Is Patient Health Being Mortgaged via Derivatives as Homes Were During the Financial Crisis?

    Senator McConnell's Dilemma:   To Serve Patients or Investors? When evaluating health care investments it is important to analyze the structure of leading drug and medical equipment companies.  A close look indeed reveals a derivative driven system in which private equity and hedge funds increase demand for drug payments by purchasing the rights … Continue reading Is Patient Health Being Mortgaged via Derivatives as Homes Were During the Financial Crisis?

Oregon PERS Approves $400 Million Investment in Stonepeak Infrastructure Fund

Today Oregon PERS approved a $400 million investment in Stonepeak, a firm that invests in "infrastructure projects." In his presentation Stonepeak's managing director Michael Dorrell noted their strategy is to invest in "essential infrastructure assets with an economic monopoly, much like an airport."  This includes water, power plants, transportation and telecom with a focus "outside … Continue reading Oregon PERS Approves $400 Million Investment in Stonepeak Infrastructure Fund

Intel Q4 2013 Earnings – Time to Fix Pension Plan

Disclosure:  Intel is currently the largest single individual equity holding in both my personal and most of my clients' portfolios.   No shares will be recommended for sale based upon this original research. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich The purpose of this post, which will be accompanied with an email directly to top management, is to … Continue reading Intel Q4 2013 Earnings – Time to Fix Pension Plan

Inside Dell’s Private Equity Buyout Proposal

Michael Dell Hopes SEC and IRS Are Sleeping What continually makes the United States the place to be with respect to investment is the expectation that, when all is said and done, the rule of law generally prevails.   One need only visit  China, Japan and Russia to see that markets are generally manipulated by … Continue reading Inside Dell’s Private Equity Buyout Proposal

Corporate Governance: While Intel Excels JP Morgan Struggles

One of the sacred tenets of good corporate governance is separating the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.   This provides a critical oversight function with respect to the activities of the CEO.  Exhibit one supporting this concept is perhaps JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon's role in the current multi billion … Continue reading Corporate Governance: While Intel Excels JP Morgan Struggles

Why Harry Reid Checkmates Mitt Romney

In the world of chess being too aggressive at the outset, advancing too far, is perilous. For Romney, his refusal to acknowledge his aggressive financial engineering and tax avoidance strategies could indeed result in an open convention.  One in which the party is free to forward a higher quality candidate. Here is a list of … Continue reading Why Harry Reid Checkmates Mitt Romney

Letter to SEC Chair and IRS Commissioner – Tax Deduction Pyramid Scheme

The following letter was sent to SEC Chair Mary Schapiro and IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman on "tax day" with the hope they will jointly work at restoring the integrity of cash flow statements, without question the most important analytical tool for investment advisors like myself.  It is simply astonishing, given their material nature, that listed … Continue reading Letter to SEC Chair and IRS Commissioner – Tax Deduction Pyramid Scheme

First Technology “Inside Job” Merger Approved Without Adequate Review

On October 15th, 2010 Oregon State regulators approved the $4.5 billion merger of First Technology Credit Union with Addison Avenue credit union, the biggest such merger in credit union history.   In my opinion, this results from a complete breakdown in the integrity of the credit union regulatory process.   For this reason I have written … Continue reading First Technology “Inside Job” Merger Approved Without Adequate Review