Posted by AGORACOM
at 5:14 AM on Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
On behalf of everyone at AGORACOM, we wish all of our friends, members and clients a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Ramadan Kareem and Happy Holidays!
Posted by AGORACOM
at 2:30 PM on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
Twitter is a real-time, super fast short messaging service that allows users to communicate over multiple networks and devices. Chances are you’ve heard the term “Twitter” in 2008 but don’t know what it means or what implications it could have on your business. Admittedly, when it first launched, I dismissed it as a tool for kids to provide each other with social updates.
TWITTER NOW USED BY PROMINENT COMPANIES, NEWS ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENT
However, within short order, it was clear that Twitter was becoming a serious communications and networking tool. For example, Wikipedia lists the following prominent users and uses of Twitter:
Large Businesses such as Cisco Systems, Jet Blue, Sun Microsystems and Whole Foods Market use Twitter to provide product or service information.
The Los Angeles Fire Department put the technology to use during the October 2007 California wildfires.
NASA used Twitter to break the news of the discovery of what appeared to be water ice on Mars by the Phoenix Mars Lander. Other NASA projects, such as Space Shuttle missions and the International Space Station, also provide updates via Twitter.
News sources such as the BBC, NPR, and other outlets have also started using Twitter to disseminate breaking news or provide information feeds for sporting events.
Several 2008 U.S. presidential campaigns used Twitter as a publicity mechanism, including that of Democratic Party nominee and president-elect Barack Obama.
A variety of U.S. universities are now using Twitter to relay information to students, including emergency safety alerts.
10 Downing Street, the website of the British Prime Minister, has started using Twitter.
The use of Twitter by victims, bystanders, and the public to gather news and coordinate responses to the November 2008 Mumbai siege lead CNN to call it “the day that social media appeared to come of age.”
I entered 2008 unsure about Twitter but after attending The Mesh Conference and finally being pushed over the edge by Jen Evans, the moderator of the panel I sat on, I decided my time had come. More than curiosity, I had an obligation to AGORACOM clients and the entire small-cap space to put Twitter through its paces.
I’m hooked – and like anything you become passionate about – I’ve worked hard at it and generated significant benefits, including faster market intelligence and great networking. AGORACOM clients can expect to see me pass those benefits on to them very early in 2009.
In the meantime, I’m happy to announce that AGORACOM’s Twitter authority ranks amongst the top 3.5% of all users as of this date (see ranking below).  Hopefully, we can continue to increase our ranking and authority in 2009 by increasing the quality and quantity of our contributions to the community.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 3:52 AM on Monday, December 22nd, 2008
As the CEO / IRO of a small-cap company, one thing you struggle with is how to differentiate yourself from your peers and attract more shareholders to your company. Yes, one great way is to communicate fundamentals via facts, figures and results. No doubt about it and I will always advocate this.
However, you can not forget the fact that investors are human, meaning they are both cerebral and emotional beings. Facts and figures cater to the cerebral … but the greatest connection ultimately takes place on the emotional side. This is where brands become leaders. Emotional connections run deep into parts of people’s minds and souls that we can’t explain … but they stick with people (investors) forever (or until a company breaks the bond).
Want to see 2 amazing examples?
NIKE AND LOUIS VUITTON ARE 2 INCREDIBLE EXAMPLES
You don’t have to be a football or designer bag fan to appreciate the following ads. See my comments at the end:
How did these ads make you feel?
Notice the absence of cerebral facts and figures? Notice the lack of “buy our shoes / handbags” messages. Yet, you probably feel a lot warmer towards these brands than you did just a minute ago. Amazing. I know I did after watching each ad.
EASIER SAID THAN DONE? ACTUALLY, NO.
No doubt anything is easier said that done- and I know you don’t have the 7-digit budgets of Nike and Vuitton … but the good news is you don’t have to. Technology now provides you with an ability to easily create a blend of imagery and music that best reflects your corporate image and values. Companies like SpotRunner will even provide you with canned commercials that you can simply add music and words to – for $500!
In fact, I would contend the production side is actually pretty easy and very cost-efficient. Same goes for distribution – you can distribute an ad via the web (your site, your IR HUB, e-mail, YouTube, investor confeences, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.).
The hardest part of the process is coming up with something creative. You and your team have to shake loose from spreadsheets for a few days and get in touch with your company’s soul. You have to answer the question “where does my company connect with people?”
CONCLUSION
Daunting? You’re only constrained by your imagination. Nonetheless, I’m willing to bet that 75% of CEO’s / IRO’s reading this have already had some ideas pop into their heads. I know I did. The good news is that you don’t have to come up with something today. Just come up with something sooner than later. Investors are waiting to connect.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 6:26 PM on Thursday, December 18th, 2008
Folks, this is a must see while you have some downtime in front of your PC/laptop. I’ve provided just a couple of teasers below to provide some incentive. Hat tip to Paul Kedrosky for pointing it out. As he states, these photos are heart-stopping and life-affirming. give yourself time to look and think:
Posted by AGORACOM
at 11:21 AM on Thursday, December 18th, 2008
Harry Markopolos, Nov 7 2005
SEC Submission On Madoff
The $50 Billion Madoff Ponzi scheme has received enormous coverage, so I won’t bother repeating what everybody already knows. Rather, like many people, I’m betting dollars to doughnuts that he wasn’t able to pull this off on his own. At the very least, from day 1, I’ve stated that his sons had to be involved. Turning him in was merely a poor attempt to let Dad take the fall while making the sons look like heroes. (I see a Law & Order episode coming).
However, the train doesn’t stop there. A $50 Billion scam in the securities markets requires the cooperation and silence of a lot of people. To this end, the SEC is taking a lot of heat for failing to investigate Madoff despite very compelling information being presented to it. Specifically, fellow Greek Harry Markopolos submitted a paper to the SEC titled “The World’s Largest Hedge Fund Is A Fraud“.
