Month

Hope all goes well… Santa slipped down the chimney. Left big boot prints in the ash, that spilled across our hearth. And the jolly fella stuffed stockings. Built a train set too.  Sprinkled magic everywhere. Moments before the kiddies emerged, sporting their finest bedhead, Santa lit candles. Warming our chilly pre-dawn living room. And hours later, as Mara and I basked in the Christmas morning afterglow, Osama bin C

Week-in-Review: Mon: China 7day repo soars to 8.84%, Japan closed for Emperor’s Day, Thai opposition boycotts elections, Turkish anti-corruption protests spread, Letta promises reform pact (taxes, bureaucracy, electoral), IMF to raise US 2014 outlook (current 2.5% GDP), US personal income +2.3% yoy (spending +3.5%), PCE price index +0.9% yoy (core +1.1%), real consumer spending +2.6% yoy, consumer sentiment unch, Mik

Hope all goes well… “Instead of sitting around and whining that we have so much money that we can’t possibly outperform,” he said, perched on the pinnacle of the pyramid. “We look at the world and ask ourselves, with so much money, what are the things that we can do that play to our unique strengths,” he continued, thoughtfully, over breakfast. “And will allow us to outperform because we have so much money.” Overall:

Whitewash raced up the sand. Crashed against our shins. With each wave, the ebb, the flow, we sank deeper. Wiggling our toes. Burrowing. Squinting as we watched our oldest sons battle thundering 6ft Santa Barbara surf. “Don’t see Europe pulling out of this,” said my buddy. I’d asked what trends he saw unfolding. He leads a vast global corporation. And as sales roll in from every nation, he watches tides rise, fall, g

Dear Santa, I got a short list. As usual. So here goes. I’d like an autographed photo of Putin, topless, fly-fishing. Not quite sure why. While you’re swinging through Russia, snap a pic of Khodorkovsky’s dog-eared library. Vladimir let him go. Always wondered what Mikhail read during his lost decade. Pick up a Pussy Riot concert tee too. Oh yeah, I’d love a Kingfisher with Hazare. He ended his hunger strike after In

Hope all goes well… “Can I tell you a secret?” asked the legendary trader, after three too many. So I reminded him I’m no priest. And while my memory blurs under the influence, when it comes to quality quotes, I got better recollection than Rain Man. He nodded, shrouded in the secrecy of my policy of anonymity. “You wanna know the key to this whole game?” he continued, lowering his voice, leaning in closer. “This gam

Some pudgy Korean kid killed his uncle. Volcker’s 953-page rule killed Wall Street’s remaining three or four prop traders. Europeans finally agreed how to kill dying banks. Bangladeshi’s killed an Islamist opposition leader for killing Bangladeshi’s. America’s government sold the last of its General Motors shares, killing discredited critics. And ascendant General Motors killed off its Dutch-disease riddled Australia

“I know how good I am,” said the Greenwich Bulldog, rebuilding his book, lifting his leg, marking territory, as others downsize into year-end. “I’m good at my craft, I apply hard work and discipline to what I do,” he continued. “Not good at much else, but I’m good at this.” And I didn’t interrupt the tenacious beast, to remind him he’s a great father. A great friend too. Generous. Loyal. “Which means I’m under no ill

Hope all goes well… “You become a junkie, you want action,” said the mkt’s top equity options trader, describing what makes men’s blood race. Equity markets keep finding casual users, nervously buying street-corner dimes, quarters. But they’re not yet robbing old ladies, rolling liquor stores, buying bricks. Yeah, there’s no sign it’s near its end. “But I’ll know it when I see it,” he continued, “Cause the S&P do

“The US will end too-big-to-fail,” announced Jack Lew, Treasury Secretary for earth’s biggest economy. You see, America’s 5 biggest banks got 37% bigger since 2008. They make 42% of all loans. The biggest six hold 67% of the $14.4trln banking system’s assets. One big bank holds just $113bln of assets against $43,000bln in outstanding derivatives. Anyhow, earth’s 2nd biggest economy lifted the IPO ban in place since O