Quote of the Day: Better Earnings

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By Barry Ritholtz - August 6th, 2009, 10:30AM

Stephanie Pomboy of MacroMavens observes:

“Judging by the giddy delight investors have taken in ‘better’ earnings news over the last two weeks, we expect they will positively wet themselves when they get a load of the new saving stats.  I mean the prospect that dis-saving was never as bad… and that current saving is even better … surely ranks as more compelling than having a handful of companies beat beaten-down expectations by a penny.  Particularly when those beats were accompanied by NO…or uniformly grim…guidance and, in the case of financials, were achieved by dint of increased risk-taking.

Label me “prudish”, but beefing up prop trading and reducing loan loss provisions (precisely as the Alt-A/Option ARM reset wave begins and the Commercial Real Estate losses mount) doesn’t exactly blow my skirt up.”

Forget any concepts you have of mathematical certainty regarding more/less or better/worse. With Less Bad as the new Good, even “Better” has become a subjective measure.

Like Beauty, apparently, Good and Bad is now in the eye of the beholder . . .

Comments

Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.

12 Responses to “Quote of the Day: Better Earnings”

  1. GB Says:

    What if Wall Streets less bad is less than my less bad and less than your less? Should I invest More?

  2. I-Man Says:

    I really like MacroMavens, btw. Good stuff. I like Stephanie’s moxie.

    BR, you could also say:

    “Like beauty, apparently, Good and Bad is now in the eye of the BAGHOLDER.”

  3. karen Says:

    Very clever, I-Man.. and Stephanie does have the best way with words.. I don’t ever think I’ve been at odds with her, either. Although, sometimes I’ve lamented that she’s just stating the obvious, albeit better than anyone else.

  4. The Curmudgeon Says:

    “giddy delight”…”wet themselves”…”blow my skirt up”…my goodness, I got a bit hot under the collar just reading Ms. Pomboy’s analysis.

  5. Transor Z Says:

    Yeah, Stephanie’s got something goin’ on. Photo here:

    http://www.1440wallstreet.com/index.php/site/comments/stephanie_pomboy_sticks_a_stiletto_in_the_us_dollar/

  6. jeff in indy Says:

    or, as we use to say the Corps, “looks like a 2-bagger night…”

  7. Chief Tomahawk Says:

    “Like Beauty, apparently, Good and Bad is now in the eye of the beholder . . .”

    Kind of like Uncle Sam willing to commit $4,500 for each clunker???

  8. contrabandista13 Says:

    “… Like Beauty, apparently, Good and Bad is now in the eye of the beholder . . .”

    Yeah….. You’re probably too young to remember this…. People wore ” polyester leisure suits”, WHAT WAS I THINKING…..!!!!!??????

    Eco

  9. I-Man Says:

    Oh, stop the press!!!

    CNBC reports:

    Abby Joseph Cohen: New Bull Market Has Begun; S&P 500 Should Be in 1050 to 1100 Range by Year-End (story developing)

    BUY EVERYONE! BUY!

    Long: Stephanie Pomboy
    Short: Abby J. Cohen

  10. Kent @ The Financial Philosopher Says:

    There is no truth only perception.

    “It’s important to choose not who you think is the prettiest girl, but who the judges think is the prettiest girl.” ~ John Maynard Keynes

  11. scott simpson Says:

    I think Abby Joseph Cohen just rang the top bell. My conspiracy theory(not necessary to confirm the contrarian implications of her pronouncement) is that Goldman Sachs uses her as a secret messenger to the insiders to do the opposite of what she says, and this is a coded signal that Goldman is about to let the bottom drop out. This also gets Joe Retail to pick up the tab by acting as a pied piper for less savvy investors.

    If we were to get to S&P 1050, it would be too easy, most would know to take profits.

    Already 10% short, about to get more so. Hoping for more rally.

    {posted on another thread originally.}

  12. The Curmudgeon Says:

    Thanks for the link TZ. Now I’d really like to see something (prudent risk management perhaps?) that would blow her skirt up:)

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