Main News

 

Hedge Funds: Hedge fund manager Ackman proposes plan to save Fannie, Freddie
Market Watch Tue, 15 Jul 2008 1:09 PM PDT
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman proposes a plan to save Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Tuesday that would wipe out investors who own the companies’ common equity and preferred shares, while trying to protect U.S. taxpayers.

 

Indymac Bancorp Rating Lowered To 'D'

We lowered our rating on Indymac Bancorp and its subsidiaries to 'D' in response to IndyMac Bank FSB being placed in receivership by the Office of Thrift Supervision. With the holding company now cut off from the bank and with only limited financial resources of its own, we believe that the holding company's financial position is greatly impaired, even if not technically insolvent.

More

 

Paulson's Plan to Buy Fannie, Freddie Equity 'Insane'
By: Martin de Sa'Pinto, Senior Financial Correspondent
Posted: 07/15/2008 3:52:05 PM ET
http://www.hedgeworld.com/news/premium/read_news.cgi?section=dail&story=dail15127.html

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced an emergency action aimed at reducing short-selling in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stock, and will immediately begin considering new rules to extend those trading limits to the rest of the market. SEC Chairman Christopher Cox said at a Senate Banking Committee hearing that the SEC would institute an emergency order requiring any traders to pre-borrow stock before shorting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the embattled government-sponsored entities that own more than half the nation's mortgages.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB121614248005255151,00.html?mod=djemalertNEWS

 

Soros warns of more crises to come after Fannie, Freddie
Billionaire investor George Soros said the latest financial crisis involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will not be the last. Soros labeled the turmoil in the markets that has marred the last year as "the most serious financial crisis of our lifetime." He also said Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke might not be able to prevent the U.S. economy from deteriorating even further. "His options are limited -- he is boxed in," Soros said. Reuters (15 Jul.)

 

SWEDEN - AP3 has said it is not concerned about losses on its investment in Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, following reports by national newspaper Dagen Nyheter that Swedish state pension funds have lost a total of SEK500m (US$84.2m) in the last year as a result of the firms' difficulties.

 

Investors Take Wait and See Attitude
By: Chidem Kurdas, New York Bureau Chief
Posted: 07/15/2008 12:56:37 PM ET
http://www.hedgeworld.com/news/premium/read_news.cgi?section=peop&story=peop3536.html

 

The stock market's June swoon has carried into July, with key indicators pointing to a bear market weighed down by rising oil prices, the credit crisis and more bad news from Detroit, as the Big Three auto manufacturers reported substantial losses. Meanwhile, the G-8 gathered in Japan to discuss global warming and the economy, but didn't include the two largest emerging economies -- China and India -- in the talks.

 

 

 

Hope for Fannie and Freddie?

Posted: 14 Jul 2008 01:47 PM CDT

 

Priority is to prevent crisis of liquidity
Jul 15 2008 00:46
To resolve the Fannie and Freddie crisis, US policymakers need to address three issues in sequence: liquidity, capital and structure. The Treasury and the Fed are tackling the first issue head on Read more »

 

Credit Turbulence Put Financials CDS Spreads Out of Whack
By: Martin de Sa'Pinto, Senior Financial Correspondent
Posted: 07/15/2008 1:41:07 PM ET
http://www.hedgeworld.com/news/read_news.cgi?section=peop&story=peop3537.html

 

 

Report: Investment banks contributed to rating problems
Investment banks had conflicts of interest in setting ratings for mortgage-backed securities, according to a report released last week by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The report focuses on credit-rating agencies but also cites problems at unnamed investment banks. "The market has already penalized severely the investment banks involved in these deals, so there's little need for the SEC to target rule making at them," said Jon Van Gorp, a partner at law firm Mayer Brown in Chicago. FinancialWeek (14 Jul.)

 

 

Inflation Not The Problem

 

 

 

Barron's: Wrong on Housing by Barry Ritholtz

 

SEC Subpoenas 50-Plus Hedge-Fund Advisers: Report
By: Reuters
Posted: 07/15/2008 4:53:49 PM ET
http://www.hedgeworld.com/news/read_news.cgi?section=dail&story=dail15129.html

 

McKinsey Finds Hedge Funds Hardest Hit by Crisis
By: Emma Trincal, Senior Financial Correspondent
Posted: 07/15/2008 4:23:13 PM ET
http://www.hedgeworld.com/news/read_news.cgi?section=dail&story=dail15128.html

 

Former Bear Trader Starts $1 Billion Hedge Fund
New York Times Tue, 15 Jul 2008 4:42 AM PDT
A former star trader at Bear Stearns has formed a new hedge fund called Covepoint Capital with nearly $1 billion in assets, Reuters reported.

