Welcome to the end of the week and another edition of Happy Hour! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your end of the week roundup of all things interesting in the land of money.
Real NFL Refs
It only took the replacement referee experiment three weeks to hit the worst case scenario. As it turns out, it was enough to put it to an end too. With last nights game the real NFL referees received a standing ovation for their return. Probably the last time we’ll ever see that.
What was a great game between the Seahawks and Packers turned into a social media firestorm on the last play. If you haven’t heard the Packers lost on what was obviously an interception but ruled as a touchdown for Seattle.
It’s the one thing the NFL hoped would not happen. But when you put a faulty product on the field, you should expect some outrage. When you replace great with average you never get the same results. Thankfully, all is well with the football world now that the real refs are back. Right?
Drunk Trading
What could easily be titled What Not To Do After You’ve Been Drinking. Apparently you shouldn’t head back to office after a few too many and start working again. A British trader thought this was great idea and did it in a big way. And lost almost $10 million in the process. Continue Reading…
Earnings season is a conflicting time for long-term investors. The idea of quarterly reports just fuels a short-term view of the market. Something long-term investors can get drawn into without discipline and patience. If you know what you’re looking for, the information gained from a quarterly earnings conference call can help you make money.
Behind every investment is a company (or government in the case of bonds) that has bills to pay. A well run company keeps those expenses in check and paid on time. It even carries an acceptable amount of debt too. But what happens to your investment when that company takes on too much debt? Or it can’t pay its bills anymore? A default risk premium is built into the price of every investment to cover this risk.
The Fed announcement of QE3 was the big news last week. Despite my misgivings and distaste for more easing, it’s here, it’s going to happen, so let’s make some money from it. Or more importantly, not lose any.