Tuesday, January 27, 2009
苏黎士投机定律
苏黎士投机定律(Zurich Axiom)是早期在华尔街股市从事股票投机,并希望因此而致富的一群瑞士人所使用的术语。它包括一套实用且相关的定律,可提供任何投资者或投机者(投机和投资根本是一回事,因此以下投机和投资会交互使用),从事金钱游戏并控制风险的法则。
这里要注意的是,它是陈述有关控制风险的方法,而不是要你.避免风险,因为任何投资都有风险,对吗?用这些定律检讨自己的得失并身体力行,你可能就会在今天大展鸿图。
定律1.如果你对自己从事的投机不感到忧虑,那么你冒的风险肯定不够。
这句话是说,投资的资金一定要足,切勿听信专家所谓的“用闲置资金投资”的建议。当然问题在于多少钱才算足.但是我们不妨从反面来思考。如果你用所谓的闲钱十万元来投资股票,请问今年你可能赚多少?赚了一两倍又能增加自己多少财富?干脆直截了当的说,赌小钱绝对赚不到大钱,你以为如何?但这并非要你去大赌,而是要告诉你,投机的金额要大到让自己很在意或忧虑才行,而这就是合理或足够的投资金额。当然每个人所能承受的忧虑程度不同,因此投机的金额亦因人而异。
这条定律也涵盖了两项次要原则,一是在你认为已经发掘了好投机机会时,尽量下足额的资金,二是切勿相信所谓的“不要把所有钱放在一个篮子”分散风险的建议,因为你不是大玩家。过份分散资金同样也分散获利的机会。
总之,要学习下大赌注,不要怕赔钱,不要怕让自己心理受到创伤。事实上只要控制得当,最差的状况也不过是使自己再穷些而已。但相反地,获利的机会也将无可限量,或许甚至可以让自己脱难穷困。
定律2.尽早获利了结。
这个定律要求你要节制自己的贪婪心理。在操作股票时,贪婪会表现在股价持续飘涨时的惜售,而原因是伯后悔。这也就是说,害怕在卖掉股票之后,股票会继续上涨。的确每个人都有这种经验,有时候它会令人懊恼得寝食难安。甚至会让有些人到了口中念念有词的地步。但是华尔街一直流行一句话是:“当股票卖掉之后,别再过问股价的涨跌。”
华尔街老手的做法是,在进场买进股票一段时间,不管是赚还是赔,到了自己认为应该结束的时候就强迫自己结束,然后让自己好好轻松一番,完全不再过问股市。根据统计,这段轻松时间认一两周到一两个月后不等。
至于游戏结束的时间如何决定呢?通常的作法是,事先决定自己希望达到的获利率,只要目标一达成就立即脱身。这条定律要告诉你的就是,要求自己在股价攀升到顶点之前脱手,不要期望命运之神会持续赐福予你。
由于股票游戏并没有明订的起点或终点,一切都要靠自己决定,因此自己就是自己的裁判。当预定目标达成后,立即脱手,甚至退场后股价持续在攀升,也要压抑自己的贪念,不要被胜利冲昏头,又再进场。
定律3.当船开始下沉时,不要祷告,赶快脱身。
换句话说,当股市走势趋于恶化时,就要立即脱身,甚至立即停损认赔,不要让自己套牢。在这方面投资人要克服的心理障碍,不只是除了怕股票卖掉之后的立即反弹,另外两大心理障碍是,不愿承受小额损失,以及始终盼望股市会反弹而死不承认自己眼光错误。事实上,买错或卖错是很普通的事,不足大惊小怪,只是要避免错得太离谱。
欣然接受多次的小额损失,但是要设法候机扳回来。华尔街交易员曾经表示,金融操作赚赔的机会都是二分之一,只要能控制在赔小钱,而设法赚大钱,这才是赚钱赚在刀口上的道理。这个定律 告诫你,当事态转坏时,不要再心存侥幸心理,希望情况会好转。希望是心理创伤的治疗剂,但决不是从事投机活动的有效工具。任何从事股票投机的人最好接受停损做为必要的操作技巧。
定律4.人类行为是无法预测的,绝对不能相信任何能预测未来的未先知。
分析师或股市名嘴经常到处谈论并预测股市走势和个股股价的涨跌,但是一般投资人很少会去检定这些预测的准确度。检验准确度最好的方法就是照着他们的话去做,看看成功的次数如何?获利性如何?当然谁也不能否认有些预测是准确的,但这也不能保证你一定能赚得到钱,是吗?