 

Devaney Investors Get Zip by Greg Newton

 

 Hedge Funds Living Up To Their Names by Larry MacDonald

 

Notes on Hedge Fund Struggles by David Enke

 

While Energy Investment Also Gets Airtime
Meanwhile, the matter of directing funds toward energy projects in Iran seems sure to attract more attention. Yesterday, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee called on the U.S. and European governments to punish companies that invest in Iran, Bloomberg reports, while Undersecretary of State for political affairs William Burns told the committee that possible investment in Iran by Norway's StatoilHydro "warrants further review." And the Financial Times reports that French energy group Total is unlikely to invest in a liquefied natural gas project linked to Iran's South Pars gas field in near future, in what the paper called a "victory for Washington's efforts to isolate Tehran over its nuclear ambitions."

 

Posted by John Carney, Jul 03, 2008, 9:02am

Two Goldman Sachs funds launched to take advantage of the credit squeeze saw serious losses last month, according to a person familiar with the situation. Goldman's liquidity fund and its credit opportunities fund were meant to capitalize off bad situations, buying distressed assets in the credit and mortgage markets. Both were down in the high double digits for June, the person said.

 

Gottex Sues Hedge Fund Manager over Redemption
eFinancial News - Tuesday July 15, 09:36 BST

 

TCI loses $1bn in worst month
Financial Times - Tuesday July 15, 09:35 BST

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Yield Curve Corner

 

Pessimistic Words to Congress From Bernanke
New York Times - United States
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN WASHINGTON — Warning of the dual risks of a further slowdown and higher inflation, Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, ...

 

Dollar Falls Versus Euro as Bernanke Cites Risk to Growth
Bloomberg - USA
By Bo Nielsen July 15 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar dropped against the euro as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said growth and inflation risks have ...

 

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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: http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Current/TRCbertha197_G12.jpg

 

The Atlantic Basin continues to be immersed in a very conducive atmospheric [MJO] phase that will likely persist for several more days. While other variables are obviously necessary for storm formation, the impact of the MJO on the Western Hemisphere has been starkly evident in the formation of 6 Tropical Depressions (including 2 Tropical Storms and 2 Hurricanes) in less than 3 weeks across the East Pacific.

Full Story...

 

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Iranian Situation and Other Man Made Disasters

 

 

Iran: New Ambassador To Turkey To Take Office July 15, 2008 1509 GMT Iran's new ambassador to Turkey, Bahman Hussein Pour, is expected to take office in coming weeks,...

 

Turkey: FM To Visit Iran; Turkey Might Mediate July 15, 2008 1444 GMT Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is expected to visit Iran on July 28-31 for a ministerial...

 

Senate panel to consider wider Iran sanctions
Reuters via Yahoo! News Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:04 AM PDT
A Senate panel will consider legislation this week that would expand economic and trade sanctions against Iran days after Tehran test-fired missiles it said could reach U.S. assets in the region.

 

U.S. should use all tools to pressure Iran: Obama
Reuters via Yahoo! News Tue, 15 Jul 2008 8:57 AM PDT
Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Tuesday preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon was in America's vital interests and vowed to use all tools to pressure Tehran.

 

Saudi offers Russia arms deal to curb Iran ties: paper
Reuters via Yahoo! News Tue, 15 Jul 2008 0:51 AM PDT
Saudi Arabia has offered to award major arms contracts to Russia in return for Moscow curtailing cooperation with Iran, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing unidentified diplomatic sources.

 

The New Middle East

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Opalesque’s Corner

 

