Morning Journal-Pimco bets the farm on QE3

Economics

This Week’s Data

December wholesale inventories rose 1.0% versus expectations of a 0.4% increase; importantly, wholesale sales advanced 1.3%.

The US December trade deficit came in at $48.8 billion versus estimates of $48.5 billion.

Other

A chart of weekly unemployment claims:
http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2012/02/jobless-claims-fall-to-lowest-level.html

More from John Taylor on global monetary policy (medium):
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/money-money-everywhere

A graphic on global indebtedness (short):
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/infographic-presenting-world-covered-hundred-dollar-bill-debt

Pimco bets the farm on QE3 (short):
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/pimco-borrows-record-88-billion-bet-feds-upcoming-mbs-monetization

Politics

Domestic

Obamacare and birth control (medium):
http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john.cochrane/research/papers/wsj_health.pdf

International

The world flying blind (economically speaking) (long):
http://english.caixin.com/2012-02-08/100354567.html

News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

Oracle (ORCL -0.4%) buys Taleo (TLEO) for $46/share in a deal totaling $1.9B. It's an 18% premium over Taleo's close yesterday.

More earnings per share reports:

Reported Expected

Sigma Aldrich $.91 $.89
Phillip Morris Int’l 1.10 1.09

Steve Cook received his education in investments from Harvard, where he earned an MBA, New York University, where he did post graduate work in economics and financial analysis and the CFA Institute, where he earned the Chartered Financial Analysts designation in 1973. His 40 years of investment experience includes institutional portfolio management at Scudder, Stevens and Clark and Bear Stearns. Steve's goal at Strategic Stock Investments is to help other investors build wealth and benefit from the investing lessons he learned the hard way.