Thanks to all of our Trader’s Blog readers, last Friday’s “Introduction to MarketClub” Webinar turned out better than we ever expected! Despite some volume issues and a few other growing pains, we think it was a great success for our first time around.

We want to thank everyone who participated and also for the great feedback that we received during and after the presentation. Jeremy and I are looking forward to implementing a lot of your suggestions (such as incorporating a “live chat” element) and making future webinars as interesting and informative as possible.

This week’s webinar is titled, “Scanning & Using the ‘Trade Triangle’ Strategy for Long-Term Trades.” We would love to have you join us. Click here to register.

If you’re interested in receiving emails about future webinars, click here to join our “How To Use MarketClub Webinars” weekly email

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The opposition against Google’s (GOOG) book digitization program is strengthening. The New York Times has come out with a story stating that Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO) and Amazon (AMZN) have entered the fray. While Amazon management avoided comment, Microsoft and Yahoo expressed their dissension by joining an association called the Open Book Alliance. The obvious intention of the association is to increase pressure on the Justice Department, which is currently considering the case. The department is expected to award a decision on October 7. As it happens, the book deal affects different sections of the population. The first section comprises the competition, which is wary of Google’s prowess in the search market. Their fear is that Google will use information on what people read to further improve and strengthen its position in search. Therefore, their complaint is that the deal is anticompetitive....

A little merlot with your capuccino? Clearly, McDonald's (MCD) new coffee drinks have created some competitive pressure on top of the current recession pains and over-expansion issues for Starbucks (SBUX). As a result, in July of last year, Starbucks indicated it would close more than 600 underperforming U.S. stores. That number was expanded in January 2009 by an additional 300 stores worldwide. However, to offset some of the competitive issues, SBUX recently announced plans to change the recipes to some of its food items to provide healthier options for its customers. In addition, SBUX is willing to go into uncharted territory. At one pilot store in Seattle, dubbed "15th Avenue Coffee and Tea," besides coffees there will be beer, wine and night-time live entertainment. By launching with just one store it should give SBUX a live shop to test changes in menu offerings, store ...

Warren Buffett’s storied investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway Inc is now trading at somewhere in the region of 1.2 times its book value of $72,000 a share. This makes it well worth considering for value-minded investors.

Now trading at $90,560, Berkshire Hathaway class A shares (NYSE: BRK.A) have plunged 60% from their 2007 peak of $149,000. According to Barron’s:

In the past decade, the stock has traded for an average of 1.6 to 1.7 times book value, a measure of shareholder equity per share. The current price-to-book ratio is near the low reached in early 2000, when Berkshire’s stock bottomed at about $40,000.

The turmoil in the financial markets has seriously dented confidence in Berkshire. And some would say with good reason. In March, Berkshire made a loss of about $5 billion on long-term put options on equity indexes – just as share prices were beginning to take off again.

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“Just how can the Fed credibly promise to be irresponsible…?”  Here’s a thought—that tiny handful of investors and analysts warning how Fed policy risks hyper-inflation are in fact doing the central bank’s work.

The Fed wants you to believe hyperinflation is looming. Or at least, it shouldwant that, if doubling its balance-sheet – purchasing and lending against investment junk – is going to work the wonders that modern central-bank theory says it can. And the Fed certainly wants you to believe it will stop at nothing to avoid deflation (”whatever means necessary” as the chairman put it back in 2002).

So anyone touting the hyperinflation risk in public is playing the shill, a decoy – seemingly unconnected – proclaiming the miracle powers of Dr.Ben Bernanke’s snake oil to CNBC anchors at every chance.

In fact, they’re doing the Fed’s work better than the Federal Reserve itself. Really.

“The major danger with a zero

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