STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Wednesday, 18 February 2015

[Tansy_Gold]

[font size=3]STOCK MARKET WATCH, Wednesday, 18 February 2015[font color=black][/font]

SMW for 17 February 2015

AT THE CLOSING BELL ON 17 February 2015
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Dow Jones 18,047.58 +28.23 (0.16%)
S&P 500 2,100.34 +3.35 (0.16%)
Nasdaq 4,899.27 +5.43 (0.11%)


[font color=red]10 Year 2.14% +0.10 (4.90%)
30 Year 2.72% +0.10 (3.82%) [font color=black]


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[font size=2]Market Conditions During Trading Hours[/font]
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(click on link for latest updates)
Market Updates
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[font size=2]Euro, Yen, Loonie, Silver and Gold[center]

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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Market Data and News:[/font][/font]
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Economic Calendar
Marketwatch Data
Bloomberg Economic News
Yahoo Finance
Google Finance
Bank Tracker
Credit Union Tracker
Daily Job Cuts
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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Economic Blogs:[/font][/font]
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The Big Picture
Financial Sense
Calculated Risk
Naked Capitalism
Credit Writedowns
Brad DeLong
Bonddad
Atrios
goldmansachs666
The Stand-Up Economist
The Automatic Earth
Wall Street on Parade
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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Essential Reading:[/font][/font]
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Matt Taibi: Secret and Lies of the Bailout


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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Government Issues:[/font][/font]
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LegitGov
Open Government
Earmark Database
USA spending.gov
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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Videos:[/font][/font]
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Charlie Rose talks with Roubini
Charlie Rose talks with Krugman
William Black: This Economic Disaster
Bill Moyers with Kevin Drum and David Corn
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[font color=red]Partial List of Financial Sector Officials Convicted since 1/20/09 [/font][font color=red]
2/2/12 David Higgs and Salmaan Siddiqui, Credit Suisse, plead guilty to conspiracy involving valuation of MBS
3/6/12 Allen Stanford, former Caribbean billionaire and general schmuck, convicted on 13 of 14 counts in $2.2B Ponzi scheme, faces 20+ years in prison
6/4/12 Matthew Kluger, lawyer, sentenced to 12 years in prison, along with co-conspirator stock trader Garrett Bauer (9 years) and co-conspirator Kenneth Robinson (not yet sentenced) for 17 year insider trading scheme.
6/14/12 Allen Stanford sentenced to 110 years without parole.
6/15/12 Rajat Gupta, former Goldman Sachs director, found guilty of insider trading. Could face a decade in prison when sentenced later this year.
6/22/12 Timothy S. Durham, 49, former CEO of Fair Financial Company, convicted of one count conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, and one count of securities fraud.
6/22/12 James F. Cochran, 56, former chairman of the board of Fair, convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and six counts of wire fraud.
6/22/12 Rick D. Snow, 48, former CFO of Fair, convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and three counts of wire fraud.
7/13/12 Russell Wassendorf Sr., CEO of collapsed brokerage firm Peregrine Financial Group Inc. arrested and charged with lying to regulators after admitting to authorities he embezzled "millions of dollars" and forged bank statements for "nearly twenty years."
8/22/12 Doug Whitman, Whitman Capital LLC hedge fund founder, convicted of insider trading following a trial in which he spent more than two days on the stand telling jurors he was innocent
10/26/12 UPDATE: Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta sentenced to two years in federal prison. He will, of course, appeal. . .
11/20/12 Hedge fund manager Matthew Martoma charged with insider trading at SAC Capital Advisors, and prosecutors are looking at Martoma's boss, Steven Cohen, for possible involvement.
02/14/13 Gilbert Lopez, former chief accounting officer of Stanford Financial Group, and former controller Mark Kuhrt sentenced to 20 yrs in prison for their roles in Allen Sanford's $7.2 billion Ponzi scheme.
03/29/13 Michael Sternberg, portfolio mgr at SAC Capital, arrested in NYC, charged with conspiracy and securities fraud. Pled not guilty and freed on $3m bail.
04/04/13 Matthew Marshall Taylor,fmr Goldman Sachs trader arrested, charged by CFTC w/defrauding his employer on $8BN futures bet "by intentionally concealing the true huge size, as well as the risk and potential profits or losses associated."
04/04/13 Matthew Taylor admits guilt, makes plea bargain. Sentencing set for 26 June; faces up to 20 years in prison but will likely only see 3-4 years. Says, "I am truly sorry."
04/11/13 Ex-KPMG LLP partner Scott London charged by federal prosecutors w/passing inside tips to a friend in exchange for cash, jewelry, and concert tickets; expected to plead guilty in May.
08/01/13 Fabrice Tourré convicted on six counts of security fraud, including "aiding and abetting" his former employer, Goldman Sachs
08/14/13 Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout charged with wire fraud, falsifying records, and conspiracy in connection with JP Morgan's "London Whale" trade.
08/19/13 Phillip A. Falcone, manager of hedge fund Harbinger Capital Partners, agrees to admit to "wrongdoing" in market manipulation. Will banned from securities industry for 5 years and pay $18MM in disgorgement and fines.
09/16/13 Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout officially indicted on charges associated with "London Whale" trade.
02/06/14 Matthew Martoma convicted of insider trading while at hedge fund SAC (Stephen A. Cohen) Capital Advisors. Expected sentence 7-10 years.
03/24/14 Annette Bongiorno, Bernard Madoff's secretary; Daniel Bonventre, director of operations for investments; JoAnn Crupi, an account manager; and Jerome O'Hara and George Perez, both computer programmers convicted of conspiracy to defraud clients, securities fraud, and falsifying the books and records.
05/19/14 Credit Suisse, which has an investment bank branch in NYC, agrees to plead guilty and pay appx. $2.6 billion penalties for helping wealthy Americans hide wealth and avoid taxes.
09/08/14 Matthew Martoma, convicted SAC trader, sentenced to 9 years in prison plus forfeiture of $9.3 million, including home and bank accounts







