-CALLS- OPTION    EXP.DATE ANR        3/23/12 AAPL       3/23/12 AAPL       3/23/12 BAC        4/21/12 BAC        5/19/12 AAPL       4/21/12 BAC        5/19/12 GOOG       3/23/12 AAPL       3/23/12 MU         4/21/12

-PUTS- OPTION    EXP.DATE ANR        3/23/12 AAPL       3/23/12 GLD        3/23/12 AAPL       3/23/12 X          4/21/12 DHI        4/21/12 X          4/21/12 IBM        3/23/12 FCX        3/30/12 IBM        3/30/12

-VOLUME- CALLS      PUTS           TOTAL 7926       11697 -CALLS- OPTION    EXP.DATE AAPL       3/23/12 AMZN       3/23/12 NKE        4/21/12 AAPL       3/23/12 GS         3/30/12 BAC        4/21/12 GS         4/21/12 BIDU       3/23/12 NKE        4/21/12 BAC        3/30/12

-PUTS- OPTION    EXP.DATE LYV        7/21/12 AAPL       3/23/12 AAPL       3/23/12 DELL       4/21/12 CHK        4/21/12 AAPL       3/23/12 KITD       7/21/12 JAG        4/21/12 WFC        7/21/12 KITD       4/21/12

-VOLUME- CALLS      PUTS           TOTAL 226756     160514         387270

STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 16.0000         274            0.0600      dn 0.1600 605.0000         218            0.4600      dn 0.5800 600.0000         127            1.7500      dn 0.7400 12.0000          94            0.0400      dn 0.0100 9.0000          90            1.0200      dn 0.0100 600.0000          86           20.5000      dn 0.4000 12.0000          82            0.1100      up 0.0000 650.0000          80            0.6500      dn 0.4000 610.0000          80            0.1600      dn 0.3400 9.0000          80            0.2400      dn 0.1400 STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 16.0000         277            0.2100      dn 0.0200 595.0000         111            0.7400      dn 0.6700 160.0000         107            0.0900      dn 0.6600 600.0000          88            2.5800      dn 1.0200 27.0000          68            0.5000      dn 0.0600 15.0000          63            0.6000      up 0.1900 29.0000          61            1.2800      up 0.0300 205.0000          60            0.1100      dn 0.3600 38.0000          53            0.6500      dn 0.0100 200.0000          50            0.3000      dn 0.0500 19623

STRIKE PRC. VOLUME LAST S/PRC. NET CHANGE 600.0000 2966 1.6600 dn 1.0600 195.0000 2563 1.1000 up 0.6700 115.0000 2448 0.3400 dn 1.5500 605.0000 2025 0.4500 dn 0.5000 130.0000 1323 0.8000 up 0.0900 11.0000 1159 0.1100 dn 0.0100 135.0000 1004 1.6700 up 0.3300 145.0000 969 0.2800 dn 0.3000 120.0000 903 0.1000 dn 0.6500 10.0000 833 0.1000 dn 0.0100 STRIKE PRC. VOLUME LAST S/PRC. NET CHANGE 7.5000 1761 0.6500 up 0.0500 595.0000 1609 0.6800 dn 0.6700 600.0000 1406 2.5400 dn 0.7600 15.0000 1240 0.0700 up 0.0200 23.0000 840 0.4200 dn 0.0400 590.0000 816 0.1900 dn 0.3100 10.0000 784 4.6000 up 2.0500 5.0000 782 0.3500 dn 0.0500 30.0000 712 0.9400 dn 0.0200 7.5000 585 1.4000 up 1.1000

Comments »

Clear and Present Danger in Corporate America

Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:57am EST Comments Off on Clear and Present Danger in Corporate America

Source

“The nation’s largest banks, with combined holdings equal to half of the U.S. economy, represent a “clear and present danger” and must be broken up.

This alarmist conclusion is not the work of a consumer advocate or a liberal critic of Wall Street. No, this assessment comes out of Dallas, Texas, and the local arm of the Federal Reserve.

In its 2011 annual report, the Dallas Fed notes that more than half of the banking industry’s assets belong to just five institutions, those often referred to as “too big to fail” (TBTF). Furthermore, the 10 top banks account for 61% of commercial banking assets, and ‘their combined assets equate to half of our nation’s GDP.”

Written by Harvey Rosenblum, executive vice president and director of research for the Dallas Fed, and approved by Dallas Fed president Richard W. Fisher, the report points out that “The term TBTF disguised the fact that commercial banks holding roughly one-third of the assets in the banking system did essentially fail, surviving only with extraordinary government assistance.” Too big to fail perverts the concept of capitalism in the United States because Capitalism requires the freedom to succeed and the freedom to fail. Hard work and good decisions should be rewarded. Perhaps more important, bad decisions should lead to failure—openly and publicly.”