不过这个定律要表达的是,不要相信任何人的预测,甚至不要以此做为自己从事股票投机操作的准绳。长远来说,这不会发生效用,金钱游戏纯属人类行为的范畴,根本无法预测。华尔街人士的建议是,价格涨跌变化的盘面永远是最正确的参考。不要根据任何对未来的预测的来决定投机行动的方针,最好是面对事实迅速地做出反应,决定行动的方向。
因此,比较正确的心态是:“我有理由相信这样做会成功”,而不是“根据分析师的预测,我认为这样做一定会成功。”当事与愿违时,别忘了定律3棗立即停损。
定律5.混乱并不危险,相信规律才危险。
简单的说,任何金融工具的走势绝对不存在所谓的规律、也没有可以绝对保证获利的公式可循。过份相信或依赖某种公式或诀窍,长远来看也不会有效。
相信股市走势有规律存在的心理是假定了历史会重演。许多专家经常研究以往造成涨跌的原因,而后期待只要这些原因重复出现,大势也会因此涨跌。不过在你接受任何这类说法时不妨自问,为什么成千上万的聪明人,穷数十年之精力研究,却未因此而致富?或许这样就能让自己的脑筋清醒一点,不轻易相信这种说法。
此外也别太相信技术分析。事实上技术分析也只不过是研究过去价格走势所形成的技术形态,如头肩顶、三角型,来决定买进卖出的操作技巧而已。事实上,你不妨照着做看看,试试准确性如何?其实成功的机会仍然是二分之一,各种走势形态事后看来或解释起来都头头是道。
另外也不可轻信以下两说法:其一是认为股价走势必然是某些前因所造成,其二是认为自己运气来临了。总之,投机活动决无公式可循。在从事任何投机活动前,你都必须深思熟虑,只要自己确定这有潜力的机会,便慷慨下注。记住,投机决不可能在有规律的情况下进行,你一定会面临无数混乱的局面。只要自己保待清醒,就能避免受创过深。
定律6.不要让资金陷在某个投机工具上。随时得保持机动性。
只要资金陷入某项投机工具上,机会成本就会很高,因为资金被卡死会让你失去投入其他获利更高的机会。一般经验显示,一个人越钟情于某项投机工具,就越不可能成为一个杰出的投机者。
在这方面,任何人要克服的心理障碍是,不要因为个人的偏好,而将资金陷在已经没有希望的投机工具上。另一方面,只要发觉有吸引你的投机机会横在眼前,就要毫不犹豫的脱掉原来的樊笼。
这个定律是希望你随时提高警觉,看看周遭的一切,不要因为自己的偏好而阻碍了其他的投机活动。所有的投机机会都要经过审慎的思考,切勿因为一些无谓的理由而阻碍了个人的行动。情势对自己不利时要勇于脱身,不要让自己陷得太深,无法全身而退。
定律7.只要是能够合理解释的直觉或预感,就可以作为投机活动的依据。
这个定律相信直觉可能会是从事投机活动时有效的指导,决不可以因为它听起来有点愚蠢而等闲视之。当直觉或预感降临时,不妨自忖它从何而来?如果你的确在平常时间对某些投机工具曾寄予相当程度的关切或研究,甚至对它有某种程度的掌握时,就不妨相信自己的直觉。当然它也不会百分之百正确。
但是要注意的是,不要把希望和直觉混为一谈。通常人在对某件事怀有相当程度的渴望时就会产生希望,而轻易相信这件事一定会发生。比较值得参考的辨别方法是,只要你认为自己渴望的事将会发生时,这种心理就应该以怀疑的态度看待。相反地,当直觉告诉你,事态的发展会和你希望的方面相反时,这种直觉往往很可靠.
