By any measure it has been a difficult week for the markets. We hope you can take some solace in today's linkfest. Probably not, but we can hope.

One reason why this week probably felt so bad is that it represented a change in the nature of the market. TraderFeed demonstrates how recent market action is more indicative of a bear market than a bull market.

The Kirk Report thinks yesterday's bounce may have been simply been a mini-short squeeze.

The Peridot Capitalist thinks we are still due for a full-fledged 10% correction in the S&P 500.

The Capital Spectator notes the turbulence due to the ECB's interest rate tightening is far from over.

John M. Berry at Bloomberg.com thinks the Fed will feel the pressure for another interest rate hike at the June meeting.

We are always interested to read comments by Jim Grant – especially on the Fed. (via WSJ)

Jeff Matthews, using a classic movie line, highlights an interesting reason why Wall Street analysts were slow to notice the options-backdating scandal.

Mark Hulbert at Barrons.com looks at Norman Fosback's models and finds a grim future for the equity market.

CXO Advisory Group examines some academic research that indicates the value premium is present mainly in those stocks with low institutional ownership.

Randall Smith at the Wall Street Journal highlights the growth in the alternative investments geared towards individual investors via a Morgan Stanley fund of funds. DealBook adds their two cents.

Reuters looks at how some hedge funds use their "closed status" as a marketing tool to institutional investors.

Carl Bialik, the Numbers Guy, at the Wall Street Journal examines the strongly divergent results in regards to the energy value of ethanol. The hope for ethanol supporters is that that improved methods and technology will make this debate about prior technologies moot.

This debate has apparently not dimmed investor interest in ethanol IPOs. Scott Reeves at Forbes.com takes a closer look at the prospects for the forthcoming VeraSun Energy initial public offering.

DealBreaker.com looks at the downside of giving a company too much capital without a viable business plan.

Mark Thoma at Economist's View examines what happens when timberland changes hands.

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