Noteworthy Financial Stories for March 12 & 15

'Dysfunctional' CRE debt market gives mortgage REIT room to maneuver
http://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/article.aspx?CDID=A-10891180-11574&KPLT=4

U.S. Stocks Fall on Concerns Over Credit Rating, China Economy
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aL3Sp4KI8O2I&pos=1

Global Demand for U.S. Assets Slowed in January
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHfFqhzGA1L8&pos=2

Real-Estate Recovery Signaled With Homebuilders as Fed Unwinds
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ajt_govc17as&pos=5

Europe Profits Beating U.S. as Bull Market Intact
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a3QGQYLQ45Ww&pos=6

OPEC Expands Oil Rig Drilling the Most Since 2007
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aEYMnbGEE3NU&pos=13

Money Rates Rising Hint Treasury Losses Amid Fed Exit
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=acEUHvJAx0VY&pos=14

Pound Bears Bet More Than When George Soros Beat BOE
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601010&sid=anZYsKwNSuiY

S&P 500 May Gain 7% After Breaching 1,150: Technical Analysis
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601084&sid=a6Lh4132iew8

Newmont Mining ‘Quietly Confident’ Gold Price Will Rise in 2010
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601012&sid=asmXj6zEVD8Y

Testing the AAA boundaries, again
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010/03/15/174966/testing-the-aaa-boundaries-again/

The Big Short
http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Reviews-Essays/The-Big-Short/ba-p/2298

We Bought A Toxic Asset; You Can Watch It Die
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124491608

Are Shipping Numbers Masking A Stealth Commodities Selloff?
http://www.businessinsider.com/are-shipping-numbers-masking-a-stealth-commodities-selloff-2010-3

Hedge-funds - How big is big
http://www.moneyscience.com/Hedge_Fund_News/Hedge-funds_-_How_big_is_big.html

Michael Lewis Discusses Wall Street's Neverending Mass Delusions
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/michael-lewis-discusses-wall-streets-neverending-mass-delusions

Behind the Sentiment Disparity: Main Street vs. Wall Street
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/behind-sentiment-disparity-main-street-vs-wall-street

Investor Sentiment: Few Words Needed
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/investor-sentiment-few-words-needed

Banks Face Mark-to-Market Challenge
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703457104575122000213857506.html

Commercial Mortgage Debt Rallies as TALF Ending: Credit Markets
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601208&sid=aXCCNRFbAB24

U.S., Europe at odds over global financial reform
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/12/AR2010031204321.html

Timing Is Everything in a Riot
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB126843793206661213.html

Debt Worries Loom Over REIT Sector
http://www.iirealestate.com/ReitCafe/2444805/Debt_Worries_Loom_Over_REIT_Sector.html

The REIT Step
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB126843875116161349.html

Barron’s Confidence Index – more work to do
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/03/barron%e2%80%99s-confidence-index-%e2%80%93-more-work-to-do/

Next bubble: Commercial real estate
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100314/BUSINESS/3140360/1003

Caterpillar Joins 'Onshoring' Trend
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703625304575115922854225564.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

Small Investors Remain Wary After 69% U.S. Stock Bounce
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/mar2010/pi20100310_104745.htm

Bull Market Believers
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_12/b4171066620633.htm?chan=magazine+channel_what%27s+next

Executive Summary
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_12/c4171executive712819.htm?campaign_id=magazine_related

Retail Sales in U.S. Unexpectedly Rose in February
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a6nG2AcaFnN0&pos=1

Yellen Said to Be Obama’s Pick for Fed Vice Chairman
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=acZlyRl.WAYA&pos=4

JPMorgan, Citigroup Helped Cause Lehman Collapse, Report Says
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ab1XUybpK4Vg

Apax, Private-Equity Firms Say Retail LBOs Return With Recovery
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a1CarvonDlcU&pos=15

Junk Bonds Pull Ahead as TXU, Freescale Soar: Credit Markets
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601010&sid=aPC7191SM830

Moody’s, S&P Are Job Creators Without a Stimulus: Ann Woolner
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=aR9tFiNDH5hQ

U.S. Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index Fell to 72.5
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=aO2Eqjqt4Dew

Easing China ‘Fear’ Gauges Are Bullish for Stocks
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601084&sid=aB5Ml4lzGUsM

US households’ absolute deleveraging
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010/03/12/174511/us-households-absolute-deleveraging/

Pop goes the index effect
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010/03/12/174536/pop-goes-the-index-effect/

US CMBS delinquencies tick ever upwards
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010/03/12/174451/us-cmbs-delinquencies-tick-ever-upwards/

Get ready for a little EM inflation
http://www.newsneconomics.com/2010/03/get-ready-for-little-em-inflation.html

Why inflation is worse for investors than default
http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2010/03/11/why-inflation-is-worse-for-investors-than-default/

Marc Faber and Mish on Tech Ticker; Mish vs. Dr. Doom
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/03/marc-faber-and-mish-on-tech-ticker-mish.html

Belligerent Bull Meter Starting to Surge
http://www.fundmymutualfund.com/2010/03/belligerent-bull-meter-starting-to.html

After The Bear Trap, The Bull Trap?
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/after-bear-trap-bull-trap

ECRI Weekly View
http://www.thedisciplinedinvestor.com/blog/2010/03/12/ecri-weekly-view/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedisciplinedinvestor%2FEBHR+%28The+Disciplined+Investor%29

It's Official - EU Agrees On Greece Bailout
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/its-official-eu-agrees-greece-bailout

Picture du Jour: US consumer holds back growth
http://www.investmentpostcards.com/2010/03/12/picture-du-jour-us-consumer-holds-back-growth/

Getting hard to find a reason to buy corporate bonds
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/11/investment-credit-corporate-markets-bonds-economy.html?

Commercial Real Estate Rebound Is Beginning: Portfolio Managers
http://www.cnbc.com/id/35815497


Report: REITs Returning to Buying Prominence
http://www.globest.com/news/1616_1616/washington/183944-1.html

9 Traits of a Great Small Business
http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/9-traits-of-a-great-small-business-steve-strauss