Main News

 

The Big 10: Top Hedge Fund Trades of 2007
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
Dow Jones Hedge Fund Trades Announces Annual List of Best, Boldest Hedge Fund Moves; Alternative Energy & Industrials Prove Lucrative for Investors NEW YORK ...
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An effective signal of hedge fund risk for investors
Financial Times - London,England,UK
Sir, Tony Jackson's comments on hedge fund leverage ("Banking system's problems at heart of the bear case", December 31) are timely. Hedge fund reports are ...
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Wall St regulators probing brokerages: report
January 04, 2008 03:30 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Securities regulators are probing several
brokerage firms dealing with collateralized mortgage obligations,
the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
http://links.reuters.com/r/2XRTM/4XY6O/MMDR2/674P7/1E4ZF/YT/t

 

 

 

Global Hedge Fund Managers Optimistic For Industry Performance In 2008 <http://seekingalpha.com/article/59057-global-hedge-fund-managers-optimistic-for-industry-performance-in-2008?source=i_email>

 

 

Citadel Investment Group up 30% in '07
Chicago Tribune Thu, 03 Jan 2008 4:24 PM PST
Chicago-based hedge fund reaches $20 billion in assets Ending the year on a strong note, Citadel Investment Group LLC gained 30 percent in a volatile market in 2007, and the Chicago-based hedge fund has reached $20 billion in assets, according to a source familiar with the company's results.

 

Westport's Wien predicts recession
Norwalk Advocate Fri, 04 Jan 2008 5:47 AM PST
Byron Wien, the strategist at Westport hedge fund Pequot Capital Management whose New Year's predictions have influenced investors for a quarter-century, said the U.S. economy will fall into a recession and stocks will tumble 10 percent this year.

 

Collateralized Debt Obligations
149 Ratings From 43 U.S. Cash Flow And Hybrid CDOs Placed On CreditWatch Negative
We placed our ratings on 149 tranches from 43 U.S. cash flow and hybrid collateralized debt obligation (CDO) of asset-backed securities (ABS) transactions on CreditWatch with negative implications. The CDO CreditWatch placements follow the downgrades of 793 classes of U.S. residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) backed by U.S. closed-end second-lien mortgage collateral issued in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The CDO tranches are all from CDOs of ABS collateralized by structured finance securities, including U.S. RMBS backed by closed-end second-lien collateral.
http://standardandpoors.rsys1.net/servlet/cc5?kHiQASRCQTVsLgHxhilpuHQJhuV2VW

 

Tsar struck
Man of the year, or scandal of the decade?
Full article

 

“Involuntary asset growth” and the begginings of the “true” credit ...
FT Alphaville - London,UK
On the other end is all that news of CDO super-senior conduits, SIVs going into defeasance and securitisation markets closing. Involuntary asset growth say ...

 

Abolishing ageing
It looks unlikely that medical science will abolish the process of ageing. But it no longer looks impossible ... more

 

Dr Doom: I Pity the Fool who doesn't buy Gold!
FT Alphaville - Friday January 04, 08:27 GMT

 

Do-Gooder Hedge-funders Busted
New York Magazine - Friday January 04, 07:39 GMT

 

Goldman, the Untoppable, Unstoppable Deal Machine
Deal Book - Friday January 04, 07:45 GMT

Cost of the M&A Slowdown: $5 Billion? No, Priceless!
Wall Street Journal Interactive - Friday January 04, 07:41 GMT

 

By BusinessWire
1/3/2008 8:59:01 AM

 

Hedging Their Way to Billions
NYTimes.com via Yahoo! Finance Sat, 05 Jan 2008 1:39 PM PST
Through the first nine months of 2007, three hedge fund managers had made more than $1 billion.

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Yield Curve Corner

 

Wall St Week Ahead-Fear of recession to cloud US stocks
Reuters - USA
Bernanke is scheduled to speak in Washington on Thursday about financial markets, the economic outlook and monetary policy. Continued...

 

 

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Natural Disaster Corner

 

Climate Prediction  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/predictions.php

World Meterological Organization http://severe.worldweather.org/

Tornadoes: http://www.disastercenter.com/tornado.htm

Great Sat Pictures of events:

 

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Iranian Situation and Other Man Made Disasters

 

Iran: Call For Calm Elections
January 4, 2008 1900 GMT
Iran’s clerics have good reason to be worried about the coming election, since it comes while Iran is in the middle of negotiations with the United States.
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/iran_call_calm_elections

 

Khamenei warns Iran will 'humiliate' any attacker
AFP via Yahoo! News Fri, 04 Jan 2008 4:58 AM PST
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that the country would humiliate any possible attacker over its controversial nuclear programme.