The report goes on to warn, “TBTF institutions were at the center of the financial crisis and the sluggish recovery that followed. If allowed to remain unchecked, these entities will continue posing a clear and present danger to the U.S. economy.

“As a nation, we face a distinct choice. We can perpetuate TBTF, with its inequities and dangers, or we can end it. Eliminating TBTF won’t be easy, but the vitality of our capitalist system and the long-term prosperity it produces hang in the balance.”

The big five banks and bank holding companies are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs.”

Comments »

Big Brobama is Watching and Collecting

Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:54am EST Comments Off on Big Brobama is Watching and Collecting

Source

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. intelligence community will now be able to store information about Americans with no ties to terrorism for up to five years under new Obama administration guidelines.

Until now, the National Counterterrorism Center had to immediately destroy information about Americans that was already stored in other government databases when there were no clear ties to terrorism.

Giving the NCTC expanded record-retention authority had been called for by members of Congress who said the intelligence community did not connect strands of intelligence held by multiple agencies leading up to the failed bombing attempt on a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas 2009.

“Following the failed terrorist attack in December 2009, representatives of the counterterrorism community concluded it is vital for NCTC to be provided with a variety of datasets from various agencies that contain terrorism information,” Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in a statement late Thursday. “The ability to search against these datasets for up to five years on a continuing basis as these updated guidelines permit will enable NCTC to accomplish its mission more practically and effectively.”

The new rules replace guidelines issued in 2008 and have privacy advocates concerned about the potential for data-mining information on innocent Americans.

“It is a vast expansion of the government’s surveillance authority,” Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said of the five-year retention period….”

Comments »

State of the Nation: Disconnect Between Main Street and Pennsylvania Ave

Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:50am EST Comments Off on State of the Nation: Disconnect Between Main Street and Pennsylvania Ave

Source

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Louisiana farmer Don Johnson sees leading Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum as clueless about business outside of privileged circles.

That goes for President Barack Obama, too, said the 64-year-old farmer of soybeans, corn and wheat. Johnson, a Republican, said Newt Gingrich is the only candidate making any sense heading into the state’s primary this weekend.

Counties with highest, lowest income inequality

COUNTY	GINI INDEX*
East Carroll Parish, La.	0.645
Edwards County, Texas	0.626
New York County, N.Y.	0.601
Mineral County, Colo.	0.598
Pitkin County, Colo.	0.591
Allendale County, S.C.	0.582
Greene County, Ga.	0.564
Randolph County, Ga.	0.558
Sioux County, N.D.	0.556
Franklin County, Miss.	0.555
Manassas Park, Va.	0.339
Blaine County, Neb.	0.337
Kendall County, Ill.	0.332
Craig County, Va.	0.327
Bath County, Va.	0.326
Logan County, Neb.	0.314
San Juan County, Colo.	0.313
McPherson County, Neb.	0.311
Kalawao County, Hawaii	0.304
Loving County, Texas	0.207

* Estimated, The Gini index measures income inequality, and varies between zero and one. A value of one indicates perfect inequality – only one household has any income. A value of zero indicates perfect equality – all households have equal income.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey

“Most of them are living in a make-believe world. People have to work for a paycheck every day, every week — they don’t understand that, they don’t feel the pain,” Johnson said. “Newt is probably the smartest. He can go toe-to-toe with Obama as far as explaining the issues.”

Millions of Americans remain underemployed and unemployed following a recession that widened economic divides in the U.S. Hoping to win support, Romney and Santorum are both touting the American dream of economic mobility, while criticizing Obama for, they claim, encouraging class warfare.

Both of the leading remaining Republican candidates support cutting taxes and regulations, aiming to woo constituents who want to do better for themselves and their kids, and are worried that government spending and rules are out of control. While the conservative candidates don’t overtly raise the issue of income equality in the same way Obama does, the Republicans in their policies and rhetoric aim to appeal to voters with those concerns.

“In just about every speech they give examples of small businesses trying to do something and being blocked by government regulations,” said Lawrence Jacobs, a political scientist at the University of Minnesota. “The Republicans are not whistling Dixie here – they are sinking their teeth into very public angst about government being too large.”

There is income inequality in America, there always has been, and hopefully, and I do say that, there always will be. Why? Because people rise to different levels of success based on what they contribute to society

Rick Santorum

After winning the Illinois Republican primary on Tuesday, Romney spoke about the American dream, opportunity and economic freedom.

“Economic freedom is the only force that has consistently succeeded in lifting people out of poverty,” Romney said. “But today, Americans who want to start a new business or launch a new venture don’t see promise and opportunity. They see government standing in their way.”

To strengthen the economy, Romney has said that if elected he would work on free-trade agreements, move to cut certain Obama-administration regulations, and order a sanction on China for unfair-trade practices, among other actions. Regarding Social Security, he has suggested raising the eligibility age as an option.

