Stock Market Invinciple

The Onion’s amusing take on the markets (a sign of the times):


1022_stocksinvinciarticle_1

If ever there were a reflection of the present sentiment, this is it.

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  1. jmf commented on Oct 28

    this is really superb!

  2. V L commented on Oct 28

    It is amazing how history is repeating itself all over again. It appears that nothing has changed since 1929: the same level of denial, euphoria, and complacency (‘Wall Street Spirits Soaring’ and ‘Citizens Urged to Put Everything They Have Into Stock Market’); the same ignoring of the reality and dangers of getting deeper into debt (New ‘Easy Credit’ Delays Financial Catastrophes until 1930s); and the same tactics of market cheerleading (‘Buy, Buy, Buy!’ Experts Advise). You can see how everyone was thinking that this time it was different, and America was in “the most prosperous period of our nation’s history”. (Hoover Promises ‘Airplane in Every Garage’ by 1935)

  3. LB commented on Oct 28

    It’s amazing that readers of this blog think the above front page newspaper was real. Wow…no one has heard of the Onion before?

  4. Mark commented on Oct 28

    LB-

    Jokes on you.

  5. brion commented on Oct 28

    Sure LB. I enjoy Onions with my FOOD!
    Is…is THAT what you mean!???!

  6. V L commented on Oct 28

    LB,

    Maybe the responders to this social satire (The Onion) intentionally used sarcastic language and the posts were intended to make their victims the butt of contempt.

  7. Alan Greenspend commented on Oct 28

    I love the headline on the bottom right –

    “Anthropomorphic mouse in short pants calls for increased litigation”.

    Anybody like the Rydex Inverse Dynamic Dow, dollar, S & P, etc.? Or is there still too much liquidity sloshing around?

    Market declines during recessions are usually 15 – 28% from what I’ve found in my limited research time.

  8. Gary commented on Oct 28

    I’ve done a bit of reserch into market declines specifically the 4 year cycle low. When the market peaks mid cycle and then trades down into the low over an extended period the peak to trough tends to be greater but when the market trades right up to the low the decline tends to be sudden and steep lasting 2-3 months. The cycle low is due sometime between now and Apr. so it looks like we are probably in store for the sudden violent type. Even though every pundit in the media is positive there will be no recession we have surely had them in the past and these same people were sure then that we would not have a recession. Since they have been wrong every time except in 94 I would say the odds are they will be wrong again. Warren Buffet said “we simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful” I think I will wait till the panic selling starts before buying.

  9. Bullion commented on Oct 28

    anybody knows a site where we can find the front pages of past (of long time ago) newspaper editions?

  10. ICM commented on Oct 28

    Next page: “Pencils for sale!” Then, a couple pages later, FDR: “The only thing we have to fear is a crippling, decade-long recession.”

    Or something like that. Unfortunately my copy of Our Dumb Century is packed away somewhere…

  11. my1ambition commented on Oct 28

    I heard a kid say “My Dad said that there was a recession in 2000 and it wasn’t that bad”.

  12. blam commented on Oct 29

    Given the bull pump of this market since June, a 15 % pullback would just return the market to where it was a year ago. It is not unprecedented. The build-up to the 1987 crash appeared to be similiar in structure, day after day of mindless levitation.

    Day to day, the fundamentals mean little. The great mystery to me is the money and motivation behind this “market” move. I have heard little credible analysis to explain the buying.

    Friends of the republican party ? Market domination and short squeeze by the speculator banks ? Both ? A little light on the “mystery money” ( ala Jeff Saut) would be useful.

  13. bushsux commented on Oct 29

    What would fool the most investors/traders? Perhaps the market won’t stay up until election day and this coming week will see the start of a sharp selloff? Friday’s action did not look good to me but end of the month/beginning of the month strength could rescue this one way rally on Tuesday if I am wrong (which I often am). Anyone looking at the charts here? What is the collective wisdom? Have the shorts all covered?
    It is still October after all.
    Boo.

  14. V L commented on Oct 29

    “Buy, Buy, Buy! Experts Advise”

    Few on Wall Street dare to tell the truth, nobody wants to lose their jobs and/or end-of-the-year bonuses.

