Quote of the day
James Surowiecki, “It’s [Apple] always been the proverbial bumblebee: it shouldn’t be able to fly but it does. A wobble in flight is all it takes for people to proclaim its inevitable crash.” (New Yorker)
Chart of the day
Checking in on the UK markets. (Minyanville)
Markets
Five signs the rally is on hold. (The Reformed Broker)
This indicator points to a continued bull market. (Dynamic Hedge)
Why aren’t investors freaking out about the sequester? (Unexpected Returns)
Low vol ETFs are lagging. (ETF Trends)
Is the run in lumber done? (chessNwine)
The bull market in salmon. (Telegraph)
Fixed income
Money is pouring into the leveraged loan market. (Sober Look)
The case for TIPS. (Bloomberg)
What countries still have AAA ratings? (Learn Bonds)
Strategy
A new theory on asset pricing. (Aleph Blog)
The many lies investors tell themselves. (Barry Ritholtz)
In praise of the 200 day moving average. (MarketSci Blog)
Don’t get too hung on finding the ‘perfect’ asset allocation. (Rick Ferri)
Is it good when clients have a ‘play money‘ account? (WSJ)
Insights
Lessons from Hedge Fund Market Wizard, Steve Clark. (Finance Trends Matter)
A rare interview with Viking Global’s Andreas Halvorsen. (Market Folly)
Listen to a podcast with Michael Mauboussin author of The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business, Sports and Investing. (Pat Williams’ Newsmakers, ibid)
Companies
To say that Barnes & Noble ($BKS) is in flux would be an understatement. (NYTimes, Bloomberg, Dealbook)
What went wrong at JC Penney ($JCP)? (WSJ)
Price competition in the tablet space is here. (SAI)
Apple ($AAPL) should focus overseas for more store openings. (Asymco)
Finance
Rumors that CME Group ($CME) is talking merger with Deutsche Bourse. (Bloomberg)
Five pieces of advice on crowdfunding. (Fortune)
Global
Japan is getting a new head of the Bank of Japan. (Quartz, WSJ, FT Alphaville, NYTimes)
Middle aged Italians are getting squeezed. (WSJ)
Should we be worried that Chinese manufacturing activity slowed in February? (FT Alphaville, Quartz)
Economy
The Chicago National Fed Activity Index dropped in January. (Capital Spectator, Calculated Risk)
Investors are buying new homes now. (Calculated Risk)
Logging towns are on a roll. (WSJ)
Student debt is displacing other debt for Millenials. (Fortune)
Look for good February auto sales. (Calculated Risk)
Books
A nice review for Peter Pham’s The Big Trade: Simple Strategies for Maximum Market Returns. (Reading the Markets)
Download an e-book with 200 market tips from 60 traders and investors. (Brian Lund)
Mixed media
Apparently the Mediterranean diet works. (Washington Post, Time, NYTimes)
Electric car enthusiasts are very enthusiastic. (Time)
How Netflix ($NFLX) used data to ensure the success of House of Cards. (NYTimes)
Thanks for checking in with Abnormal Returns. You can follow us on StockTwits and Twitter.
