The Kirk Report

Spitting Into The Wind Posted: 18 Feb 2009 12:45 PM CST Wall Street's economic seesaw Talk of even more stimulus is already underway It's hard to feel confident about the government's efforts so far to fix the economy New Dems seize on financial regulation Obama sets $75 billion plan to stem U.S. foreclosures New help for homeowners A mortgage plan that can work Where is your money going? Say goodbye to personal accountability We're running out of rich people in this country? Big trouble in Kansas And New Jersey! Stimulus watch by state According to Greenspan, recession will be the worst since 1930s The maestro and the meltdown Capitalism, Socialism, Bailouts and Talking Heads Which talking heads to trust Deficits are nothing new. It's the trend that should worry us Invest only when Congress is out of session! What a difference a decade makes America's 10 fastest-changing cities A generation shy of risk? A household balance sheet Thousands seek Census jobs in down economy The stock market remains in a weak position and financial risks remain elevated Are we free fallin'??? A chart of 4th quarter earnings Earnings season is over and only three sectors saw year-over-year increases in earnings EPS Increased.....Company Underperformed? Will the November 2008 support hold? 5 reasons for optimism about this market Next stop for S&P around 660 Trader Mike's market review The burden of proof remains on the buyers Markets will not bottom on very weak momentum Dow Transports gone.... Prepare for another counter-trend rally Stuck in a Not-So-Great Depression? It's going to be a long year. Pace yourself! A good sign - we have finally entered the no hope zone An internet domain name indicator? Do you remember all of the yield curve chatter some time ago? "What do you think I must do to become a successful banker?" asked a student. "Follow the three rules: first, don't lend money to those who don't have any; second, don't lend money to those who need it badly; third, don't lend your own money." - Anonymous "The rising gold price says investors are starting to freak out over governments' response to the credit crunch." - Peter Eavis 12 reasons to start shorting gold If you want to buy gold, check this indicator first Good news while it lasts - the tax of higher commodity prices has been more than completely erased Joining the big commodity dump - Pickens reduces energy investments The Canadian oil boom Pentagon officials are preparing to pare back Where are those infrastructure bulls? Standard & Poor's reviews the trucking sector PC companies make risky smartphone call Magazine publishers see red Big opportunities are seen in virtual banks Rating the top 12 U.S. banks Time to jump on the utility stocks bandwagon? Buy American! China first to recover from recession? Is China's rally supported by the fundamentals? China looks at using foreign-exchange reserves to boost overseas investments Companies, like McDonalds, still see big opportunities in China Some perspectives on Japan's recession Spain's recession - after the fiesta Mexican Meltdown Europe's problems rise in the East An interesting table Germany and France may face bailout of nations The biggest financial disaster nobody is talking about Companies that might not survive this crisis 10 ways to play Obamulus George Soros' holdings Warren Buffett's holdings More Ben Graham picks Kelly Wright's blue chip buys The best and worst stocks since the November lows Prodigious generators of free cash flow Recent dividend raisers Fearful stocks for greedy investors 367 companies are trading below their net current asset values Fallen angels GM wants $16 billion more and will still cut 47,000 jobs Failed CEOs still get incredible perks with your tax money Major homebuilder chairman dumps stock IBD's chart review of Emergency Medical Services Using moving averages to find winning stocks Facts about chasing market momentum So what is the Pareto Principle? Never average down into a loser unless your goal is to lose a fortune Q&A with forex trader Wayne McDonell Everything you know about Iron Condors is wrong! When a lawyer leaves, it is a massive red flag 6 ways to boost your brainpower What's in your ETF? Dividend and conquer! Swing trader Alan Farley and the demise of buy and hold When needed, it is always a good time to rebalance your portfolio Credit-score pitfalls of the wealthy How growing up in a recession can shape a child's future For uninsured young adults, do-it-yourself healthcare Feeding a family in the Depression The work less, spend less movement is winning Are vitamins a waste of money? Some new research 8 ways to inspire others "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change." - Charles Darwin * Too many links to read? Everyday, I pick the best three to read for my members. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Busy Day Ahead Posted: 18 Feb 2009 07:56 AM CST Good morning. A positive bias is in place in premarket trading ahead of a very busy day for the market. Obama will soon outline his estimated $50 billion dollar housing plan which will likely include loan modifications, more power for bankruptcy judges and government subsidies. In addition and as expected, General Motors has requested billions more from the government to avoid bankruptcy. Meanwhile, eight Congressmen have introduced a bill titled "Let Wall Street Pay for Wall Street's Bailout Act of 2009" which attempts to impose a new transaction tax. Turning to this morning's data, of which there is plenty, retail sales rose, mortgage applications surged, and both import prices and housing starts fell. Premarket gainers: MESA, MBI, ABK, AMMD, SOA, FNM, HOV, ETFC, DRYS, NLC, CMCSA, RIMM, S, RAIL, TBSI, EGLE, MED, FSLR, JPM, GM, BAC, C, WFC, VMI, ELNK, & VOLC. Premarket losers: RMD, LPHI, NWSA, CPTS, AIB, A, SPIL, INFN, GT, HAS, RBS, TSL, NUVA, ZMH, DE, ACGY, ING, CETV, GOLD, PALM, CHK, BP, & AXYS. Today is filled with lots of Fedspeak along with speeches by both Tim Geithner and Ben Bernanke around noon. We also have the FOMC minutes due out at 2PM. Much like yesterday, traders will still be searching for the bottom and looking for the market's reaction to today's speeches. Have a great day!

