Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 09/26/2008
Eric Fox submits: It seems that Bloomberg has angered the powers that be at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation [FDIC] with its recent article suggesting that the FDIC may need more money to bail out banks than is currently in its fund. Here is the Bloomberg article and the FDIC response is printed below: Bloomberg reporter David Evans' piece ("FDIC May Need $150 Billion Bailout as Local Bank...
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 09/18/2008
Eric Fox submits: What am I referring to when I say the Unthinkable? What I mean is a direct intervention into the stock market by the Federal Government. I am not talking about more bailouts of financial companies who overleveraged and forgot how to properly assess risk. I mean our government actually buying stocks to support the market. Granted it would take a lot more pain and the market would...
Seattle Times (Free subscription) | 09/09/2008
RealNetworks announced a software program Monday that for the first time gives consumers a simple and legal way to copy movies and TV shows from DVDs onto their computers.
U.S. News (Free subscription) | 09/08/2008
Software prevents distributing movies but can copy rented disks and will irk Hollywood.
Cnet (Free subscription) | 09/08/2008
RealDVD lets people turn their DVDs into a film library on their PCs--legally.
Ars Technica (Free subscription) | 09/08/2008
Real, makers of that media player you're always so excited to install, has a new app that can legitimately copy and play back a DVD to your PC. It sounds like a compelling product at first glance, but is Real a few years too late? Read More...
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 09/06/2008
Eric Fox submits: Here are some final stats on the bank (SSBX) seized Friday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation [FDIC], as of 6/30/08. Equity capital to assets - 6.87% Core capital (leverage) ratio - 6.56% Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio - 7.57% Total risk-based capital ratio - 8.86% Complete Story »
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 08/27/2008
Eric Fox submits: White Mountains Insurance (WTM) held its annual analyst meeting on June 17, and I finally got around to listening to the webcast. The URL is here if you want to listen yourself. I have written five other posts on the meeting. They are: Complete Story »
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 08/25/2008
Eric Fox submits: White Mountains Insurance (WTM) held its annual analyst meeting on June 17, and I finally got around to listening to the webcast. The URL is here if you want to listen yourself. I have written four other posts on the meeting. They are: Complete Story »
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 08/23/2008
Eric Fox submits: White Mountains Insurance (WTM) held its annual analyst meeting on June 17, and I finally got around to listening to the webcast. The URL is here if you want to listen yourself. I have written three other posts on the meeting. They are: Complete Story »
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 08/23/2008
Eric Fox submits: I just read through the third quarter shareholder letter from Marty Whitman at the Third Avenue Value Fund (TAREX). Some tidbits from the letter: 1) The fund was hit with $500 million in redemptions in the quarter, and had to sell "non-core" positions. Cash in the fund is now at $719 million or 8.5% of assets. Complete Story »
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 08/15/2008
Eric Fox submits: The Dallas Fed just released its August 2008 regional economic outlook. It looks like even the booming Energy industry isn't enough to stop the spread of the economic slowdown. The Texas economy slows to its lowest growth rate since 2003. Complete Story »
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 08/15/2008
Eric Fox submits: There are many things I hate on Wall Street. Here is a list of four of them. Fed Watching - I spend a considerably amount of time hating talking heads on CNBC and Bloomberg espousing on the intentions of the Federal Reserve and its esteemed Chairman. Will they ease? Will they cut? Are they pausing? Complete Story »
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 08/04/2008
Eric Fox submits: White Mountains Insurance (WTM) held its annual analyst meeting on June 17, and I finally got around to listening to the webcast. The URL is here if you want to listen yourself. I have twenty-eight pages of notes so I will have to present this in more than one post. I’ll start with the surprise reserve addition that was announced at the meeting. Complete Story »
Seeking Alpha (Free subscription) | 07/31/2008
Eric Fox submits: The Interagency Task Force on Commodity Markets has released its Interim Report on Crude Oil . This publication addresses the role of "speculators" in the oil futures market. I am still wading through the report but I found an apparent contradiction between two points that the task force made. On page 18, the report said: Complete Story »