    “Economists employed by investment banks have an implicit interest in being cheerleaders for economic growth. Growth implies earnings growth and stock market gains, and therefore more money for their firms. Investors won’t be drawn to the stock market if they know a recession is coming.”

    http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/D4bTmQF92zgHqGJB5TgVnQW?siteid=mktw&dist=TNMKTW

  15. tjofpa commented on Oct 29

    Caught the ref to Edith and Archie… “gee our old La Salle ran great, those were the DAAYYYSSS!

    Bullion: BullnotBull currently has a link to March 6, 1933’s NYT => the day the music died.

  16. alexd commented on Oct 29

    I am not a sailor but from what I can see the captain of a sailboat does not ask too many questions about the prevailing winds. He (she) might look for gross evidence of a storm and ask “is it approaching or receding?” Is what I am doing likely to take me to my destination?” “Will I make it there on time?”, Can I handle this weather or should I ride it out until I feel I will be able to work with the environment that is presented to me?” Am I really prepared to go forward with my response?

    Perhaps those are the questions we need to ask. I believe on the short term much can be anticipated, but the further out we look the more randomness plays into the sum of all possible events.

    A strong and steady wind in the direction we are going is ideal.

    I feel like Chance the Gardener from the book or movie “Being There”.

    I will have more to say, but hate to post a long bit and then have the Turing test, refuse me.

    Alexd

  17. john wellman commented on Oct 29

    greed and fear overpower knowledge. greed and fear are integral to rational/perfect markets. I am glad that Mr. Ritholtz has the discipline to keep up the enlightened contrarian thinking. It helps me stay sane to know that not everybody is always jumping on each new bubble that forms in various investment classes. Thank you, John Wellman

  18. S commented on Oct 29

    Invinciple?

  19. Eclectic commented on Oct 29

    I reject bullishness… I reject bearishness… I reject common contrarianism… I reject any form of predefined status of philosophical thought.

    I don’t come here for it and I don’t think BR represents it. If he did, I’d be gone. But… to where?…. Unbiased objectivity is a priceless commodity.

    I think, Alexd, you are on to something with that last post that you should follow up on.

    Chance was a perfect illustration of what I’d like to be in many aspects of objective thought… not just in investing.

    Chance was single minded and purposeful about what he wanted, although he innocently lacked objectivity. However, the lack of objectivity of those who interacted with him derived from their biases and erroneous assumptions about who Chance was.

  20. Gary commented on Oct 29

    Bushsux,
    If you are looking to go short you could put a stop at the recent high. The first down day after a seris of 4 or more up days often marks the change of trend in an intermediate move. Fridays action showed many similarities to the top in May. First down day after a string of up days and a distribution day in the Dow. So I would say Monday morning would give a low risk entry. Any close above Thursday’s high would mean the run probably isn’t over yet. I would be looking for a break of the well defined trend line to confirm that the trend has changed.

  21. Rumble commented on Oct 29

    The media is quite bearish on housing, and is cautiously pessimistic about the stock market. People are scared witless re: the budget deficit, the trade deficit, the housing market, the fallout from the war in Iraq, North Korea, the midterm elections, etc. Furthermore, despite the recent run-up in the Dow, it is still far from a peak when viewed from an inflation-adjusted and global-currency-denominated perspective.

    I would say that it is a good time to stay invested.

  22. Big Al commented on Oct 29

    What a lovely way to describe MickeyMouse.

  23. alexd commented on Oct 29

    Thank you eclectic.

    I am afraid that how clear and sharp I am at any moment varies so there is no guarantee I can equal my performance at any given time, but here goes.

    I really am not sure that I write for the reader or myself. I suspect that I am writing in an effort to nail down my own responses to my investments and the markets in which these investments flow. Hopefully I will improve.

    Since I utilize a hybrid approach where value stocks are screened with a technical approach, I often find myself divided in my thoughts. This is due to my own impatience . But this is the interesting part. For it is always an interesting situation, as I learn to find the correct balance between price variation and time.
    Sometimes I notice the market looks just like me.

    How do we find out what is true?

    Be well

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