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[font size=3][font color=red]This thread contains opinions and observations. Individuals may post their experiences, inferences and opinions on this thread. However, it should not be construed as advice. It is unethical (and probably illegal) for financial recommendations to be given here.[/font][/font][/font color=red][font color=black]

[Tansy_Gold]

1. I think it's about time. . . .

. . . for a blue line to return to the price of crude chart.

Unfortunately.

[mother earth]

2. Syriza, Now Spain with Podemos?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017245775

[Demeter]

3. Survived another board meeting

Our management company of 2 months fired us. This saved us the time and expense of suing them for breach of contract. After that announcement, things went rather well. Better than I had feared, certainly.

Oh, there were moments of stress. I went through half of my emergency chocolate ration on interpersonal conflicts. But management companies (plural) have been making our lives hell for years...literally, years. Now, we are going self-managed, so we can drive ourselves crazy, at much less expense. It will certainly take less time.

We've been exploring that self-management option for years, 6 years, at least. So we have answers for most every problem that can come up, plus some decent legal counsel, and better accountants. So, here's hoping. I for one could stand to shrink meetings by 25-50% timewise....

Maybe there will be a spring, this year.

During the meeting, more than an inch of big fluffy snow fell...another unpredicted event. It's 16F, heading for 5F....I'm not even going to repeat Friday's forecast, in the hopes that it will be revised....

[Demeter]

4. Great Lakes Ice Coverage Total at 82.3%

Tomorrow's predicted high? +4F. That's the HIGH. Low is -19F, before windchill.

This is insane.

[xchrom]

5. Police raid HSBC's Switzerland Geneva office

http://www.businessinsider.com/hsbc-geneva-office-raid-on-tax-evasion-scandal-2015-2

Police raided HSBC's Switzerland office in Geneva this morning.

Swiss prosecutors confirmed it is investigating "HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA and persons unknown for suspected aggravated money laundering".

In a statement, Swiss prosecutors said its probe into the troubled bank could be extended to "people suspected of committing or participating in money laundering."

"A search is currently underway in the premises of the bank, led by Attorney General Olivier Jornot and the prosecutor Yves Bertossa," said Geneva's prosecutor in an emailed statement to Business Insider.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/hsbc-geneva-office-raid-on-tax-evasion-scandal-2015-2#ixzz3S6Hi5DST

[xchrom]

6. The 10 most important things in the world right now

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-most-important-things-in-the-world-right-now-feb-18-2015-2

1. Greece reportedly intends to ask for a six-month extension of its loan agreement, after rejecting an extension of its full bailout program.

2. The Syrian government is willing to test a ceasefire in Aleppo, the centre of clashes between pro-government forces and rebels, by suspending aerial bombings over the war-torn city for a six-week period.

3. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Kiev soldiers should surrender to advancing pro-Russian rebels.

4. After the beheading of a group of Egyptian Christians, the country's president said creating a UN-backed coalition was the best way to fight Islamic extremists in Libya.

5. The Daily Telegraph's chief political commentator Peter Oborne resigned, accusing the British newspaper of refusing to cover major disparaging stories about HSBC because it is a key advertiser.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-most-important-things-in-the-world-right-now-feb-18-2015-2#ixzz3S6J27SMt

[xchrom]

7. Greece confirms loan extension request

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31517363

Greece will ask the eurozone for a six-month extension of its European loan on Wednesday, a Greek government official has confirmed.

But the loan would not be a renewal of the current bailout agreement, which includes strict austerity measures.

On Monday night, Greece rejected a plan to extend its €240bn (£178bn) bailout, describing it as "absurd".

Greece is likely to run out of money if a deal is not reached before the end of February.

