Bears edge ahead in the Ticker Sense Blogger Sentiment Poll.

Scott Patterson at WSJ.com on what the transportation stocks are telling us about the economy and the stock market.

Barry Ritholtz at the Big Picture on a seeming de-coupling of the domestic and international stock markets.

Geraldine Fabrikant in the New York Times profiles Louis Simpson, chief executive for capital operations at Geico, who is a great deal like his ultimate boss, Warren Buffett.

breakingviews on why a reverse-LBO initial public offering boom may be in the offing.

Is the hedge fund IPO boom over before it started? (via WSJ.com)

Private equity is on the rise in Japan. (via FT Alphaville)

Media-focused blank check IPOs are on the upswing. (via DealBook)

Felix Salmon at Market Movers has some thoughts on the Barclays-ABN Amro-Bank of America deal.

John Spence at Marketwatch.com on the challenges facing the new oil-tracking ETFs.

Ann Davis at WSJ.com on the divergence between West Texas Intermediate crude oil and other widely used benchmarks.

Jeff Matthews on the strained state of the oil services industry.

Brett Steenbarger at TraderFeed on why he “gives away” so much content on his sites.

CXO Advisory Group reviews some research on “the volatility effect” which shows the lowest volatility stocks outperforming the most volatile stocks.

All About Alpha highlights Ed Easterling’s fifteen hedge fund “myths.”

Dailyii.com highlights the nominees for hedge fund industry awards over at Alternative Investment News.

Alex Tabarrok at Marginal Revolution on how the success of author J. K. Rowling helps explain changing income inequality.

Roger Lowenstein at Portfolio.com reviews the “eye-opening book,” The Black Swan.

James Surowiecki in the New Yorker on why mass layoffs may not be all that attractive a strategy.

Daniel Gross at Portfolio.com on why American billionaires are buying Britain’s professional soccer teams.

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