这是一个非常有趣的原理,它告诉你不要忽视直觉或预感在投机活动中所扮演的角色,而你必须以怀疑和谨慎的态度对待它。通常直觉都是从你个人以往经验所衍生而来的,只是你不知道它真正的来历。当强烈的直觉指引你时,只要能合理的加以解释,不妨相信它,试试看。
定律8.迷信股市的涨跌受超自然力支配,这是不可能的。
这个定律要你别过份相信具有神秘色彩的预言。从78年开始、流行用紫微斗数判断股市走势,但是到底准确性如何,似乎也没有人在意。一般投资人在这方面所犯下的偏颇都是“宁可信其有,不可信其无”。其实,你自己做预测也不见得会很离谱。如果这些预言家的预言的确有效.那么他们早就发了。因此别对求神问卦的结果估计得太高。不过如果能淡然处之,你也可以从中享受一些乐趣。
圣经上有句话说:“撒旦的归撤旦,上帝的归上帝。”最好还是把金钱世界和信仰世界分得清楚些,毕竟它不会带来太大的用处。有时候,当许多人都迷信某天股市行情会崩盘时,也确实是会有影响的,但仍不致会坏到无可收拾的残局。过份迷信的坏处是它会让你失去投机的警觉性,而在毫无提防的情况下让自己陷入绝境。投机最值得依赖的伙伴仍然是自己的智慧。
定律9.预期最佳状况会发生就是乐观,而信心则是知道如何处理最坏的状况。决不要因为乐观而采取投机活动。
乐观的入经常受人赞美,但是在金钱世界里,过份乐观不会令你有所斩获。以78年的选举行情为例,利多与长红的极端乐观带来的是什么?当每个人都陷于极端乐观的情绪之中时,不妨做反向思考,或许反面才是对的。
当每个人都很乐观时,自己也很容易因此而丧失独立的判断力。在从事投机活动时,不妨先思考好,当事态恶化时要如何处理?如果能找到答案,你就成了一个有信心的投机者。
定律10.不要跟着群众走,他们也会犯错。
持这种态度的人经常会被指为过于自负。在金钱世界里,自负并不是一个人的缺点。不过当个人的看法和群众相异时,的确会为自己造成相当的压力。
在自负方面有一个原则是可以确立的,亦即最佳的进场时机经常是当群众都不愿进场的时刻。回想78年台湾股市于11月14日的指数高峰l0499.58点跌到12月l1日的8176.08点,当时悲观气氛最浓烈的时候,是否就是最佳的进场时机.
定律11.失败时别气馁,设法忘掉失败的痛苦,重新再来。
用俗话说就是要有毅力。从事投机活动决不可以心存一次成功的心理。华尔街许多杰出交易员早年都曾数度破产,但是他们却能不断的尝试、学习并且改变自己的个性,终于出类拔萃。
但是毅力不可以和顽固混为一谈。典型的顽固是不承认自己投机所犯的错误,甚至设想要逢低承接,拉低平均成本。这种作法在情势转坏时会显得特别吃重,甚至会损失不赀。注意它和定律3的差别。
定律12.长期计划会让人产生未来完全在掌握之中的幻觉,决不要为自己做长期计划。
事实上,你真正需要的长期计划应该以钱本身做为关切的焦点。也就是要致富的意愿。要尽量避免从事长期投资,只要有好机会就大胆投入,事态转坏就立即抽身。人要随时保持致富的高度企图心。
如何致富是无法事先了解或计划的,你需要知道的事只是,总之有一天你会发财。套一句英国经济学家凯因斯的话说:“长期我们都死了
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Contango
http://thefountainhead.typepad.com/contango/2007/01/contango.html
In Hilary's own words:
When a commodity futures contract is in backwardation, an investor has two potential sources of returns. Since backwardation typically indicates scarcity, one is on the correct side of a potential price spike in the commodity by being long at that time. The other source of return involves a bit more explanation. In a backwardated futures market, a futures contract converges (or rolls up) to the spot price. This is the “roll yield” that a futures investor captures. The spot price can stay constant, but an investor will still earn returns from buying discounted futures contracts, which continuously roll up to the constant spot price. A bond investor might liken this situation to one of earning “positive carry.” In a contango market, the reverse occurs: an investor continuously locks in losses from futures contracts converging to a lower spot price. Correspondingly, a bond investor might liken this scenario to one of earning “negative carry.”
In other words, for a backwardation (contango) commodity we buy (sell) a future contract further into the delivery curve and wait for its appreciation (depreciation) as it approaches the higher (lower) spot price.
Friday, January 23, 2009
USO and contango
"The US Oil Fund (Ticker: USO) holds long positions in West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures contracts, and rolls these contracts forward each month. Like most futures traders, USO buys futures with leverage, putting up a small portion of the money to buy the contracts. The rest of the money is invested in Treasuries, which generates interest income for the fund.
Three factors play a role in determining the performance of USO: 1) changes in the spot price of crude oil, 2) interest income on un-invested cash, and 3) the 'roll yield'. The first two factors are easily understood, but the third factor, 'roll yield' should be examined further in order to determine the extent, if any, to which traders of USO will be surprised by its performance in relation to spot crude oil.
First some background: Oil futures are available for each month of the year, so you can buy a futures contract right now which gives you the right to buy oil in February 2009, March 2009, April 2009, and so on. Currently, the price of oil in February 2009 is less than the price of oil in April 2009, a condition which is referred to as 'contango'. (If the opposite were true, the market for crude oil would be in backwardation.) Most commodity funds, including the US Oil Fund (USO) buy what is called the 'near month' contract and, because they do not want to take physical delivery of the commodity, they sell the current month's contract before it expires and buy into next month's contract. This process is called 'rolling forward', and it can result in the ETF paying up if the forward month contract is higher than the current month (contango), or cashing out if the opposition condition exists (backwardation).
