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Archive for March, 2009

Will Banks Truly Sell These Toxic Assets?

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 23rd, 2009 5:25 PM |

A quick summary of the plans proposed by Tim Geithner. Everything looks great on the surface and markets rally in anticipation, but VERY FEW transactions have occurred.

Let’s go over a few points:

1. Government provides cheap loans for investors to buy toxic assets . . . DONE.

2. Government provides backstop for investors to be somewhat protected against losses . . . DONE.

3. Investors express desire to purchase assets . . . DONE.

4. Banks express desire to sell assets to unclog balance sheets . . . DONE. (more…)

Bank Stocks Soar!! Bank Bonds Plummet!!

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 23rd, 2009 1:27 PM |

The major market stock averages overall and bank stocks specifically are respondingly positively to the Public-Private Investment Partnership laid out by Secretary Geithner. In the bond market, however, prices for bank debt are responding in a dramatically different fashion.

Why the inconsistency? My sense is that long term shorts in financial stocks are being forced to cover. Investors in the bond market are reacting as if this PPIP will create losses for certain assets as it simultaneously brings liquidity for other assets.

In its totality, the conflicting signals in the stock and bond markets for banks tell me that the jury remains out on the overall effectiveness of this plan for the financial industry specifically and the economy in general. (more…)

Public-Private Partnership? or “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 23rd, 2009 9:22 AM |

An oversimplified view of the proposed private-public partnership for investors to purchase toxic assets from banks is as follows:

A couple (private investor) looking for a home finds a piece of property (toxic asset) that seems very appealing. A mortgage broker (the government) is indicating that he can preapprove some very attractive financing terms. The mortgage broker also indicates that he can fortuitously provide a large cushion against potential losses on the property. The buyers inquire how that cushion may work. The broker informs them that he has access to funds from all the other homeowners (taxpayers) in town to offer as incentive to sell this property and others like it. 

The couple’s interest increases, but they start to wonder what’s the catch as the property has been on the market for a while.

Upon further review, the prospective buyer discovers that the property may have structural issues. In hearing that, they think about scaling back a potential bid on the property. The broker pressures them to the point where the couple starts personally disliking the broker. (more…)

We Need a Bigger Boat

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 23rd, 2009 6:05 AM |

"We need a BIGGER boat!"

"We need a BIGGER boat!"

The movie Jaws struck fear into the souls of beachgoers in the mid-70s. If our current economy were only a scary movie. A classic scene in Jaws occurred when the salty mariner Quint eyed the shark and informed his sidekicks, “we need a bigger boat.”

 In similar fashion, the size of the losses embedded in our banking, insurance, automotive, and states and municipalities will similarly require “a bigger boat!!”

Capital needs in the banking industry are projected from at least $500 billion to $1.5 trillion. Bloomberg reports former Fed chair Greenspan Says Banks Need $750 Billion More Capital. Nouriel Roubini puts the needs at upwards of $1.5 trillion. (more…)

Audio Recording: NoQuarter Radio’s Sense on Cents with Larry Doyle

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 22nd, 2009 9:36 PM |

In case you missed LD’s Sunday night radio show, just click on the Play button below for the audio recording. Once the playback has started, you can fast forward or rewind to any portion of the show by clicking at any point along the play bar.

The first portion of the show included a review of the markets and an in-depth analysis of the very critical challenges facing the insurance industry.

The second half of the show included an interview with Chuck Doyle of Business Capital in San Francisco. Chuck is one of the leading professionals in the field of debt restructuring and recapitalization.

Sunday night, March 22nd, 2009
NoQuarter Radio’s “Sense on Cents with Larry Doyle” 

                                    

In 30 Minutes, Join No Quarter Radio’s “Sense on Cents with Larry Doyle”

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 22nd, 2009 7:30 PM |

Join me from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET on No Quarter Radio for Sense on Cents with Larry Doyle. These are truly historic times in the global economy. Let’s “navigate the economic landscape” without the pandering or nonsense found elsewhere! With the stock market near 12 year lows, what is driving the flows? What is truly going on in the economy? Where are markets headed? What is happening in Washington and how is that impacting Wall Street? So much to cover.

