I picked up a small position in General Growth Properties (a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=GGWPQ.PKamp;="GGWPQ/a) yesterday. I watched this stock climb from below $1.00 to $3.00 in a short time period on hype due to Bill Ackman's speech saying the stock will be worth $20-$30/share when the company exits bankruptcy. I would like a few more shares, and will add more at better prices if I can. Overall, this will remain a very small position due to the inherent risks of a company in Chapter 11, no matter how good the outlook for the future of GGP may be . So the typical disclaimer goes out on this one. Only spend as much on this stock as you're willing to lose, because there is the potential to lose it all. I've read up and studied a lot on this (a href="http://valueplays.blogspot.com/"Todd Sullivan has some great stuff on ...

The fund filings are out. If you're wondering, these are the funds I like to track, and sometimes follow by buying the same stocks:br /br /-George Soros (Soros Fund Management)br /-Seth Klarman (Baupost Group)br /-John Paulson (Paulson amp; CO.)br /-Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway)br /-David Einhorn (Greenlight Capital)br /-Bill Ackman (Pershing Square Capital Management)br /-Steve Cohen (SAC Capital Advisors)br /br /Today, I'm going toa href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchiveamp;sid=a_RT.rEuHt4M" take a quick look at Soros' holdings/a.br /br /blockquoteSoros Fund Management LLC, the investor’s hedge-fund firm, sold 5 million U.S. shares of Petrobras, as the Brazilian company is known, according to a filing today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The New York-based firm’s remaining 32 million shares of the state-controlled oil company were valued at $963 million at the end of the quarter.br /br /The hedge fund also held 5.6 million shares of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-based Potash at the end of the quarter, compared ...

As the financial markets await the bank stress test results in the US, a potpourri of video clips was produced. Although the discussions were varied, a golden thread prevailed: the duration of the financial crisis and the economic recession, and whether stock markets have hit bottom.

Needless to say, the plight of the beleaguered automakers and fears of an escalation in the number of swine flu cases also captured the attention of battle-weary investors. However, the S&P 500 Index rallied to a gain of 9.4% for April - representing its best monthly advance since March 2000 - and US Treasury yields jumped to levels last seen in November as investors “looked past the valley”.

Commentators featured on camera in this post include Simon Johnson, Michael Perino, Jim Walker, Steve Forbes, Christopher Whalen, Joseph Stiglitz, Marc Faber, Bill Ackman, Paul Kasriel, James Galbraith, Paul

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Pershing Square CapitalPershing Square Capital Management | NotesThe following piece on Pershing Square Capital Management and Bill Ackman (shown left) is being published as part of our daily effort to track hedge fund events in the industry. To review other hedge fund related announcements please see our Hedge Fund Tracker Tool.Resource #1: (11.18.08) Target Corp (TGT.N) shareholder Pershing Square Capital Management will present on Wednesday a revised proposal to boost Target's long-term value and address concerns raised about an earlier version calling on the retailer to spin off the land under its stores.But a Target spokeswoman said the discount retailer is still reviewing the Pershing proposal and has not yet made a decision on it. Target shares were down 4.8 percent at $29.99 in late afternoon trading on the New ...

Pershing Square CapitalPershing Square Capital Management VideoQuick Link: Hedge Fund VideosHere is a short video by Charlie Rose on Bill Ackman, the hedge fund manager who runs Pershing Square Capital Management. If you are viewing this via my daily hedge fund newsletter please click here to view the video now.Hat tip to Earnings Breakout for finding the vide.Related to Pershing Square Capital Management Bill Ackman VideoPershing Square Capital Management 13F Holdings AnalysisHedge Fund Tracker Tool Brummer & Partners, LPCarlson Capital Management Partners LP | Hedge Fund Notes...

Pershing Square 13FPershing Square Capital 13F HoldingsBelow are some details related to specific securities shown within Pershing Square's recent 13F Filing with the SEC. While these filings don't often show the complete picture of a fund's investments they are interesting to review as they show a sample of their total holdings. Please click on the image below for a clear view of this holdings report.Source: SEC 13F Filing | MFF ReportsWatch a recent video on Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management here or read more of these 13F holdings analysis pieces within our Investment Securities and Holdings Tool.The securities included within this update:American International Group Inc (AIG) Barnes And Noble Inc (BKS) Borders ...

A batch of interesting video clips about the election of Barack Obama and the unfolding financial crisis has appeared over the past few days as all and sundry are attempting to make sense of a rather murky picture. A number of clips that have attracted my attention are shared below.

Firstly, back to basics with a rudimentary explanation by Enspire of how the mortgage crisis came about. (Click here in case you missed Enspire’s previous video, “Understanding the financial crisis”.)

Enspire Learning: The mortgage banking meltdown

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It’s a done deal. As I’m sure you’re aware by now, the Treasury Department announced the takeover of the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac yesterday at 11AM. The details continue to emerge, but overall the basic terms are: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) now runs to two companies. The Treasury is (temporarily) buying the mortgage backed securities of the two firms. Both firms will continue increasing their mortgage backed securities portfolios until 2010. Starting in 2010, both firms portfolios must be reduced at an annual rate of 10%. Fannie and Freddie’s CEOs are being replaced. These factors and others are being analyzed at length by commentators all over the Internet. Some of the more insightful are Barry Rithholtz at http://bigpicture.typepad.com/ and Mish Shedlock at http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/. So instead of delving into the bailout itself, I’d rather focus on its #1 cheerleader, the investor who most ...

Let the games begin! In honor of the Olympic games in China, I’ve decided to stage my own “Special” Olympics based on financial events. I, like most people, have been astounded by the displays of physical prowess going on in Beijing. However, I’m equally impressed by other Herculean displays going on in the financial markets. After all, why should we merely applaud those who have developed their physical prowess to near superhuman levels? Shouldn’t we also applaud those who excel in other arenas of human effort… like backtracking, or blowing hot air, or flat-out incompetence? Personally, I’m as impressed by someone who can contradict themselves in front of the American public as I am by someone who can leap over a giant hurdle using a pole. Both activities require great focus, determination, and the ability to ignore glaring issues that would unnerve most ...

The Best of The S&A Digest You’ll be happy you own gold and silver once you read this: “Sovereign wealth funds,” foreign government investment pools, are dumping the dollar.

One big fund in the Persian Gulf has cut its dollar-denominated holdings from more than 80% a year ago to less than 60%. China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) is working out deals with European private-equity funds to diversify away from the dollar. SAFE holds the majority of China’s $1.6 trillion in foreign currency reserves in U.S. dollars.

Gold and silver were up as much as 3% this week. They rose steadily as news about Fannie and Freddie got progressively worse.

I believe the mortgage crisis, which led to Fannie and Freddie’s insolvent condition, will mark the end of the global dollar standard. If I’m right, the

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