Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Rise Of The Machines

Equity Trades Defy Economy as Wall Street Transformers Abound
Citadel Investment Group LLC -- Kenneth Griffin's Chicago- based hedge fund named to suggest a stronghold in volatile markets -- uses mathematical models and advanced computer systems to make investments that translate into about 5 percent of U.S. equity trading. D.E. Shaw & Co., which oversees $35 billion, relies on automated, 24-hour-a-day strategies that exploit shifts in asset prices around the world. The New York- based fund accounts for between 1 percent and 2 percent of trading at the NYSE.
...
Citigroup Inc.'s Automated Trading Desk tries to predict prices for 8,000 stocks 30 seconds into the future to give the largest U.S. bank an edge on rivals.
...
Credit Suisse Group, Switzerland's second-biggest bank, expanded its rapid-fire algorithmic trading programs to more than 30 countries and almost doubled its equity revenue over two years to 7.75 billion Swiss francs ($7.03 billion).

Lehman Brothers, the fourth-biggest U.S. securities firm by market value, climbed the ranks of brokers on exchanges in Frankfurt, Stockholm and Toronto after retooling its order- processing systems to reduce costs. The New York-based company was the top broker in Europe last year, up from third in 2005, and climbed 18 spots to No. 6 in Canada, according to Thomson Corp.'s Autex.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Buffett On Bridge

Bringing Back Bridge

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Berkshire 2007 Holdings Report

Berkshire 2007 13F Holdings Report

Friday, February 15, 2008

Buffett Bought Kraft

Yesterday came two SEC 13F ammendment files public that document Berkshire Hathaway had bought during the 2nd and 3rd quarter 2007 shares of Kraft Foods worth a few billion USD.

2q2007 13F-HR/A
3q2007 13F-HR/A

Julian Robertson

Julian Robertson's `Tiger Cubs' Beat Hedge-Fund Rivals in 2007

Tiger's Julian Robertson roars again

Thursday, February 14, 2008

UBS Equity

UBS Equity has developed from 3rd quarter to 4th quarter 2007 like this (in CHF million; goodwill assumed to be unchanged):
                     4q2007  3q2007
Goodwill and other 14990 14990
intangible assets
Equity attributable 35585 48229
to UBS shareholders
Tangible equity 20595 33239
Autsch, tangible equity went down -38 % in just three months! With more than 2 trillion in assets on the balance sheet, equity is now less than 1 %. The 13 bia injection should be highly welcomed.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Joel Greenblatt speaking at NYSSA

Joel Greenblatt speaking at NYSSA

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Warren Buffett Conversation

Business Wire Canada Opening Reception: A Conversation with Warren Buffett

2008-02-06 - 1 hour 30 minutes mp3

Buffett/Berkshire News Feed

Available at STOCKscreener. i n f o is a new Warren Buffett or Berkshire Hathaway news feed:

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. News

Here is the accompanying RSS feed.

Ajit Jain Radio Interview

Berkshire Hathaway's Jain Tells CNBC He's Talking "Right Now" With Bond Insurers About Possible Purchase or Partnership

Joel Greenblatt Radio Interview

NPR: Joel Greenblatt Radio Interview

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

BARRON's on Swiss Re

BARRON'S - Go Slow on Swiss Re

Monday, February 04, 2008

Microsidewaysoft

MSFT.NAS chart
Great performance for MSFT the last eight years!