Posted on 01/17/2008 1:34:10 PM PST by shrinkermd
Matters went from bad to worse as the stock market suffered its worst loss of 2008, already a year that hadn't been shaping up as a highlight for investors.
Stocks reeled and long-dated Treasurys jumped following a fresh round of hefty write-downs by banks and signs that bond insurers' credit ratings may be slashed.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 306.95 points Thursday, down 2.5%, at 12159.21. All 30 of its components ended lower. The Russell 2000 was off 2.8%, or 19.34 points, at 680.57. The small-stock indicator, which includes many companies that rely heavily on a robust U.S. economy, is now off more than 20% from its July highs, the traditional threshold defining a bear market.
Prices for 10-year and 30-year U.S. government debt soared as investors sought safe havens. Traders said it appears investors are shuffling money directly from stocks into bonds.
...The Standard & Poor's 500 was off 2.9%, or 39.95 points, at 1333.25, including declines in all its sectors. In previous selloffs, traditional safe-haven categories like healthcare and utilities sometimes eked out gains within the broad index. But on Thursday, investors exchewed stocks bets almost across the board.
The technology-focused Nasdaq Composite Index was down 2%, or 47.69 points, at 2346.90
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
My post is on this thread. Somehow the link I posted did not come out as a link...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930784/posts?q=1&;page=51
My humble apologies. I can’t keep the players straight without a scorecard. I guess I’m just not very bright...
Sure, I’ll let you know the day and hour that housing and the major stock market indexes hit the very bottom and are about to go on a tear. Piece of cake. Sure. Right. Hee hee.
Still haven’t received my warning....waiting....waiting...
Okay, humor aside — those exchanges of many months ago were some of the most fascinating I’ve ever read. It provided real insight into just how short the time horizon for some people is...
I would add, the abuse that ex-texan took in those exchanges was really astounding. I don’t agree with all of his analysis and/or insights, but there were folks who really, really let go on him.
Funny, where are they now?
I don’t blame them. They no doubt needed the world to be as they claimed it was.
Thanks, I’ll add that one!
My best friend told me after I warned him in depth and detail about the coming financial breakdown. He told me: “your whacked”!
His response after talking to him over the period of a year was: “It’s too terrible to think about”.
The absolute best part is that his title is “Risk Manager” for a small private equity firm.
Regards,
Lurking’
Jumping in here.Not sure about ex-texan,but Hydroshock was banned.Nobody knows why.
There are more that I saved, but unfortunately lost. Greenspan telling people that “interest rates are sure to go up” and “you should consider switching to an ARM” in the same speech. For example. Pure, distilled, 190 proof idiocy.
That’s a keeper, thanks!
"American consumers might benefit if lenders provided greater mortgage product alternatives to the traditional fixed-rate mortgage."
~~Alan Greenspan, February 22, 2004
"We're not about to go into a situation where (real estate) prices will go down. There is no evidence home prices are going to collapse."
~~Alan Greenspan, May 21, 2006
The damage from the subprime market has been largely contained. Fortunately, the financial system and the economy are strong enough to weather this storm.
Richard Fisher, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President, Apr 4, 2007
"I cannot help but raise a dissenting voice to statements that we are living in a fool's paradise, and that prosperity in this country must necessarily diminish and recede in the near future."
~~E. H. H. Simmons, President, New York Stock Exchange, January 12, 1928
"Stock prices have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau. I do not feel there will be soon if ever a 50 or 60 point break from present levels, such as (bears) have predicted. I expect to see the stock market a good deal higher within a few months."
~~Irving Fisher PhD, leading U.S. economist , New York Times, October 17, 1929
"If recession should threaten serious consequences for business (as is not indicated at present) there is little doubt that the Federal Reserve System would take steps to ease the money market and so check the movement."
~~Harvard Economic Society, October 19, 1929
"This is the time to buy stocks. This is the time to recall the words of the late J. P. Morgan... that any man who is bearish on America will go broke. Within a few days there is likely to be a bear panic rather than a bull panic. Many of the low prices as a result of this hysterical selling are not likely to be reached again in many years."
~~R. W. McNeel, market analyst, as quoted in the New York Herald Tribune, October 30, 1929
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