- Editor's Note
- Opalesque Exclusive:  Reaching the next asset raising goal - Part 1:  Targeting seed capital, new rules evolve through increased competition
- Launches: Star Bear trader Melissa Ko launches Covepoint with $1bln in assets, Argo begins life after Absolute Capital with new funds range, Copenhagen DanFonds launching frontier hedge fund hybrids
- Performance: Opalesque Exclusive: Swiss-managed Tiberius Multi-Strategy Commodity Fund returns 3.94% in June, benefited from the run-up in the agriculture sector, Danske Hedge believes in mortgage bonds, TCI loses $1bn in worst month, Odey Asset Management with +43% 12-month performance, applies for UK distributor status
- Assets: Armajaro commodities fund closes with $1.3bln AUM, Asia ex-Japan funds hit by more redemptions - EPFR
- Indices: Hedge funds provide shelter in most severe markets in years, HFN Hedge Fund Aggregate Average -0.61% in June, -0.02% YTD, Emerging markets deliver losses according to HFR, Dow Jones and Brookfield Asset Management launch new indexes to serve as benchmarks for performance of infrastructure securities worldwide, >Islamic investors gain from lack of exposure to western financials, S&P global shariah index up 3.61% in Q2
- Locations: London assets are growing, but New York still hedge fund capital and home to 40% of all global HF assets - less than in 2002, Zurich aiming to be 3rd financial center by 2015, Moscow becomes second most expensive office location in Europe as credit crunch curtails rents in London
- Investment Views: Wealth managers advising load up on cash as `capitulation` looms
- Niche investing: Alternatives no longer the abstract 1%-2% of a portfolio, they`re fundamental
- KGR Absolute Return PCC Ltd announces successful `C` share issue, shares to be admitted on the LSE
- Fannie and Freddie Update: Freddie finds eager debt buyers after rescue plan, Rogers calls Fannie plan a `disaster`; Goldman says sell, Fate of Fannie and Freddie (video), Barton Biggs calls criticism of Fannie, Freddie plan `silly`, Top funds may have lost $4bln on Freddie and Fannie, Taiwan`s firms hold $20bln in Freddie and Fannie, FSC says, Asian stocks skittish in muted response to backstop pledge
- Credit Crunch Update: After IndyMac failure, analysts ask who`s next, How Chuck Schumer caused the collapse of Indymac, the second largest bank failure in US history, US bail-out fails to calm nerves, confidence in regional banks buckled, Other US banks assert their credit-worthiness, Lehman could go private to shake off short sellers - analyst, Legg Mason outlook dims after money funds bailout, Investment co. Dawnay Day suffers new blow and sells GBP3m property stakes, could sell more
- Commentaries:  The scandal of Northern Rock: Board of directors, the flaw at the top that`s causing banks to fail, Jeremy Siegel on the bear market, sky-high oil prices and other bad news - Interview
- Regulatory: Over 50 hedge funds subpoenaed in SEC rumor probe, Cox:  SEC has `tools` to pursue probes of false rumors, U.S. funds watch their words as SEC probes rumors, Comment: They`re not rumors, they`re early facts
- Comment: Is it time to pull the rug out from short-sellers?
- Opalesque Exclusive: Japan FSA explains how domestic investment managers can avoid creating permanent establishments in Japan when running offshore funds
- Legal: Update: Bayou asks judge to make investors return $89m, Bayou`s Israel was cheated in bank scam in 2004, investigator says
- 2008 Buyside Trading Poll shows more than 2/3 of European fund managers think brokers` conflicts of interest impact trading
- People: HSBC picks Sinopia CEO Conxicoeur for institutional role for regions sovereign wealth funds as Au King-lun heads to FRM, UBS appoints Per E Larsson CEO of Middle East and North Africa, Barclays Wealth appoints Vishal Jain as director
- Asia: Hedge funds see rate hike in India, India exchange-traded currency futures likely to take off by mid-August, Private-equity fundraising slows in Asia Pacific in 1st half report, Growth in Chinese forex reserves slows, Average Asian equity returns distorted on the upside and downside by the Chinese and Indian stock markets
- LatAm: S&P upgrades Peru to investment grade
- Environmental Investing: Economist Sachs sounds alarm on carbon trading scheme, `there will never be global agreement`, Australian union warns of aluminum losses under carbon trading scheme, Blackstone Group announces partnership to build and manage 400MW offshore wind farm in Germany, Israel`s clean tech advances attract foreign investors
- Commodities: Rogers says oil prices are due to real shortages, speculators are loosing money, Credit crisis drags down CME stock, Commodity-linked notes drawing more investors, ETF Securities says commodities outperform equities 4:1 over the past 10 years, Investors seek solace in gold, UBS predicts higher prices
- News Briefs: Barclays to offshore 1,800 UK tech jobs, Union fighting redundancies as bank goes global, Eze Castle integration expands Midwest operations with new Chicago office, Thames River deploys Charles River IMS, Is hedge fund gas card a scam?, E Trade to sell Canadian operations to Scotiabank, Eddie Murphy film financed by Soros-affiliated hedge fund Dune expected to tank at box office, Paramount forced to suspend $450m financing, ICBC launches China`s first wine trust
- ...And finally: Bee blamed for causing helicopter crash, Police: chopper `pretty banged up`
- Logon: http://www.opalesque.com/index.php?act=archive

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Misc. Items of Interest

 

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Funnies, Facts, Quotes, etc….

 

fiduciary ih-DOO-shee-air-ee, adjective:

1. Relating to the holding of something in trust for another.
2. Someone who stands in a special relation of trust, confidence, or responsibility in certain obligations to others; a trustee.

 

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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.