Testing The Lows Posted: 17 Feb 2009 03:01 PM CST Stocks sink to 3-month lows The market is still dead What's next? How to tell when the economy is improving The market's hope balloon loses air Fear and loathing on Wall Street On tap for this week This week's earnings preview The Stimulus Bill and the Macro Impact Bank solvency and the Geithner Plan Geithner's sudden about-face Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World Nationalization by autumn, bank on it Obama's plan to reduce the flood of home foreclosures will include a mix of government inducements and new pressure on lenders Obama's housing plan will help many, harm some State budget troubles worsen Stimulus bill bites losing companies Is Obamanomics D.O.A.? No excuses if Obama can't fix his recession Money flow from Wall Street to Washington Wall Street eyes influence over rescue plan From Moscow to Washington, politicians are ganging up on greed For the first time in history, more than half the world is middle-class Assets in free fall The much awaited test of the November lows is here for Dow A technical review of the S&P 500 S&P ventures into sky-is-falling territory Some charts and coffee We will soon see an extreme Dow makeover The Treasury-Muni spread contains some good news For the two-thousandth time - stocks are now cheap! In economic winter, signs of spring The stock market isn't as bad as you think? This time around, bad is just bad A cyclical look at p/e ratios Hints of which sectors will weather the storm In the worst of times, which are the best of stocks? What sells in a recession? Junk Death of corporate bonds is worth investigating A library indicator? Brokerage houses are awash in cash A few reasons why CEOs are not buying stock in their own companies But, the bloggers stay bullish! The world still lines up for Treasurys Russia and China sign a $25B oil-for-loans pact Cramer and Harvard agree on China What's behind the recent strength in China A second wave of countries will require a bailout Job losses pose a threat to stability worldwide Does the United States make anything anymore? Other than the recent bailouts, missing Iraq billions could be greatest fraud in U.S. history The lunatics are running the assylum Ron Paul is not a happy camper Even Bill Gates is feeling the economic pinch Data firms grow despite recession Health care stocks keeping portfolios in shape For those who like to trade shipping stocks - Shipping News The rise and fall of a peanut empire Starbucks to offer instant coffee Pressure builds on Stanford Financial Trump Entertainment Resorts files for bankruptcy protection Some cherry picking at Citigroup An investigation into Stanford Financial's high-yielding CDs 10 ways Microsoft's retail stores will differ from Apple stores The 20 best dividend plays for 2009 Hedge fund portfolio tracking A few deep value plays Best and worst performing stocks in the Russell 3,000 4 important stock picking factors Are you looking for higher highs? The effect of computer programs in short term trading A member sent me a positive note on The Technical Analysis Course by Thomas A. Meyers The top 5 best free stock chart websites Need some trading discipline? The single greatest way How to manage sporadic income Are you seizing the day? Ted Tesser's forms & logs for traders What are the IRS requirements for claiming Trader Status? An El-Erian Fund for the masses using ETFs Another handy ETF rewind What you don't know about ETFs Target-Date-Fund ratings tweaked America's New Frugality and how to benefit from the trend Calculate your financial comeback Another website you won't see me on - Blogging heads TV 25 best blogs of 2009 Need a little inspiration? Shane Battier and the Dynamics of Success "Investing is like dieting. It's simple, just not easy." - Warren Buffett

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