How accurate is it? Paul Kedrosky best described as “indefatigable, honest and empirical in making his case”.
WAS BERNIE MADOFF A LONE THREAT TO MARKOPOLOS SAFETY, OR A LARGER WORSE GROUP?
Markopolos deserves accolades for not only providing irrefutable evidence – but for being courageous enough to do the right thing at the risk of his personal and family’s safety. You have to ask yourself why was he concerned? Was he afraid of the actions of just one man, Bernie Madoff, after being uncovered? Or did Madoff require the involvement of nefarious characters to pull off a scam of this magnitude?
It all comes down to whether you believe in the lone gunman theory or not. I don’t. When making your decision, consider this:
MADOFF NIECE (and Compliance Officer) MARRIED SENIOR SEC INSPECTION OFFICIAL
Yep, you read that right. A top SEC compliance official (Eric Swanson) who worked for the SEC – when it found no problems at Bernard Madoff’s firm in 2005 – just happened to start dating and eventually marry Madoff’s niece, who was a compliance lawyer for Madoff’s company.
Now, they could have just met in a bar somewhere or, as Swanson claims, at an industry conference. However, I can think of another way for an Senior SEC inspection official and a compliance lawyer to meet. Like, during a preliminary investigation?
Madoff is going to be the crowining jewel of fraud in US capital markets – let’s just hope it doesn’t extend to actual corruption in US regulatory markets. It all comes down to whether the SEC was simply grossly incompetent, or on the take. It’s 50-50 right now …. but the relationship between an inspection official and a compliance officer puts my money on the latter.
Othewise, I can’t imagine why the SEC would ignore a complaint when the submitter basically tells you the life of him and his family could be on the line. Under this circumstance, why was he ignored by the SEC?
Posted by AGORACOM
at 11:09 PM on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
The Will Hunting Of Wall Street - "He's Wickid Smawt"
Readers of my blog are very well acquainted with Barry Ritholtz, arguably the best financial blogger on the web. For those of you who are hearing about him for the first time, Barry Ritholtz is the Will Hunting of Wall Street – a down to earth guy who is “wicked smawt”.
On December 8th, he completed this interview with Barron’s (highly recommended reading) in which he gave his outlook on the markets. He provided an outlook on various sectors, including following outlook on gold:
Has gold bottomed?
I don’t know where gold bottoms. We recommended gold for the first time in 2002 or 2003. It was strictly an inflation trade, thanks to Greenspan. And then when the GLD gold ETF first came out, we recommended that. Gold has a date with $1,500 somewhere in the future [up from $763 an ounce now], [now trading at $857]Â but whether it makes that move from 700 or from 400, I have no idea. You just can’t print that much paper and debase the currency and not see some sort of reaction.”
When really intelligent people talk openly about 5-digit gold, the commodity has moved beyond the fringe and into the mainstream. This potentially bodes very well for North American juniors…..stay tuned.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 5:59 PM on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
This is the big question of the day.
As you know, the US Fed today established a target range for the federal funds rate of 0 to 0.25%, effectively cutting its key rate for overnight lending to banks by between 0.75% and 1%.
This is the kind of event that history books (ebooks) will be writing about 100 years from now. I’m not going to bother reporting on it, as you can find a great write-up here and here.
Rather, I’d like to provide some meaningful insight from some of the world’s brightest financial minds. Apart from my own 🙂 I’ll continue to update this post throughout the next 24 hours as I scan great bloggers and writers, so make sure to keep checking back.
Mohamed El-Erian, Co-CEO & Co-CIO of PIMCO
Mohamed El-Erian, Co-CEO & Co-CIO of PIMCO was on CNBC today (Fast Money) and, amongst other things, he stated as follows:
Why is this different from Japan? The Fed is acting earlier and more aggressive than Japan’s central bank. In addition, US banks have taken write-downs far earlier than Japanese banks. Nonetheless, he says we still have to be careful about unintended consequences.
….more to come
Posted in All Recent Posts, US Economy | Comments Off on Will Today’s Fed Move Work? Or Will The US Become Japan 2.0?
Posted by AGORACOM
at 2:35 PM on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
The US Fed today established a target range for the federal funds rate of 0 to 0.25%, effectively cutting its key rate for overnight lending to banks by between 0.75% and 1%.
The Federal Reserve pulled out all the stops in its campaign to save the U.S. economy today, slashing interest rates to just about zero and promising to try an array of new economic measures to stimulate spending.
North American equity markets have rocketed on the news, with the Dow up 360 points to 8925+ and the TSX up 260 to 8725+.
The $US is significantly weaker against all major currencies.
Gold prices broke through $850 on the news and are trading at $857.50 on the spot market.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 1:49 PM on Monday, December 15th, 2008
I am very proud to announce that AGORACOM is a white sponsor of tonight’s #hohoto holiday party, with all proceeds going towards the Toronto Daily Bread Food Bank.
Tickets are sold out but you can still make a contribution to the event by going here. Weak economy or not, there are people (kids) who need some serious help and $10 would go a long way towards making their holiday a little better.
CREATED, PLANNED AND SOLD OUT VIA TWITTER IN JUST 2 WEEKS
What makes this event incredible is that it all came together online via Twitter … and grew like wildfire, resulting in some major media coverage. Last I heard, which was last week, the event had raised $18,000 and is much higher by now. I’ll let you know the final number when it is announced later today.
I know a lot of people helped put it all together – but the catalyst and quarterback was Rob Hyndman. Congratulations on spearheading an incredible event that will help put a smile on hundreds of faces during the holidays.