To investigate the issue, I read through the 'risk factors' section of the USO prospectus. The following is relevant:
in the event of a crude oil futures market where near month contracts trade at a lower price than next month contracts, a situation described as ‘‘contango’’ in the futures market, then absent the impact of the overall movement in crude oil prices the value of the benchmark contract would tend to decline as it approaches expiration. As a result the total return of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract would tend to track lower. When compared to total return of other price indices, such as the spot price of crude oil, the impact of backwardation and contango may lead the total return of USOF’s NAV to vary significantly. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling oil prices, this could have a significant negative impact on USOF’s NAV and total return.
In essence, the USO prospectus is warning traders that USO may experience a negative 'roll yield' which may cause the NAV of USO to deviate significantly from the spot price of crude. Is there historical precedence for USO deviating from spot oil by a material amount? As it turns out, the answer is 'yes'.
During the past two years, including 2006, these markets have experienced contango. This has impacted the total return on an investment in USOF units during the past year relative to a hypothetical direct investment in crude oil. For example an investment made in USOF units on April 10 and held to December 31, 2006 decreased, based upon the changes in the closing market prices for USOF units on those days, by 23.03%, while the spot price of crude oil for immediate delivery during the same period decreased 11.18%
For a trader who is long USO, my instinct is that maintenance or aggravation of the contango in crude oil will cause impairment of the value of USO in relation to spot crude - whereas, any mitigation of the contango situation (including a shift to a flatter curve or backwardation) will enhance the performance of USO.
I plan to study this issue more extensively. But, in the mean time, I will not consider USO to be a good proxy for the spot price of crude oil - and I will be particularly leery of participating in USO for anything other than a short term trade."
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Unhappy With Your Roth? Just Say Never Mind
Ever made a financial decision you wish you hadn't, like buying a mutual fund that turned out to be a dog? Wouldn't it be neat if you could simply act as if it had never happened? Well, you have that choice when you convert a 401(k) or traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. That's right: Change your mind and you may be able to get a do-over.
The technical name for this second chance is a recharacterization, and basically it allows you to undo a conversion and transfer the balance (including earnings, if any) from your Roth IRA back to a traditional IRA. You can then leave it there or convert to a Roth IRA again later.
This sort of flexibility is always nice to have, but it can come in especially handy in three circumstances that you may find yourself facing today.
More from CNNMoney.com: • Danger: High Levels of Company Stock • Retirement Resolutions • Do You Want to Be Your Own Banker? |
You converted, only to see the stock market tank. Let's say you switched a $150,000 IRA to a Roth IRA in 2008 but the collapse in stock prices has since knocked the Roth's value down to $100,000. Because the tax is based on the IRA's value at the time of the conversion, you're facing a tax bill of $42,000 this April (assuming a 28% tax bracket).
By recharacterizing, you can shift the $100,000 back to a traditional IRA. If your IRA is still worth $100,000 when you convert again, you'll owe $28,000 in taxes, saving yourself a tidy 14 grand.
You want to conserve your cash. In general, a switch to a Roth is more likely to pay off if you can cover the conversion tax with outside funds rather than by tapping the balance of the 401(k) or IRA itself. That may not be a problem in flush years. But when the markets are sinking and the economy is flailing, you may prefer to keep your taxable investment accounts and cash reserves intact for an emergency.
So if you've already converted but are now having second thoughts about depleting your savings, undo it and hold on to the money that would have gone to the IRS.
You're not sure the conversion is still tax-smart. Tax rates are always a major consideration in weighing a conversion (by paying taxes on your IRA balance today rather than in retirement, you're betting that your tax rate will be higher later). And with a new President who campaigned on a sweeping revamping of tax laws, we could see changes that may lead you to rethink your decision.
During his campaign, Obama said he would eliminate taxes for seniors making less than $50,000 a year. It's anyone's guess whether this will make its way into law. But if you're nearing retirement, it raises the possibility that converting to a Roth IRA could be a bad deal since you would pay taxes on IRA dollars you might be able to withdraw tax-free later.
The Rules of Recharacterization
To avail yourself of this mulligan, you have to obey some tricky tax rules. You can recharacterize a conversion anytime up to the income tax filing deadline for the tax year of your conversion, including extensions. So if you converted in 2008, you can undo it as late as Oct. 15, 2009.
