Thanks for checking in with Abnormal Returns for seven (or so) links at 7AM Eastern.  Good luck out there today.

Quote of the morning

Jesse Eisinger, “Yes, Morgan Stanley by any measure is a safe and solid investment bank. Except for one: The amount of trust people have in the whole financial and political system. It’s just about zero.”  (ProPublica)

Chart of the morning

Check out the $VIX relative to its 10 day moving average.  (@jackdamn)

The rest

Investors are looking far and wide for junk bond-like returns.  (WSJ)

Investors are not too picky about their hedge fund allocations these days.  (All About Alpha)

AlphaClone has an ETF in the works.  (IndexUniverse)

PepsiCo ($PEP) would like you to stop asking about a Frito-Lay spinoff.  (Deal Journal)

Reasons for optimism on the bank front.  (WSJ)

Trade growth in China is slowing.  (FT)

The mixed bag that is the economy.  (Capital Spectator)

The 99% and the “false consensus effect.”  (Falkenblog)

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