Quote of the day

John Gruber, “Indeed, the Chromebook Pixel seems like another bit of evidence that Google is getting better at what Apple does best faster than Apple is getting better at what Google does best.”  (Daring Fireball)

Chart of the day

BRK.B Chart

BRK.B data by YCharts

How did “Uncle Warren” do this year? (Jeff Matthews)

Equities

A sign investor speculation has gotten overheated of late.  (The Reformed Broker)

Two reasons stocks have headed higher: earnings and unemployment claims.  (Money Game, ibid also TRB)

On market psychology at new market highs.  (A Dash of Insight)

Kopin Tan, “You’d think a bull market pushing new highs would be awash in euphoria. But the panic of the financial crisis has essentially been replaced with anxiety.”  (Barron’s)

The market is looking for “fresh leadership.”  (Dynamic Hedge)

Markets

The US dollar is overbought while commodities are not.  (Global Macro Monitor)

Looking underneath the hood of the junk bond market.  (Money Game)

The Great Rotation” is little more than a marketing term.  (The Macro Trader also Horan Capital)

Strategy

Buy quality stocks at a discount. Rinse. Repeat.  (Jason Zweig)

Berkshire Hathaway

The 2012 Berkshire Hathaway ($BRKA) letter to shareholders is out.  (Berkshire Hathaway)

If you don’t want to read the whole letter: Kid Dynamite, Dealbook, Term Sheet, Aleph Blog, Quartz, Unexpected Returns)

Companies

Michael Dell is surprisingly quiet.  (Term Sheet)

We don’t have many examples of web companies turning themselves around.  (Pando Daily)

Signs that the iPad Mini is gaining share faster than anticipated.  (Pando Daily)

Finance

AIG ($AIG) now finally no longer has Uncle Sam as a shareholder.  (Dealbook)

Has the idea of shareholder value gone too far?  (Economist)

The inner workings of Chase Private Client.  (Dealbook)

Funds

Buying funds vs. fund company stocks and much, much more. (Mutual Fund Observer)

On the pressures asset managers face after going public.  (research puzzle pix)

Fund trading costs are higher than you think.  (Barron’s)

Global

Global banks have gotten interested in the potential of Africa.  (Economist)

2013 will be the year the world downgrade’s China’s sustainable growth rate.  (beyondbrics)

Greece is once again an ’emerging market.’  (Telegraph)

Economy

If it weren’t for the sequester, the economy would….  (Tim Duy)

Why Wall Street doesn’t care about the sequester.  (The Daily Beast)

Another sign the great consumer deleveraging is over.  (WSJ)

On the inequality, unemployment and the robot revolution.  (Free exchange, ibid)

A look back at the economic week that was.  (Bonddad Blog, Calculated Risk)

The schedule for the coming economic week.  (Calculated Risk)

Earlier on Abnormal Returns

What you missed in our Saturday long form linkfest.  (Abnormal Returns)

Top clicks this week on the site.  (Abnormal Returns)

Mixed media

Statistics majors are the new big men on campus. (WSJ)

How the “creative industries” exploit 20-somethings eager for their big break.  (NYTimes)

How to roll your own MBA from Dale Stephens author of Hacking Your Education.  (WSJ)

Thanks for checking in with Abnormal Returns. You can follow us on StockTwits and Twitter.