If you want to roll your account into a Roth again, you must wait at least until the year after your original conversion (2009 or later if you converted in 2008), and your second conversion must be at least 31 days after your recharacterization. And, of course, you must still meet the Roth conversion eligibility rules: Your modified adjusted gross income, whether you're single or married, can't exceed $100,000. (This hurdle disappears in 2010.)
Finally, keep in mind that just because you have the right to a do-over doesn't mean you'll come out ahead by exercising it. If, for example, you recharacterize a Roth that's now worth $100,000 to save taxes, it's possible that stock prices could recover before you're able to switch back into a Roth, leaving you with a higher tax bill.
All things considered, though, it's comforting to know that you have an escape hatch available if you need it.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Advantages Abound When Converting to Roth IRA
I want to convert my IRAs to Roth IRAs in 2009. We are retired and don't make over $100,000 a year. Could you please give me the parameters for doing a conversion? Can you spread the taxes over two years?
—John and Deborah Sellers, Hoover, Ala.
Moving assets from a traditional individual retirement account to a Roth IRA is a way to take advantage of the stock market's dive.
You do have to pay income taxes upfront on the account's value when you roll over traditional IRA assets to a Roth. But most IRA owners have seen their account balances tumble due to the liquidity crisis. And income-tax rates are relatively low at the moment as well, says Ed Slott, an IRA consultant in Rockville Centre, N.Y. So, that income-tax bill could turn out to be a relative bargain.
More from WSJ.com: • Some Breathing Room for IRAs • Annuity Addresses Longevity Issue • Financial Pressure Is a Family-Room Topic |
Other advantages: With a Roth, there are generally no taxes on withdrawals or future earnings, unlike with traditional IRAs. There also is no mandatory distribution schedule -- again in contrast with traditional IRAs, from which account holders must begin taking minimum distributions by April 1 of the year following the year they turn 70½ years old (though not in 2009 -- more on that below). And if you're hoping to leave an inheritance, it is more advantageous for your heirs to receive a Roth than a traditional IRA, because they would never have to pay tax on Roth withdrawals.
Legislation approved by Congress earlier this month suspends retirement-account distribution requirements for 2009. That means you could roll over assets from a traditional IRA to a Roth next year without first having to take a mandatory distribution, Mr. Slott says. In other words, the taxes you pay on your IRA assets' presumably beaten-down value would all be helping you get those savings into a Roth.
And if your assets fell in value after doing the conversion, you could "recharacterize" the account as a traditional IRA so you wouldn't have to pay income tax on value that no longer exists. You would have until Oct. 15, 2010, to recharacterize a Roth you converted at any point in 2009.
As you note, to be eligible to convert traditional IRA assets to a Roth, your modified adjusted gross income must be no more than $100,000 a year, either for an individual or a married couple filing jointly. Your mandatory IRA distribution (in years other than 2009) wouldn't count against that limit, and neither would the assets you convert to a Roth. But those amounts still count as taxable income, Mr. Slott says. (You can figure out your modified adjusted gross income using a work sheet in Publication 590 at irs.gov.)
Starting in 2010 -- not next year -- there are no income limits for Roth conversions. And for any conversions done in 2010, you can spread any resulting taxes across 2011 and 2012. The big wild card: Tax rates may increase in the next few years. "Paying the tax now removes the uncertainty of what future tax rates might be," Mr. Slott says.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008

(http://www.sentiment-traders.com/showthread.php?t=187)
The following applies to many (if not most) futures contracts especially those from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT).
- Rollover is 8 days before expiration.
- Expiration is the third Friday of each quarter month (March, June, September, December)
- The contract letter associated with each month is: March=H June=M September=U December=Z
- Rollover is on a Thursday.
- Rollover is usually on the second Thursday of the month but will be on the first Thursday if the first day of the month falls on a Friday
- Volume shifts to the new contract at market open (09:30 EST) on Rollover day
- New day trading or swing trading positions opened on rollover day should use the new contract month irrespective of when you plan to close it.
- New swing positions might be better opened using the new contract if opened within a few days of rollover day.
