June 2008

Before you read the negative headlines about this morning's increase in the unemployment rate or think about jumping out a window in response to it, look at this note that Tony Crescenzi from Miller Tabak. "The unemployment rate increased the most for any month in 22 years in May, increasing to 5.5% from 5.0% in April, the most since February 1986.  The increase will make headlines and be at ... read more

Are you ready for the big night? In about four hours two of the best teams in the history of the NBA will compete for the NBA finals. The Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics!!!! I am so psyched!!!! What a perfect story for everyone involved with the biggest and best stars in the league. Earlier today I interviewed the Celtics three managing partners Wick Grousbeck, Stephen Pagliuca and ... read more

Do you like the Superbowl commercials? Love watching the best of the best? If you do, watch this and check out aicpshow.com. This morning I interviewed Matt Miller, the president and CEO of AICP (The Art & Technique of the American Commercial). The show, which occurs once a year picks the best commercials of the year and puts together an hour-long compendium of the best of the best which remains ... read more

If you read my blog last night about banks lending and whether or not the consumer is getting any of the cash that the Fed is giving to the banks and broker dealers, you'll care about this interview. This morning just after the Bank of England reported no change in rates I talked to John Rutledge, the president of Rutledge Capital and Dave Kansas, the president of Filife.com about global ... read more

Part two of The Opening Bell was an interview with another great genius (Whitney you can pay me later), Whitney Tilson of T2 Partners joined me to discuss Lehman Brother's downside risks and CDO exposure and why the winners and losers in this next reporting season will be separated by the companies that have successfully written down weak assets and those that have not. He also talks about a ... read more

This morning on The Opening Bell in our weekly market maven segment Bob Harmats, international vice chairman of Goldman Sachs joined me from London. He's in London at a Goldman Sachs conference where they are discussing the five biggest risks to the global economy.   The list: 1. Financial markets 2. Demographic changes and the aging population 3. Income and equity 4. ... read more

Did you see this this morning? My friend Peter Boockvar from Miller Tabak sent it to me this morning. Mortgage applications fell 15.3% led by a 25.7% decline in refinancings, which fell to the lowest since Aug 2006. Purchases fell 5.4% to its lowest level since Febuary 2003. The rise in mortgage rates was the main catalyst as the average rate on a 30-year-fixed mortgage rose to 6.17% from 5.96% ... read more

Wondering whether Expedia.com is seeing a slowing in business because of all of the negative news on the airlines? Think travel should slow given the weakening economy? Not so, according to Expedia.com President Paul Brown. This morning he joined me on The Opening Bell to discuss the outlook for the company, the weak U.S. dollar, overseas expansion and those rumors about the company being taken ... read more

Heard about the big debate on the Hill? Should we or shouldn't we pass a Colombian free trade agreement? It's a hot topic and one that has the Bush Administration all fired up. This morning I talked to Luis Guillermo Plata, the Colombian trade minister about why this deal makes sense and what his country is doing to combat violence and protect labor.   ... read more

Yesterday on The Opening Bell (9-10a.m. EST) I interviewed a man whose story was very touching.  His name is Tom Terrill, and he is the oldest lung transplant patient in the U.S. at age 73. I read about him in a piece in the Wall Street Journal called "Tapped Out" on Monday. The premise of the article was how more and more retirees or people nearing retirement are tapping into their nest ... read more