Slope of Hope Blog Posts

Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.

Index Overview: Yellow Jacket Edition

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It’s 7:10 p.m. as I begin typing this, which means it’s beddy-bye time for a lot of folks on the East Coast already, and here I am just beginning my end-of-day wrap-up. The time is just slipping away from me lately, largely due to the sheer quantity of positions I am managing (one hundred and sixty equity shorts). Mojave has also gotten into the habit of getting me up at 4 in the morning, but I’ll try to make use of this tonight by looking at the lunar eclipse. When life gives you lemons, right?

I was originally going to do a video for this post, which is about one-fifth the work of a typed post, but I ran out of time at home and now, a la Dick Cheney, and am in a remote, undisclosed location. (more…)

Welcome To A “New” New Normal Earnings Season

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It’s not supposed to be like this. We’ve all been told earnings are great, corporate profits are great, analysts estimates have been rising. As a matter of fact, if one dared to question any of these metrics we were referred to as “idiots.” (And that is an actual quote.)

Today as we enter this earnings cycle we have a new phrase that I’m sure will enter the lexicon of the lay person in reference to stocks, but will send shivers down actual Wall Street’ers as they have to defend, argue, or give a smoke and mirrors story that will have a chance of being believed. That phrase will be “a trap door event.”

Wall Street loves to spout nice little catch phrases when suddenly what they thought (or told) investors should happen suddenly turns around and does something else. (more…)

Open Memo

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To: Dip Buyers
From: Tim Knight
Date: October 7, 2014

Dear Dips,

Over the past five years of government-manipulated markets, you have had great success in making money simply by purchasing equities whenever weakness appeared. The weaker the market, the greater the opportunity. Bernanke, Yellen, Fischer, and others “chosen” (heh) for this role have had your back.

I put it to you that, unbeknownst to your ilk, the firmament beneath you has shifted, and you are in for a surprise if you persist in this simple-minded investment method.

Of course, your personal fortune means nothing to me. On the contrary, I want you to suffer. But I offer this memo principally because the vestiges of your philosophy are causing intraday pops in the market which I find annoying.

It’s time to let this market drop. You’ve had your day in the sun (with “day” being synonymous with half a decade), but it’s really time you step aside and make room for your betters.

Yours, Etc.

Timothy Knight (Mrs.)