- Market myths abound at rollover and expiration. Check the source and confirm the probabilities before believing anything.
http://www.deltat1.com/Education/art...r/rollover.htm
Thursday, October 09, 2008
对金融危机最普遍的官方解释是次贷问题,然而次贷总共不过几千亿,而美国政府救市资金早已到了万亿以上,为什么危机还是看不到头?有文章指出危机的根源是金融机构采用“杠杆”交易;另一些专家指出金融危机的背后是62万亿的信用违约掉期(Credit Default Swap, CDS)。那么,次贷,杠杆和CDS之间究竟是什么关系?它们之间通过什么样的相互作用产生了今天的金融危机?在众多的金融危机分析文章中,始终没有看到对这些问题的简单明了的解释。本文试图通过自己的理解为这些问题提供一个答案,为通俗易懂起见,我们使用了几个假想的例子。有不恰当之处欢迎批评讨论。 一。杠杆。目前,许多投资银行为了赚取暴利,采用20-30倍杠杆操作,假设一个银行A自身资产为30亿,30倍杠杆就是900亿。也就是说,这个银行A 以 30亿资产为抵押去借900亿的资金用于投资,假如投资盈利5%,那么A就获得45亿的盈利,相对于A自身资产而言,这是150%的暴利。反过来,假如投资亏损5%,那么银行A赔光了自己的全部资产还欠15亿。 二。CDS合同。由于杠杆操作高风险,所以按照正常的规定,银行不运行进行这样的冒险操作。所以就有人想出一个办法,把杠杆投资拿去做“保险”。这种保险就叫CDS。比如,银行A为了逃避杠杆风险就找到了机构B。机构B可能是另一家银行,也可能是保险公司,诸如此类。A对B说,你帮我的贷款做违约保险怎么样,我每年付你保险费5千万,连续10年,总共5亿,假如我的投资没有违约,那么这笔保险费你就白拿了,假如违约,你要为我赔偿。A想,如果不违约,我可以赚45亿,这里面拿出5亿用来做保险,我还能净赚40亿。如果有违约,反正有保险来赔。所以对A而言这是一笔只赚不赔的生意。B是一个精明的人,没有立即答应A的邀请,而是回去做了一个统计分析,发现违约的情况不到1%。如果做一百家的生意,总计可以拿到500亿的保险金,如果其中一家违约,赔偿额最多不过50亿,即使两家违约,还能赚400亿。A,B双方都认为这笔买卖对自己有利,因此立即拍板成交,皆大欢喜。 三。CDS市场。B做了这笔保险生意之后,C在旁边眼红了。C就跑到B那边说,你把这100个CDS卖给我怎么样,每个合同给你2亿,总共200亿。B 想,我的400亿要10年才能拿到,现在一转手就有200亿,而且没有风险,何乐而不为,因此B和C马上就成交了。这样一来,CDS就像股票一样流到了金融市场之上,可以交易和买卖。实际上C拿到这批CDS之后,并不想等上10年再收取200亿,而是把它挂牌出售,标价220亿;D看到这个产品,算了一下,400亿减去220亿,还有180亿可赚,这是“原始股”,不算贵,立即买了下来。一转手,C赚了20 亿。从此以后,这些CDS就在市场上反复的抄,现在CDS的市场总值已经抄到了62万亿美元。 四。次贷。上面 A,B,C,D,E,F....都在赚大钱,那么这些钱到底从那里冒出来的呢?从根本上说,这些钱来自A以及同A相仿的投资人的盈利。而他们的盈利大半来自美国的次级贷款。人们说次贷危机是由于把钱借给了穷人。笔者对这个说法不以为然。笔者以为,次贷主要是给了普通的美国房产投资人。这些人的经济实力本来只够买自己的一套住房,但是看到房价快速上涨,动起了房产投机的主意。他们把自己的房子抵押出去,贷款买投资房。这类贷款利息要在8%-9%以上,凭他们自己的收入很难对付,不过他们可以继续把房子抵押给银行,借钱付利息,空手套白狼。此时A很高兴,他的投资在为他赚钱;B也很高兴,市场违约率很低,保险生意可以继续做;后面的C,D,E,F等等都跟着赚钱。 五。次贷危机。房价涨到一定的程度就涨不上去了,后面没人接盘。此时房产投机人急得像热锅上的蚂蚁。房子卖不出去,高额利息要不停的付,终于到了走头无路的一天,把房子甩给了银行。此时违约就发生了。此时A感到一丝遗憾,大钱赚不着了,不过也亏不到那里,反正有B做保险。B也不担心,反正保险已经卖给了 C。那么现在这份CDS保险在那里呢,在G手里。G刚从F手里花了300亿买下了 100个CDS,还没来得及转手,突然接到消息,这批CDS被降级,其中有20个违约,大大超出原先估计的1%到2%的违约率。每个违约要支付50亿的保险金,总共支出达1000亿。加上300亿CDS收购费,G的亏损总计达1300亿。虽然G是全美排行前10名的大机构,也经不起如此巨大的亏损。因此G 濒临倒闭。 六。金融危机。如果G倒闭,那么A花费5亿美元买的保险就泡了汤,更糟糕的是,由于A采用了杠杆原理投资,根据前面的分析,A 赔光全部资产也不够还债。因此A立即面临破产的危险。除了A之外,还有A2,A3,...,A20,统统要准备倒闭。因此G,A,A2,...,A20一起来到美国财政部长面前,一把鼻涕一把眼泪地游说,G万万不能倒闭,它一倒闭大家都完了。财政部长心一软,就把G给国有化了,此后A,...,A20的保险金总计1000亿美元全部由美国纳税人支付。 七。美元危机。上面讲到的100个CDS的市场价是300亿。而CDS市场总值是62万亿,假设其中有10%的违约,那么就有6万亿的违约CDS。这个数字是300亿的200倍。如果说美国政府收购价值300亿的CDS之后要赔出1000 亿。那么对于剩下的那些违约CDS,美国政府就要赔出20万亿。如果不赔,就要看着A20,A21,A22等等一个接一个倒闭。无论采取什么措施,美元大贬值已经不可避免。 以上计算所用的假设和数字同实际情况会有出入,但美国金融危机的严重性无法低估。
Monday, July 14, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Sunday, May 04, 2008
We are the world (1985)
There comes a time when we heed a certain call (Lionel Richie)
When the world must come together as one (Lionel Richie & Stevie Wonder)
There are people dying (Stevie Wonder)
Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life (Paul Simon)
The greatest gift of all (Paul Simon/Kenny Rogers)
We can't go on pretending day by day (Kenny Rogers)
That someone, somehow will soon make a change (James Ingram)
We're all a part of God's great big family (Tina Turner)
And the truth (Billy Joel)
You know love is all we need (Tina Turner/Billy Joel)
( CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving (Michael Jackson)
There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives (Diana Ross)
It's true we'll make a better day just you and me (Michael Jackson/Diana Ross)
Well, send'em you your heart so they know that someone cares (Dionne Warwick)
