“Schwab YieldPlus, once the company’s most popular bond fund, had pitched itself as a safe alternative to cash. But it stuffed mortgage-backed securities into its portfolio to pump up performance, and they have turned toxic.” (WSJ.com)

The TAF has failed. (Alea, FT Alphaville also Calculated Risk)

Investment banks are using less Fed liquidity at the moment. (naked capitalism)

Private equity firms still have capital to put to work in deals for minority stakes in public companies. (Economist.com also Accrued Interest)

Wilbur Ross’ thoughts on thrifts and the current logjam of leveraged loans. (DealBook)

Do low risk, limited return hedge funds really exist? (Market Movers)

Smaller hedge funds continue to get gobbled up by their larger brethren. (Deal Journal)

Some hedge fund investors are pushing back against redemption halts. (BusinessWeek.com)

Are 130/30 funds too much of a good thing? (BusinessWeek.com)

“Sounds like hedge funds as an asset class offer scant protection in volatile times.” (FT Alphaville also Aleph Blog)

Transportation stocks are outperforming in spite of higher energy prices. (Trader’s Narrative)

Using implied volatility to infer the magnitude of an expected move in front of an earnings report. (Daily Options Report)

Using commitment of traders data to time the market. (CXO Advisory Group)

“When a trader emotionally accepts losing as part of the business, loss is not so threatening.” (TraderFeed)

Is there a way to build a better exchange for technology start-ups that avoids the challenges of the IPO and M&A markets? (Information Arbitrage)

Yahoo! (YHOO) now seems to have some options. (WSJ.com)

Then again so does Microsoft (MSFT). (Tech Trader Daily)

However Google (GOOG) stands ready to make trouble for Microsoft. (Deal Journal)

How much does Apple (AAPL) make from providing Google Search in its browsers? (Daring Fireball, GigaOm.com)

In light of this earnings miss, should GE (GE) spin off NBC Universal and/or GE Infrastructure? (CNNMoney.com, 24/7WallSt.)

Quite a contrast between the path home prices have taken in Los Angeles and New York City. (Bespoke Investment Group)

Seeking Alpha is playing a dangerous game with its contributors. (Big Picture, Market Movers)

The Fed needs to slow the pace of rate cuts. (Economist’s View)

Liechtenstein’s status as a tax haven is under attack. (DealBreaker.com)

A rave review for Nudge. (Freakonomics)

What happens to the concert tour industry when so-called ‘heritage acts‘ exit the stage? (American.com)

A study looks at the effect of antidepressant use (across time and national borders) in preventing suicide. (Odd Numbers)

Thanks for checking in with Abnormal Returns. Where we appreciate your comments and/or questions.