Hangin with the Critters
Finding sober financial commentary on the internet is about as likely as finding a teetotaler perched on a barstool at McSorley’s.
Those of you looking for true value-add might want to surf over to Minyanville and pull up a chair. The ‘Ville provides a platform for some sagest peeps on the Street. They say there are only Six Degrees of Separation. On the Street it is more like Two Degrees. You probably have run into these fine folk at one time or another.
Wall Street is a small ‘Ville fersure.
This friday there is only once place to be...Minyans in Manhattan. and the Critters Choice Awards. Adjust your volume and check out a slick QuickTime video here
True, travel costs on such short notice might be prohibitively expensive. But you can still lend a hand and help out children in need. Forget the pinstripes...Wall Street’s best dressed sport this bracelet.
They also say “what goes around comes around”. Cutting a check to The Ruby Peck Foundation will make you feel good. And it might help you curry favor with the trading gods.
Because at some point we are all in need of a helping hand.
Separated at Birth
UTC readers are big fans of the CNBC show Fast Money. Thus, we are thinking of making the Fast Money crew honorary StockJockeys, which is Underthecounter’s version of Institutional Investor’s first-team ranking. Our highest honor indeed.
But with the show airing infrequently, fans suffer painful Fast Money withdrawals. They need more.
We are here to help. If CNBC can’t put the show on more consistently we are thinking of running our own version of Fast Money.
With an alternative slate, if you will, of panelists.
Tim is the resident heartthrob of the bunch...the pulse of the ladies seems to rise when “The Risk Doctor” is making his rounds. He reminds us of “McDreamy” from “Grey’s Anatomy”. Many of the best and brightest on the street are fugly dudes. Strazzini breaks the mold.
Although George Hamilton is arguably brighter than Adami and infinitely smoother, they both sport year-round glows. Maybe its “The Negotiator’s” Mediterranean heritage. Or just a lot of makeup. Perhaps the stress of big block trading keeps him flush…
No explanation needed here. The charismatically challenged “Lone Wolf” knows his stuff but his snarky persona could use a little more Hollywood flash...and Verne Troyer could probably cover Retail/Consumer as well as the current crop of sellside analysts...Big and Tall category excluded.
Bolling trades at a big league level. These High Roller’s both played professional baseball...albeit at the minor league level for Bolling until an injury prematurely ended his career. They have a seemingly endless appetite for risk and would rather be sitting at a roulette table than spending a day at the beach.
Traders are opinionated and rarely agree. “The Commissioner” Ratigan keeps his charges under control given the frequent fisticuffs. Quite similar, in our view, to the role Richard Dawson played squelching internecine conflict on that classic game show “Family Feud”
We will be calling Ari to try to get the ball rolling…
Eric Bolling is Richer Than You
Nymex Holdings (NMX-NYSE) lit up trading screens friday (11/17), the latest in a string of smoking IPO’s. The shares, priced at $59, closed trading at $134.75.
Although we are leery of chasing a stock trading at 70+ times earnings and twenty times revenue, we will save the debate over its investment merits for another day.
What we would like to point out is how much money the slick oil traders in the energy pits made on the deal.
According to our favorite Saturday morning read:
Nymex seat holders undoubtedly are celebrating because each class A seat holder received 90,000 Nymex shares, which were worth $12 million on Friday. Nymex seats were selling for $5 million last month, $1.75 million in early 2005 and $750,000 in 2001. Seat holders generally can sell a third of their stock in 180 days, another third in 360 days, and a final third in 540 days. Given the current Nymex valuation it wouldn’t be surprising to see sizable member sales once lockup restrictions end. (Barrons)
Last friday CNBC talking head, energy trader and man about town Eric Bolling casually mentioned on CNBC’s Fast Money that he owned 2 or 3 seats, which would be worth either $24 or $36 million at the current quote. Please forgive our lack of precision on the seat count, but whats $12 million between friends?
In any case, it would appear Eric has money coming out the whazoo…
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Editors note:
Eric named Man of the Year
Nails Hammered
Several weeks ago we profiled television talking head and ex-major league baseball player Lenny “Nails” Dykstra. Lenny’s financial interests are as varied as they come...and he has undoubtly logged a series of 90 hour work weeks since keeping on top of his empire.
Lenny still talks a good game of trash...and the stock picks he offered up on a Saturday episode of Fox News Channel’s “Bulls and Bears” have chalked up reasonable gains in the interim...it was “game on” against Nails in a spirited stock picking contest.
Dykstra Pix 10/20/06
Lenny’s mini-portfolio is heavy on energy exposure and holds bigger-cap names than our sketchy speculative issues. Quite frankly his stocks bore us to tears. He is holding his own against the indices, although certainly lacking beta if there is an acceleration of momentum in this one-way tape.