And their lives will be stronger and free (Dionne Warwick/Willie Nelson)
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread (Willie Nelson)
And so we all must lend a helping hand (Al Jurreau)
( REPEAT CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children (Bruce Springsteen)
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving (Kenny Loggins)
There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives (Steve Perry from Journey)
It's true we'll make a better day just you and me (Daryl Hall)
When you're down and out there seems no hope at all (Michael Jackson)
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall (Huey from Huey Lewis and the News)
Well, well, well, let's realize that a change can only come (Cyndi Lauper)
When we (Kim Carnes)
stand together as one (Kim Carnes/Cyndi Lauper/Huey Lewis)
(REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )
(additional ad-lib vox by Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, James Ingram)
NOTE: USA is an acronym for United Support of Artists, which is an organization headed by Ken Kragen to bring mainly musicians together to help alleviate the African plight. Spread the love and unity to help the kids - the people around the world today!
Written by Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie
Quincy Jones -- Producer
Michael Omartian - Keyboards, Producer
Greg Phillinganes - Keyboards
Michael Boddicker - Synthesizers, Programming
John Robinson - Drums
Paulinho da Costa -- Percussion
Louis Johnson -- Bass
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
O Come O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Friday, April 25, 2008


"The trend is your friend" is an important trading guideline.
Because trends persist for long periods, a position taken with the trend will more likely be successful than one taken randomly or against the trend. Trading with the trend in a bull market means buying on dips; in a bear market, selling on rallies.
On a bar chart, each vertical line connects the day's, week's, or month's high and low. The horizontal tick to the right of the line indicates that time period's closing price.
A trend is easily spotted on a bar chart. An uptrend is a series of higher lows and higher highs. Uptrend lines are drawn under the lows of the market and give support. A downtrend is a series of lower lows and lower highs. Downtrend lines are drawn across the highs and give resistance to the market. The soybean chart shown below has both uptrend lines and a downtrend line.
A trendline can be drawn when two points are available. The more times a trendline is touched, the more technically significant this support or resistance line becomes.
While some chartists draw trendlines through lows and highs, others may prefer drawing lines through closes in hopes of detecting a change in trend more quickly.
Trendlines may change angles, requiring another line drawn through new high or low points. For example, the sideways trading action in March and April broke the steeper uptrend line connecting the Feb. 13 and March 20 lows. But when the uptrend resumed in early May, a more shallow uptrend line can be drawn connecting the February and late-April lows.
The most reliable trendlines are those near a 45° angle. If about four weeks have elapsed between the two connecting points, this increases the trendline's validity. However, steep trendlines that don't fit these guidelines, like the uptrend line in the early portion of the soybean chart, may be just as useful.
