Empiric Student Property Share Discussion Threads

[briarberry] 27/1/2009 23:56

The Richmond Fed
Richmond Baltimore Charlotte

[briarberry] 27/1/2009 23:51

Earnings reports, this is the worst I can ever remember plus lots of negative guidance for next Q...


Sun Microsystems Inc. swung to loss of $209 million in the latest quarter.

Yahoo Inc. stumbled to a fourth-quarter loss of $303 million.

E*Trade Financial Corp (ETFC.O) reported a narrower quarterly loss on Tuesday.

Delta, the world's biggest airline, said it lost $1.4 billion in the fourth quarter.

The Colonial BancGroup, Inc.: Net loss of $4.11 per share in the quarter and $4.71 for the full year of 2008.

Valero Energy Corp. said Tuesday it lost $3.28 billion in the fourth quarter

DuPont posted a $629 million fourth-quarter loss and cut its earning forecast for 2009.

Texas Instruments said its earnings fell 86 percent and that it would slash 3,400 jobs.

American Express reported its profits fell 79 percent in the final three months of 2008

United States Steel Corp.'s fourth-quarter earnings soared as strong pipe sales and an acquisition-related gain boosted results, but the steel maker forecast an operating loss in the current quarter due to the global economic slowdown.

Reinsurance Group of America Inc. shares tumbled Tuesday after the company said its profit dropped 85 percent in the fourth quarter.

Dow Chemical facing a threat to its credit rating after the collapse of a joint-venture, said Tuesday it was considering a cut to its quarterly dividend.

[briarberry] 27/1/2009 19:06

War - The absolute consequence of violence is absolute destruction. As illustrated in the 1970s film, Beneath the Planet of the Apes - (The 1970s was the height of the cold war - the mutual self destruction era). We haven't got world peace now and we're at the height of world oil production, imagine what it's going to be like when the resource wars start in earnest...





With the failure of their illusions to dissuade the apes, the mutants have no choice but to prepare to detonate the "Divine Bomb." The mutants hold a worship service in the cathedral. The congregation sings a corrupted version of the Anglican hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful", praising "the Bomb Almighty," and in unison remove masks which have concealed their true appearance. Exposed to centuries of radioactive fallout, the mutants are skinless and horribly scarred.

[briarberry] 27/1/2009 18:29

Israel - I wonder if this map is a true reflection of the situation? If it is then I doubt the Jews want peace because look how much land they might have to give back if the Palestinians were to return from the camps and from exile. It makes you wonder doesn't it ?

[briarberry] 25/1/2009 20:05

1929: The Great Crash



(it's good but there's no mention of how ordinary people really had to suffer in the 1930s, the food riots and people starving to death etc)

[briarberry] 24/1/2009 22:29

Third Bank Is Seized This Year
By BLOOMBERG NEWS

First Centennial Bank of Redlands, Calif., was seized by a state regulator, the third bank in the nation to fail this year.

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Regulators closed 25 banks last year, the most since 1993, draining money from the F.D.I.C.'s deposit insurance fund, which had $34.6 billion as of Sept. 30.

[briarberry] 24/1/2009 22:18

Costs and Tighter Rules Thwart Refinancings

As mortgage rates hit new lows every week, the number of homeowners seeking to refinance their homes has spiked to its highest level in five years.

But many have been unable to win approval for their applications. And even some of the homeowners who do qualify have backed off, once they found out how difficult it was to get the advertised rate.

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While rates are falling, borrowers face higher costs every step of the way, from rising fees for mortgage insurance to added costs that drive up the mortgage rate. At the same time, lenders have become more cautious about whom they will lend to, as more people lose their jobs, watch their incomes decline and fall behind on their bills.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for many people is their plunging property values, which have erased all or most of the equity in their homes. Others cannot meet the increasingly stringent credit requirements, which either disqualify them or increase their costs.

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By some brokers' estimates, only 30 percent of applicants in certain markets are actually closing on their refinancing applications.