Tonight I will talk with Chuck Doyle of Business Capital in San Francisco. Chuck is one of the leading professionals in the field of debt restructuring and recapitalization, and he has been highlighted regularly in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal and CNN. In the midst of our current economic turmoil, this conversation will be both timely and enlightening.

The developments in the markets, economy, global finance, Wall Street, and Washington are occurring at breakneck speed. I will try to slow things down a bit and provide a sense of perspective. What did we learn in the markets over the last week and month and what do they mean for the weeks and months ahead? What is happening overseas and how does that impact us here at home? What is happening in the municipal sector and how will that impact the markets and our personal finances?
(more…)

Financial Logic and Morality

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 22nd, 2009 12:26 PM |

I am a proud graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit institution in Worcester, MA. The strength of a Jesuit education lies in the principles of Logic and Morality. While I fully appreciated my classes in Economics, German, Philosophy, and others, my classes in Logic and Morality made the greatest impact on me. Those classes forced me to think, not make rash judgments, take positions, and defend them.  

Fast forward to 2009 and a banking industry facing hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of unrealized losses. How do we most effectively, efficiently, and expeditiously address the health of this banking system so that our economy and population can regain its footing and prosper?  Let me revert back to the late ’70s and early ’80s and the principles instilled in me by those Jesuits.

 My Logic class utilized “decision trees.” My Morality class was based on the principle of “the greatest good for the greatest number.”

What have we learned over the last 6 months, as well as the last 16 years, to help us chart our way forward? (more…)

Tune in to No Quarter Radio’s “Sense on Cents with Larry Doyle”

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 22nd, 2009 9:35 AM |

Please join us this evening from 8-9 p.m. ET for No Quarter Radio’s Sense on Cents with Larry Doyle. With the stock market near 12 year lows, what is driving soc-promo5the flows? What is truly going on in the economy? Where are markets headed? Given the Washington political circus, how will new legislation impact the future of Wall Street? So much to cover.

Additionally, I will talk with Chuck Doyle of Business Capital in San Francisco. Chuck is one of the leading professionals in the field of debt restructuring and recapitalization, and he has been highlighted regularly in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal and CNN. In the midst of our current economic turmoil, this conversation will be both timely and enlightening.

These are truly historic times in the global economy. Let’s “navigate the economic landscape” without the pandering or nonsense found elsewhere! What is on your mind? What would you like to address? Please share your questions and thoughts by calling in to (347) 677-0792, and also join our live chat room, which I’ll start up about 10 minutes before the show begins!

As a reminder, all NO QUARTER RADIO programming is archived and can be played back at any time. Just go to the NO QUARTER RADIO site and look for previous episodes. In addition, each program is available as a podcast on iTunes.

Many thanks to Larry Johnson and the rest of the team at No Quarter USA blog for providing such a vibrant vehicle as NO QUARTER RADIO. I look forward to having you join me Sunday evening as we collectively navigate the economic landscape!!

A New TARP Plan

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 21st, 2009 9:13 PM |

confidence-cartoon1

Cartoon by Walt Handelsman, Newsday

Are We Turning Japanese?

Posted by Larry Doyle on March 21st, 2009 4:08 PM |

Many market participants and economists are very concerned that the United States has made many of the same economic blunders experienced by Japan during the 1990s. Japan experienced a period known as “The Lost Decade.”

Are decisions now being made in Washington a precursor to a similar scenario here in the United States? Many people think so. A friend shared a piece which highlights some of the major social and economic problems in Japan. Obviously the United States has a far different culture, society, and economic base than Japan, but will our fiscal deficits and our current policies lead us in the same direction as Japan? This piece, written by Tom Dyson, touches upon some of the social and economic dynamics at work in Japan. I think it will cause you to pause and reflect on our situation here in the United States. Are we making decisions and enacting policies which will cause a similar outcome? (more…)






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