NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by Maybach

NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by WallStSense.com

In January I predicted (see Notable Bankruptcies of 2009: Q1) that “major” bankruptcies in 2009 would challenge the 383 mark set in 2001 (the high-water mark after the dotcom bubble). I even suggested that it was possible that we could exceed 400 “major” bankruptcies in 2009.[More...]

I want to revisit some of my stock decisions and see what was the outcome and analyze if there is anything I should have done better. I will try to be intellectually honest with my assessments and recognize my errors. Also i want to look back and see if there are any mental traps that affected my decisions and recognize when i fall for these psychological biases. Below is all the positions that I have talked about on this blog for over a year or so. All are businesses that I looked to own but did not or I bought and sold. General Growth (GGPWQ): I have dismissed the value in[More...]

It's that time of the quarter again. 45 days after the end of Q2 means that we get a slew of 13F filings from the top fund managers in the world. Kicking things off today is Bill Ackman of Pershing Square. (Click on the image to expand it.) Looks like Ackman did a lot of selling in Q2 and very little buying. He completely sold off his stakes in Apartment Investment Co (AIV), Alexander's (ALX), Visa (V), Yum Brands (YUM) and Wendy's[More...]

In January I predicted (see Notable Bankruptcies of 2009: Q1) that “major” bankruptcies in 2009 would challenge the 383 mark set in 2001 (the high-water mark after the dotcom bubble). I even suggested that it was possible that we could exceed 400 “major” bankruptcies in 2009. According to Bankruptcydata.com, there have been 156 “major” filings thus far in 2009. Assuming that bankruptcies are equally distributed throughout the year, this puts us on pace for 312 bankruptcies. That is tracking well shy of my prediction. In fact, bankruptcies were down significantly from Q1 to Q2, as there were 90 bankruptcies in the first quarter but only 66 in the second. That stylized fact begs the question: Is that a “green shoot”[More...]

Wealth Daily editor Steve Christ examines the outlook for the commercial real estate market... and why you should run -- not walk -- from this disaster.

Schaeffer's analyst Colleen S. King takes a look at the major news of the day on Wall Street.

Tom Dorsey and Tammy DeRosier - Where Do You Fall...Structural Bear or Structural Bull?

Schaeffer's analyst Colleen S. King takes a look at the major news of the day on Wall Street.

Schaeffer's analyst Colleen S. King takes a look back at the major news of the day on Wall Street.

REITtalk Episode 153 Date: October 13, 2008 Guest: Steven Marks Managing Director, REITs Fitch Ratings Program Length: 25:41 Website: http://www.REITcafe.com TOPIC: Global equity markets are in turmoil, credit markets are in lockdown, and REIT volatility is at all time highs; how do you begin to make sense of it all? Steven Marks, Managing Director, REITs at Fitch Ratings, joins host, Anatole Pevnev, to discuss the current state of the credit markets and how it is affecting REIT credit quality. Topics discussed include: * REITs are often categorized as a financial stock. Many banks have failed, others have received government funding to avoid liquidity crises; are REITs susceptible to similar liquidity problems or are their structures fundamentally different? * What impact are equity valuations having on the credit quality of REITs? * In this environment, where we aren't sure how long valuations will be impaired, what is the ratings bias of Fitch? * What factors is Fitch focused on today? * Are REITs well positioned to ride out problems in the credit markets? ***************************************** This Episode of REITtalk is sponsored by: Pepper Hamilton, LLP Attorneys at Law www.pepperlaw.com Pepper Hamilton is a multi-practice law firm whose reputation for results goes back more than a century. To learn more about Pepper Hamilton and their Real Estate Capital Markets practice you can visit them on the internet at www.pepperlaw.com Find out how Pepper can keep your next deal sizzling. Call Michael Friedman at (215) 981-4000 -- and -- RealFoundations www.RealFoundations.net Delivering world-class business improvement, process optimization, and technology solutions to real estate investors and operators. RealFoundations has years of experience working with leading REITS and institutional investors. For more information on their breadth of services and expertise visit RealFoundations on the internet at www.realfoundations.net ***************************************** Music: I'd like to thank Derek K. Miller from Vancouver, Canada for providing the music for this episode of REITtalk. http://podcast.penmachine.com.