[xchrom]

8. France PM Valls pushes key economic reforms through

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31517174


The French prime minister has resorted to a rarely used emergency procedure to push through labour market reforms without a parliamentary vote.

Manuel Valls faced opposition from some MPs in his own Socialist Party, as well as Green MPs over the reforms.

The Socialists have a majority, but now face a confidence vote on Thursday. The reforms will be adopted automatically if the government wins the vote.

The plan is to scrap barriers in law firms and extend shop opening hours.

[xchrom]

9. FOR MANY IN US, CASH SAVED AT GAS PUMP IS STAYING IN POCKETS

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_LOWER_GAS_PRICES_DELAYED_SPENDING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-02-18-06-32-57

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In recent months, the stage seemed set for American consumers to do what they've traditionally done best: Spend money - and drive the economy.

The lowest gas prices in five years had given people more spending money. Employers added over 1 million jobs from November through January, the best three-month pace in 17 years. Businesses even raised pay in December. Economists had forecast that last week's retail sales report for January would show a healthy rise.

And yet - to the surprise of analysts - consumers have held their wallets closely.

Even though Americans spent $6.7 billion less at gas stations in January than they had two months earlier, the extra cash didn't get spent anywhere else: Retail sales, excluding gas, fell slightly from November to January.

[DemReadingDU]

10. Around here, people still eating at restaurants

and more restaurants are being built

[Roland99]

11. Paying off Christmas debt?

[MattSh]

12. Anniversary Of The Anniversary From Hell.

Kiev, Ukraine - February 18, 2015

So here it is again, February 18, our wedding anniversary. Why we ended up getting married in February is a whole other story.

Last February 18 started off like most days up to that point last year. It seemed that last year, 2 to 3 times a week, there was some kind of march or protest going on. But this day was actually quite quiet and an even bigger surprise, it was quite sunny. I had steadfastly avoided up to this point going to the site of EuroMaidan, though my wife had already been there a couple of times. So I figured it was my turn to go down and see what kind of mess they had made of our city. But that idea quickly got dropped when I saw huge plumes of black smoke rising from about a mile away and noises that sounded like guns being fired. So I stayed a long way away from there.

It was about an hour later that we got a call from our son's school. They told us to come down and pick him up. This I thought to be quite ridiculous because he lives about a five minute walk from our house and was 17 years old. It seems they didn't want any of the students, especially the older ones, strolling down to the center of the city to see what all the noise and smoke was about. Likely a good precaution.

We had plans for that evening to go to the ballet, something we had not done in probably five years. Normally we would have drove the car, but the protests were directly between our house and the opera house, so we figured we would take the Metro (subway) instead. That plan had to quickly be scrapped because the authorities, for the first and only time in the many years I've been in Kiev close down the whole Metro system. (During the course of the street protests last winter, they had often shut down certain stations near the protest epicenter, but never the whole system).

So it was back to driving the car. But I clearly did not anticipate just how bad the traffic situation would be with the Metro shut down. In addition, roads were shut down in the center of the city. And so many people were walking that the sidewalk could no longer accommodate them all, so onto the street they came. It didn't take us long to figure out that those who were walking were moving a whole lot faster than those who were driving, but we hoped for a while that the traffic jam was temporary and that the traffic would start moving again soon. But after about 10 minutes we understood that that was not to be. So we figured we needed to try to park the car and walk the rest of the way to the opera house, but parking spots will not be found. We convinced a police officer to let us behind the barricades to park, but he specifically warned us to park and do not attempt to drive. While that was not our plan, we figured that we would not attempt to try to find out what he meant by that either.

So now we started to walk to the opera house. Needless to say, neither of us had planned to do a great deal of walking. My shoes were up to the task; my wife's shoes were not. But we persevered on. I had to remind her along the way to be careful about what we said, because even though we were speaking in English, there still might be people around who understood English and would not be happy about anyone bad mouthing EuroMaidan. Our route took us within a half-mile of the protests, on an evening with hundreds of burning tires, hundreds of riot police, and on the day when there had been gun battles on the street.

We arrived at the opera house about 15 minutes late, to a place that was about 90% empty. Unfortunately for us, we had bought a couple of pricier seats. If we knew something like this was going to happen, we could have bought ourselves a couple of cheap tickets and then sit anywhere we wanted to sit. While the show allowed us time to try to forget the troubles of the day, we were also aware that the day's cast had quite a good number of student dancers. But considering the day's circumstances, at least the show still one on.

After the show, we walked 15 minutes back to the car, was greeted by the police officer who let us park, and returned home. But one last surprise awaited us. On a side street close to the building where we lived, there was a large group of who knows who, but likely a group of right sector thugs. What they would doing there and what their plans were, who the hell knows? But they were right around the corner from the police station. It seems the police had absolutely no idea that these people were there.

So this year? A quiet evening at home seems more to our liking this time around.