January 30, 2008
Swiss bank UBS today announced a record fourth-quarter net loss of $11.4 billion – almost double analyst estimates. UBS wrote down $14 billion in subprime-backed assets. The loss is not only a record for UBS, but it represents the worst loss ever reported by a U.S. bank. When the history of this period is finally written, no one will believe so many smart people made so many clearly dumb decisions. The explanation? For centuries, investment banks were partnerships. A bank's partners put their own capital at risk. Now banks are "playing" with the public's money. Nothing encourages stupidity like other people's money.
And who said we're in a recession???
We might be in a recession, but that's not stopping Super Bowl advertising. Fox just sold its last 30-second spot for the February 3 Super Bowl – the earliest it has ever sold the game out. Many of the ads were selling for $3 million, above the record $2.5 million average set in 2006.
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