The Best

Best Buy owns Five Star which is an emerging China superstore with 200 locations so far. Five Star plans to open up to 500 stores based on the positive reinforcement of its sales.

Maybe it is time for Best Buy to become the Nike of the electronic Retail business. Design retail like restaurant chains, buy up - up coming players, and take them to The Level.

This is something that someone who raised through the ranks can't really draw on a map. It requires someone with acquisition talent.

Spain, Ah, Espan~a

It seems the 120 billion Spain requested from the Euro zone (meaning Germany), will probably be handed.

Given the strange configuration of the Euro zone, the money that is meant to bail out Spanish banks goes to the Spanish government first. There seems to be no legal binding for the Spanish government to use the money requested as prescribed by the doctor.

This is probably the real test for the post Cold War Europe. Either way, it will set a dramatic precedent for the next few decades.

Espana, ah, Espana! Are you still the back country of Lorca or the winner of the World Cup?

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Government Yard Sale

The US government is selling its stake in banks semi-nationalized during the financial crisis.

The number of banks is never clear until is time to sell. The stakes are parked in no less than 343 banks.

Geithner was nicknamed eHarmony during the turmoil due to his relentless matching and pairing of banks. It seems there was a lot more matching and nationalizing than was first disclosed.

On the Week Before the Race

On the week before the Derby, APPL reports earnings.

And like music rehearsed over and over, negative reports come up exactly a week before as usual.

Carriers will be cutting subsidies from IPhones. There are insightful doubts on APPL's success given the market for smart phones is really in its infancy.
Godzilla is headed for Tokyo. RIMM is coming back opening stores in Indonesia.

We just have to wait and see whether the young Bodemister beats Dullahan, and whether the white silk of Hansen was just playing slow.

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In the tradition of behavior tied to a market bubble, there is no need to confirm the facts. There is no need to corroborate the announcement with the financial statements.

AAPL's profit increases 94%. 9 - nine -4 - four. In other words, ninety four percent. Did I spell that right? I am surprise there is space on this blog for that number.

Sovereign Perspective

The head of China's sovereign fund spoke of the risk of Europe's breakup as a real possibility.

He has the opposite perspective from Chanos. Lou Jiwei, like most, concentrates on international companies with a foot on China's growth.