 

Kin of L.A. man killed in Iran win $466M
USA Today Thu, 03 Jan 2008 7:40 PM PST
Iran must pay $466 million to the family of a Los Angeles man who was tortured and executed there a decade ago for spying, a federal court has ruled.

 

Guardian journalist Robert Tait is expelled from Iran
Guardian Unlimited Fri, 04 Jan 2008 9:44 AM PST
The Guardian's Tehran correspondent, Robert Tait, has been expelled from Iran

 

Candidates sign up for Iran's parliament election
AFP via Yahoo! News Sat, 05 Jan 2008 6:29 AM PST
Candidates started registering Saturday to stand in Iran's March parliamentary elections, although their applications still have to be approved by a hardline vetting body, state television reported.

 

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Opalesque’s Corner

 

- Citadel Investment Group up 30% in 2007, reaches $20bln assets, Citadel would consider IPO, Sowood deal larger than thought
- Trusco Capital buys stake in 130/30 specialist Alpha Equity
Management
- New Paper: Andrew Lo develops dynamic portfolio method to create an index `for the many 130/30 products`, `the new long-only`
- Report: M & A strong for asset managers ($1.4 trillion assets), alternatives firms to continue drive in 08
- Opalesque Exclusive: Integrated Managed Futures of Toronto launches two new trading programs,  California firm preps alt. energy hedge fund
- Och-Ziff estimates assets at $33.2bln, up10%,  Decline doesn`t mean a bottom for alternative-asset managers, slumps may continue
- European, US hedge fund managers predict positive performance for 2008,  distressed securities, global macro, long/short equity and emerging markets
- Atticus ($1.2bln in 2 trades), Pershing, Tontine lead top ten hedge fund trades of 2007
- Third party marketing evolves: Growing beyond the basics
- Firms build private markets for illiquid, restricted or unlisted assets in attempt build new global asset class
- Greenwich Alternative Investments market sentiment indicators
- SEC report sheds light on broker-dealer rule
- Indices: Parker FX index up -0.64% in November, Top Performer: ECU Managed Currency Fund up 7.01%
- Sovereign funds, struggling to attract top-notch execs, boost pay, Greenspan to join China board?
- State Street exec quits after USD279m hit, `Many, many more`  securities fraud suits may hit financial firms involved in origination, packaging and sale of complex mortgage securities
- Background: In unforgiven margin call, Bear hedge funds failed on Merrill CDOs, both firms burned
- `Vanity trade with bragging rights`: Single trader behind oil record,  Experts divided over the likely direction of crude prices
- Reinsurance prices fall on lack of storms
- Ex-Goldman analyst gets over 4 years prison in insider case
- Update: Judge dismisses all of SEC`s claims Edwin Buchanan (Bucky) Lyon and Gryphon funds in PIPE case
- Barings: Emerging Europe has momentum to outperform even if US slows
- Europeans throw weight behind SEC exchange plans of mutual recognition
- U.A.E. decides to maintain dollar peg after review
- Aussie super schemes assets grow 24% YoY while returns reduce to 2.5% in Q3
- Activist News: Ackman details plan for target
- News Briefs: GlobeOp has successfully completed its SAS 70 Type II examination,  Prime broker Merlin Securities gets $20m investment from Sequoia Capital, Gross: Fed rates may go down to 3%,  Arab Bank enters $5bln loan agreement for Dubai World
- ...And finally: Brandon, Florida wins Least Competent Police award after jailing woman for 50 days for....
- Logon: http://www.opalesque.com/main.php?act=archive

 

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Misc. Items of Interest

 

 

 

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Funnies, Facts, Quotes, etc….

 

obdurate OB-duh-rit; -dyuh-, adjective:

1. Hardened in wrongdoing; stubbornly wicked. Hardened in feelings; hard-hearted.
2. Resistant to persuasion; unyielding.
3. Hard; harsh; rugged; rough.

 

 

                The Darwin awards are out for the new year

 

Whenever you think you are having a bad day........

The Darwin awards!

You've been waiting for them with bated breath, so without further ado here
are the 2008 Darwin awards.

       Eighth Place
       In Detroit , a 41-year-old man got stuck and drowned in two feet of
water after squeezing head first through an 18-inch-wide sewer grate to
retrieve his car keys.