Often, minor uptrends or downtrends will confuse the beginner. It may seem the market has turned around. However, sharp chartists will see these minor trends as small ripples within a major wave. Remember, if the trendline isn't broken, that trend remains intact. Two closes outside the trendline are the criteria for detecting a change in trend. However, very seldom do markets go directly from uptrend to downtrend. At the end of a move, traders become less aggressive and prices may swing in a sideways pattern or consolidation period.
Many times, markets break into an uptrend or downtrend out of a sideways trading pattern or consolidation period. In the soybean chart, prices traded in a 50
Because traders need time to be convinced that they should put their money into the market, sideways patterns are more likely to occur near the bottom of a move. The beginning of a downtrend often will be sharp and sudden as investors pull money out of the market.
False breakouts
Another way beginners might be fooled is seeing false breakouts of tops and bottoms. As prices begin to make their move in switching from a downtrend to an uptrend, traders with short positions will "cover." This buying many times will cause the market to rally above the downtrend line. This short covering rally seldom holds, and prices may drop back to the breakout point. The uptrend is confirmed when prices close above the high of the short rally.
On a topping formation, long liquidation takes prices through the uptrend line on a short break. Before the downtrend begins, the market sometimes rallies back to "test" the uptrend line as shown on the soybean chart in September. As the downtrend unfolds, the second reaction rally could not top the highs of the first rally.
Channel lines are an extension of the trendline theory. The October through January downtrend on the soybean chart shows prices staying in a "channel" between the downtrend line and a line drawn parallel to it, connecting the lows. A channel line in a downtrending market helps identify where support may be found.
Speedlines are another line which show where prices may find support or resistance. Frequently, speedlines and trendlines will overlap, emphasizing that line's importance to the market.
The speedline on the soybean chart starts from the June 29 low. To find the points to connect with the low, divide the range between the low ($6.40) and the high($9.94) into thirds and subtract from the high.
Plot the point obtained by subtracting one-third of the range from the high on the day the high was made. A line drawn between this point ($8.76) and thelow established the 1/3 speedline. The 2/3 speedline is drawn through the point that is two-thirds of the range subtracted from the high ($7.58) plotted on the day the high was made.
Another way to detect a change in trend is by looking for a price from which the market reacts two or three times.
A double bottom, such as the one on the T-Bill chart, indicated the 87.10 to 87.20 area gave support to the market. Although a recovery had begun from the late-May low, prices broke the short-term uptrend in mid-June. The question then became: Will aggressive short-selling and long liquidation overwhelm the short-covering and new buying that come from support at the May low?
The soybean chart displays a triple top, where prices met resistance in approximately the same area three times before falling. Just the inverse of making the double bottom goes through traders' minds as the market makes a top: Will new buying and short-covering be able to overwhelm the new selling and long liquidation coming from the triple-top resistance area?
As with trendlines, the more time that elapses between the tests of support and resistance in double or triple tops or bottoms, the more valid the formation becomes. Also, the greater the reaction between tests of the support or resistance, the more likely the point will hold.
Though these examples are from daily bar charts, technical analysis works just as well on weekly and monthly charts. Because the longer-term charts cover more time, their trendlines are more important in identifying areas of support and resistance to the market.
How do I know?
In identifying the trend in a market, it is wise to start with the longer term charts to identify the long-term trend. The daily charts offer trends for the shorter-run.
Technical analysis is more an art than a science. The answer to your question, "How do I know where to draw the trendlines?" is, "They're your charts, draw them wherever they seem to work best for you."
Thursday, April 24, 2008
...
Directional Movement Indicator (DMI)
Developed by J. Welles Wilder, the DMI minimizes the guesswork in spotting trends and helps confirm trendline analysis.
The DMI system has two parts:
ADX (average directional movement index). If the ADX reading is above 20, that indicates a "real" or sustainable trend. The ADX also measures the trend's strength: the >higher the ADX, the stronger the trend.
The ADX also provides an early indicator of a trend's end. When it drops from its highest level, it may be time to exit the position and wait for a fresh signal from the the DI+/DI-.
DI+ and DI- lines. When DI+ crosses up through DI-, that's considered a buy sign. When the opposite happens, that's usually a sell sign.
Wilder recommends following the "extreme point rule" to confirm the signals. Note the extreme point for that period in the direction of the crossover (the high if DI+ crosses up over DI-; the low if DI- crosses up over DI+). Only if that extreme point is breached in the subsequent period is a trade signal confirmed.
Many traders use the parabolic indicator along with the ADX to identify a trend's end. The parabolic indicator follows the price action but accelerates its own rate of increase over time and in response to the trend. The parabolic continually closes in on the price, and only a steadily accelerating price rise (the essence of a trend) will prevent the price from falling below the parabolic, signaling an end to the trend.
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