01 PM PST

Name
Ticker
Inception Date
Market Cap ($MM)
Expense Ratio

1
AdvisorShares Dent Tactical
DENT
16-Sep-09
25.45
1.56%

2
Grail American Beacon Large Cap Value
GVT
04-May-09
3.01
0.79%*

3
Grail McDonnell Core Taxable Bond
GMTB
29-Jan-10
5.01
0.35%*

4
Grail McDonnell Intermediate Municipal Bond
GMMB
29-Jan-10
5.02
0.35%*

5
Grail RP Financials
RFF
02-Oct-09
2.46
0.89%*

6
Grail RP Focused Large Cap … [visit site to read more]

The Cycle Of Deflation

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 04:01 PM PST

The post below is a guest contribution by Marty Weiner of Comstock Partners, the highly regarded investment manager run by Charles Minter.

We have been strong believers in the deflation theme since we have been writing these reports beginning in early 2000 (and even before).  We are attaching a chart depicting the “Cycle of Deflation” which you should print out and refer to as you read this comment.
As you can see by the chart, the typical deflation starts with savings and investment … [visit site to read more]

How Some Small Businesses Are Coping

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 03:52 PM PST

It’s no secret that small businesses have been especially hard hit by the financial crisis. But some are doing better than others. Based on a sampling of news reports from small and mid-sized newspapers around the country, here are some tips that might prove helpful:
Rethink product mixes and service locations

“Small Businesses Cope with ‘New Normal’” (Danbury News Times)

While the economic downturn has caused dozens of area small businesses to shutter their doors, many of the survivors have … [visit site to read more]

Temporary Hiring: A Different Kind Of Signal?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 12:29 PM PST

A recent Associated Press report, “Temp Hiring No Longer Seen as Sign of Recovery,” suggests that one economic rule of thumb no longer applies:

When employers hire temporary staff after a recession, it’s long been seen as a sign they’ll soon hire permanent workers.
Not these days.
Companies have hired more temps for four straight months. Yet they remain reluctant to make permanent hires because of doubts about the recovery’s durability.
Even companies that are boosting production seem … [visit site to read more]

Stock Investor Sentiment: What Are Your Expectations?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 09:52 AM PST

Company insiders are selling in record numbers, once again. Yes, insiders have been selling for the better part of 8 months as share prices have risen, but how good could a company’s prospects be if those at the controls don’t see any benefit of holding onto their shares? The S&P500 has moved over 60% since the March, 2009 lows. The “bull market” hype has been nothing but a trading range for 4 months now, and over this time, the “dumb money” has been increasingly bullish while the “smart … [visit site to read more]
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