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Even homeowners who initially put down 20 percent or more have seen the value of their stake fall. As a result, many homeowners need to come up with a pile of money, essentially a new down payment, to raise their equity to at least 20 percent. Otherwise they have to buy private mortgage insurance.

Federal Housing Administration loans now account for 20 percent of outstanding mortgages, up from 3 percent in 2006.

[briarberry] 24/1/2009 20:24

the largest monthly credit decline ever...


And because Americans (in aggregate) have not saved a penny in almost a generation, there's no way to keep the economy going. Americans have become credit junkies. Without more credit, America's economy falls apart. But according to the Federal Reserve, outstanding U.S. consumer credit fell in November by $7.9 billion – the largest monthly decline ever. That's a 3.7% annualized decline in consumer credit. That's never happened before – not since 1943, when the records begin. Credit-card balances declined by $2.8 billion, and auto loans declined by $5.2 billion.

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hence gov likely to print money

[briarberry] 23/1/2009 14:29

General Electric's fourth-quarter earnings fall 44% on heavy declines in its financial and consumer-products businesses due to the global economic downturn, but the conglomerate refrains from cutting its dividend.

[briarberry] 23/1/2009 11:39

Samsung - The world's largest maker of computer memory chips, reports its first-ever quarterly loss, as the global downturn led to losses in its component manufacturing business and declines in profit at its cell phone unit.

[briarberry] 20/1/2009 17:49

U.S. Treasuries - real news or just more noise ???


Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- A rally that sent U.S. Treasuries to their best year since 1995 is coming to an end, South Korea's National Pension Service, the country's biggest investor, said.

"It's time to sell U.S. Treasuries," said Kim, who took over as head of investments at the start of the year. "The stimulus plan may cause inflation. The U.S. will raise the benchmark interest rate."



(TNX is up a bit today)

[briarberry] 18/1/2009 23:27

sheeneqa - 18 Jan'09 - 21:13 - 1929 of 1929 (Still Filtered) :)

I knew you'd be back. I know you'd like to keep this fred for yourself. You think you can make me move out to the refugee camp fred :)

[briarberry] 18/1/2009 14:32

Who really tells the truth !?!? Honesty is always the best policy !!!!


First, I have to address some more government data that can be misleading. We were told Thursday that initial unemployment claims were "only" 524,000. The talking heads immediately said that was proof the economy is simply bad, not falling off a cliff. Again, like last week, that seasonally adjusted number masks the real number, which was 952,151. That is not a typo. There were almost 1 million newly unemployed last week!

[briarberry] 18/1/2009 14:28

sheeneqa - 17 Jan'09 - 13:44 - 1926 of 1926 (Filtered)


You don't really expect me to believe that rubbish do you, ie the land was just abandoned ????

There is no way you can drive out the inhabitants of a country (Palestine) and keep it for yourself by peaceful means, then just call it your own ie Israel

Violence never brings peace.

Yes there's lots of violence in the world, I've noticed.

[briarberry] 16/1/2009 19:45

another bailout


Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Bank of America Corp., the largest U.S. bank by assets, received a $138 billion emergency lifeline from the government to support its acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co. and prevent the global financial crisis from deepening.

The U.S. will invest $20 billion in Bank of America and guarantee $118 billion of assets "as part of its commitment to support financial-market stability," the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said in a joint statement shortly after midnight in Washington.

[briarberry] 16/1/2009 15:43

Intel net profits down 90%

Late Thursday, Intel (INTC:Intel) Corporation reported fourth-quarter net income of $234 million, or 4 cents a share, compared with a net profit of $2.27 billion, or 38 cents a share, for the year-earlier period. Revenue was $8.2 billion, down 23% from $10.7 billion last year.

[briarberry] 15/1/2009 15:37

Bank of America shares fall over 20%

[briarberry] 14/1/2009 23:34

still bailing...


U.S. May Aid Bank of America in Merrill Buy, WSJ Says (Update1)

By David Mildenberg

Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. is close to extending additional aid to Bank of America Corp., the largest U.S. lender, to help its acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co., the Wall Street Journal said today on its Web site, citing people familiar with the situation.



(jail not bail)