Looking longer term, his economic plan also supports lower tax rates on a broader base “so that taxation becomes an instrument for promoting economic growth.” Romney also supports cutting corporate tax rates.

Meanwhile, Santorum has said he would toss Obama administration regulations with an economic burden of more than $100 million, negotiate free-trade agreements, and cut means-tested entitlement programs by 10%, among other actions. He would also lower personal income and corporate tax rates.

The country needs “a renewed focus on creating opportunity,” Santorum wrote in a January South Carolina newspaper column.

Comments »

Getting to the Bottom of Cause and Effect on Oil Prices

Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:44am EST Comments Off on Getting to the Bottom of Cause and Effect on Oil Prices

A whole lot to digest here….

Comments »

Special Report: Intel shows Iran nuclear threat not imminent

Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:40am EST Comments Off on Special Report: Intel shows Iran nuclear threat not imminent

“(Reuters) – The United States, European allies and even Israel generally agree on three things about Iran’s nuclear program: Tehran does not have a bomb, has not decided to build one, and is probably years away from having a deliverable nuclear warhead.

Those conclusions, drawn from extensive interviews with current and former U.S. and European officials with access to intelligence on Iran, contrast starkly with the heated debate surrounding a possible Israeli strike on Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

“They’re keeping the soup warm but they are not cooking it,” a U.S. administration official said.

Reuters has learned that in late 2006 or early 2007, U.S. intelligence intercepted telephone and email communications in which Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a leading figure in Iran’s nuclear program, and other scientists complained that the weaponization program had been stopped.

That led to a bombshell conclusion in a controversial 2007 National Intelligence Estimate: American spy agencies had “high confidence” that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in the fall of 2003.

Current and former U.S. officials say they are confident that Iran has no secret uranium-enrichment site outside the purview of U.N. nuclear inspections.

They also have confidence that any Iranian move toward building a functional nuclear weapon would be detected long before a bomb was made….”

Comments »

Obama Elects Jim Yong Kim as World Bank President

Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:38am EST Comments Off on Obama Elects Jim Yong Kim as World Bank President

“The prospect of the World Bank being led by someone from outside the U.S. for the first time seemed nearer on Friday, as several African nations backed Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the job.

Per-Anders Pettersson | Getty Images

World Bank building in Washington, DC.

“The endorsement is in line with the belief that the appointment of the leadership of the World Bank and its sister institution, theInternational Monetary Fund , should be merit-based, open and transparent,” the leaders of South Africa, Nigeria and Angola said in a statement.

If Okonjo-Iweala defies expectations and gets the job, she will be the first African to lead the organization, as well as the first woman.

The process of deciding who will be the next World Bank president will be — like the election of the next Pope — difficult to follow unless you’re one of the privileged few in the room.

In every previous election, the U.S. president’s nominee has been a shoo-in, but this time around the emerging economies are mounting a determined challenge. Given that the Bank’s remit is to lend to developing economies, an appointment from the emerging markets might make sense. However, the U.S., as the largest contributor to the Bank, controls 16.41 percent of the votes, and the winning candidate needs 85 percent.

Nominations for the presidency close on Friday, with growing rumblings that this may be the first time a woman, or someone from outside the U.S., leads the fund….”

Full article

Comments »

U.S. Equity Preview: WTSLA, SCS, NKE, MU, COV. CPWM, & ACN

Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:39am EST Comments Off on U.S. Equity Preview: WTSLA, SCS, NKE, MU, COV. CPWM, & ACN

Source

Accenture Plc (ACN) : The world’s second-largest technology-consulting company raised its full-year earnings forecast to at least $3.82 a share, beating analysts’ average projection of $3.80.

Cost Plus Inc. (CPWM) : The seller of international- themed food and casual furnishings forecast first-quarter revenue of at least $210 million, exceeding the average analyst estimate of $205.8 million.

Covidien Plc (COV) : The maker of surgical products and drugs agreed to buy closely held Newport Medical Instruments Inc., which makes ventilators, for $108 million. The Dublin- based company said it sees no material effect on sales and earnings in 2012.

Micron Technology Inc. (MU) : The largest U.S. maker of computer memory reported a third consecutive loss after sluggish demand for personal computers dragged down chip prices.

Nike Inc. (NKE) : The world’s largest sporting-goods company reported third-quarter profit that topped analysts’ estimates as sales gained in North America.

Steelcase Inc. (SCS) : The maker of office furniture forecast first-quarter earnings of no more than 12 cents a share, falling short of the average analyst estimate of 16 cents.

Wet Seal Inc. (WTSLA) : The apparel chain for teenage girls forecast first-quarter earnings of no more than 4 cents a share, missing the average analyst estimate by 2 cents.

Comments »