What We're Reading

There is a real threat of a credit boom and collapse, as the market enters a period of decreased macroeconomic volatility, former Pimco CEO Mohamed A. El-Erian told CNBC on Friday.  Separately, El-Erian said now is a good time to take profits considering the sluggish U.S. economy and geopolitical concerns around the world, including and especially surrounding Ukraine.

Fully story at CNBC

At least they're calling the URB-E a "car" but the big question for me is the basket optional for my beer?  LOL

I've never been big on ordering online because I'm a touch-n-feel kind of consumer who still still prefers to read a package, try on my clothes, read an hard cover book, etc but will the typical consumer find the price hike too much?  Apparently JPM doesn't think advising that the loss of customers going form $79/yr to $99/yr. would more than be offset by the increased revenue.  BusinessInsider took a look at just how often you need to shop Amazon using their prime services and broke it down for us.

• Basically if you order 20+ items per year less than $35 each
• Order 10+ items per year over $35 each
• Comparable to NFLX cost in streaming video
• More expensive than Kindle by 1/3 at one book per month

Clearly anyone earning $7.25/hour is priced out of this product but isn't that they way things are going anyway? 

When Louise Yamada talks, I tend to listen.  We'll be watching closely the next few days as the market back fills and if individual names fail at their 200d and 50d.  Will more double tops form and still other head-and-shoulder tops fail as their neckline are tested?  Some still feel the market is fairly valued.  Some still feel the market has gotten ahead of EPS.........and earnings (expected to be very lackluster) have just begun.  Let us not forget "sell in May and go away" fast approaching and as Louise points out, distribution tops can take quite some time to develop and sell.  I'm tempted myself to hit the road.  Aruba is calling my name.  Wall of worry is one thing but low-to-no earnings is another.  Only time will tell.

In full disclosure, several members are scalping longs here common in USO, UNG, FB, FEYE, BAC, GILD, V, RHT (and various option plays), having bought on Mondays low but all seem to be expecting failure at one point.  If you cannot be nimble, you may want to sit

Shark Tank's own Kevin O'Leary says he only invests in stocks who pay dividends. 

"70% of the returns of the last 40 years have come from cash flow; from dividends."

Enjoy - (hat tip member GT)

Stumbled across this heart warming clip of Carlos Whitaker jamming in a park.........when a homeless man walks up......and joins right in.  Music touches all people, worldwide. Enjoy!

Great visual by CNBC but checkout the 2nd video as well as this topic is REALLY heating up.  Definitely a lot of "passion" out there on the subject of high frequency trading and the supposed level playing field.  What do you think?  Please share

Certainly HFT (high frequency trading) takes advantage of minute price discrepancies and can fire off trades faster than your head can spin but is it "rigged"?  Is it illegal? Clearly big funds have an advantage over Joe the Plumber trying to trade his own portfolio.  They, after all, can afford all the bells and whistles, the fancy (more expensive) indicators, gain insider insight and if nothing else, insider information however can you say that's illegal or "rigged"?  Maybe it's more their presence causes concerns over stock market integrity with flash crashes occurring (it seems) on a continual basis now. 

We here at StockBuz strive to trade our ports, whether dollar cost averaging or full trades and do a darn good job at it so collaboration works.  Whether members feel "rigged" is the proper term to use is anyone's guess but right or wrong..............it certainly sells books.

If you were a Branch Manager as I was and your Branch continuously lost money, you'd be talked to and given stiff warning.  Eventually demotion was in order, if not completely being fired.

If you run a department and it's wasting thousands, tens of thousands, would you keep your job?

If you're a General, do you ever lose your stars?  Are they ever slapped down to a Sergeant Major or Lieutenant for looking the other way as BILLIONS fly by?

What if there are Millions, no, Billions being wasted every year?  Is no one held accountable?  Does no one have the power to say "that's enough - no more"?  The bookkeepers must be a total joke.  We have the time and manpower to investigate Benghazi and by all means, let's introduce a Bill that would prevent a custodial parent from dating or having sex without a Court order until a divorce is final (honest to God) yet no Congressional hearing on the enormous waste in Military spending.  No one slapped.  No one demoted.  No one fired.  Everyone loo

Looser corporate-governance standards are luring foreign companies to U.S. markets, a development causing concern among some large investors.

Overseas companies like Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. have recently opted to list their shares in New York rather than in their home markets or on other international exchanges, in part because the U.S. in some respects is more lenient, people familiar with the matter say.

Unlike venues in London and Hong Kong, their main rivals in the race for global listings, the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market allow corporate insiders who collectively own less than half their companies' stock to exercise control through dual-share structures and other means. In addition, many foreign companies are exempted from some of the disclosure requirements imposed on U.S. corporations.

"If you're looking to do dual-class, the U.S. is where you can do that," said Alex Cohen, a former Securities and Exchange Commission official w

Steve Jobs had true vision and it's amazing and inspiring to see him in action.  Please take the time.  You'll be very glad you did.

Dan Fitz does NOT have magic glasses...but he does have magic goggles!http://www.stockmarketmentor.com/public/2224.cfm