         Seventh Place
       A 49-year-old San Francisco stockbroker, who 'totally zoned when he
ran,' accidentally jogged off a 100-foot high cliff on his daily run.

         Sixth Place
       While at the beach, Daniel Jones, 21, dug an 8 foot hole for
protection from the wind and had been sitting in a beach chair at the bottom
when it collapsed, burying him beneath 5 feet of sand.  People on the beach
used their hands and shovels trying to get him out but could not reach him.
It took rescue workers using heavy equipment almost an hour to free him.
Jones was pronounced dead at a hospital.

         Fifth Place
         Santiago Alvarado, 24, was killed as he fell through the ceiling
of a bicycle shop he was burglarizing. Death was caused when the long
flashlight he had placed in his mouth to keep his hands free rammed into the
base of his skull as he hit the floor.

         Fourth Place
       Sylvester Briddell, Jr., 26, was killed as he won a bet with
friends who said he would not put a revolver loaded with four bullets into
his mouth and pull the trigger.

         Third Place
       After stepping around a marked police patrol car parked at the
front door, a man walked into H&J Leather & Firearms intent on robbing the
store. The shop was full of customers and a uniformed officer was standing
at the counter. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a
hold-up, and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a
clerk promptly returned fire, and several customers also drew their guns and
fired. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics. Crime
scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The
subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds
from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt.

       HONORABLE MENTION
       Paul Stiller, 47, and his wife Bonnie were bored just driving around
at 2 A.M. so they lit a quarter stick of dynamite to toss out the window to
see what would happen. Apparently they failed to notice the window was
closed.

       RUNNER UP
       Kerry Bingham had been drinking with several friends when one of
them said they knew a person who had bungee-jumped from a local bridge in
the middle of traffic. The conversation grew more heated and at least 10 men
trooped along the walkway of the bridge at 4:30 AM.  Upon arrival at the
midpoint of the bridge they discovered that no one had brought a bungee
rope. Bingham, who had continued drinking, volunteered and pointed out that
a coil of lineman's cable, lay near by. They secured one end around
Bingham's leg and the tied the other to the bridge. His fall lasted 40 feet
before the cable tightened and tore his foot off at the ankle. He miracu
lously survived his fall into the icy water and was rescued by two nearby
fishermen. Bingham's foot was never located.

       AND THE WINNER IS...
       Zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt ( Paderborn , Germany ) fed his
constipated elephant 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of
berries, figs and prunes before the plugged-up pachyderm finally got relief.
Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing
elephant an olive oil enema when the relieved beast unloaded. The sheer
force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the
ground where he struck his head on a rock as the elephant continued to
evacuate 200 pounds of dung on top of him. It seems to be just one of those
freak accidents that proves... 'S**t happens'

IT ALWAYS SEEMS IMPORTANT TO THANKS THESE PEOPLE FOR REMOVING THEMSELVES
FROM THE GENE POOL

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Conference, Courses, Books, Papers

 

Great Research Sites:

 

Merrill Lynch research Link to full report including important disclosures see example

 

John Mauldin’s Weekly Analysis

 

James Altucher’s Website:

 

Other useful sites:

 

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Index Corner

 

The CSFB/Tremont Hedge Fund Index www.hedgeindex.com.

The Cogent Dynamic Averages http://www.cogenthedge.com/home/inv_strategy.asphttp://www.cogenthedge.com/home/inv_strategy.asp

The Dow Jones Indices: http://www.djhedgefundindexes.com/index.cfm?event=viewPremiumContent (free registration)

HFRX Indices https://www.hedgefundresearch.com/hfrx_reg/index.php?fuse=login&1170880431

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Regulatory Info

 

 

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Disclaimer

 

The information contained in this document does not constitute an offer or solicitation to sell any security or other type of vehicles to or by anyone in any jurisdictions, nor should it be regarded as a contractual document. Under no circumstances should the information provided on this document be considered as financial advice, or as a sufficient basis on which to make investment decisions. The information contained herein has been gathered by Investor DNA, LLC from sources deemed reliable as of the date of publication, but no warranty of accuracy or completeness is given. Investor DNA, LLC is not responsible for and provides no guarantee with respect to any of the information provided herein or through the use of any hypertext link. Past results are no indication of future performance. All information in this newsletter is for educational and informational purposes and does not constitute investment, legal, tax or accounting advice. All materials are the property of the respective publishers, as referenced by header and appropriate hypertext links.