Senior automotive industry analyst Paul Raman, CFA, recently returned from the San Diego Auto Show, had these comments to make about Toyota Motors (...

Senior automotive industry analyst Paul Raman, CFA, recently returned from the San Diego Auto Show, had these comments to make about Toyota Motors (TM), Honda Motor Company (HMC), Nissan Motors (NSANY) and others.Most -- if not all -- automakers are keeping an eye on joint venture and/or buyout opportunities within the industry in 2009.  Also pending in the early part of the year is the question of a further auto industry bailout by the U.S. Federal government, though this concerns the American Big Three, not the Japanese automakers.TOYOTAYaris - Sales are up 27% for this car that gets 32 MPG and has a 4 star crash rating with a economical price of $16K. There is not enough leg room and a strange dashboard. The interior needs a major upgrade.Tundra - Sales are down 25% for this pickup with 15 MPG. ...

The ground is giving way beneath our feet: Sell the dollar…Sell Treasuries.   People still stand their ground…they do not panic. They do the right thing. But then, they go into work – but find they have no jobs. They look at their pension account – wisely invested in a diversified portfolio – and find that it has lost half its value. And their houses lose 20% of their value. In places such as San Diego, Las Vegas and Miami, the losses are more like 30%- 40%. The ground gives way…and they find themselves in Hell.

Friday, the Dow registered a 61 point improvement, after much disappointment the day before. Is the rally on or off? We don’t know…

But what MUST happen, WILL happen. Fish gotta swim. Birds gotta fly. And bubbles gotta pop. The bubble in private debt has popped already. And now, the bubble in public debt has to

...

“Better to miss the first 20% of a bull market than try to time the bottom.” Amen to that. Yesterday, the Dow climbed 432 points. There are signs the credit markets are “loosening,” says BusinessWeek. And Fed head Ben Bernanke has called for another stimulus package. Could this be the bottom of the bear? Absolutely. Then again…

– The S&P 500 has moved up or down at least 1% in 10 of October’s 13 trading sessions. The record for these kind of swings was set in 1929.

– According to Infectious Greed blogger Paul Kederovsky, “The Dow is now up almost 20% from its lows of a little more than a week ago, and the S&P isn’t far behind.” He remains convinced that we “end up churning away for months as the market tries to figure out how bad this downturn is

...

September 15, 2008 – Premier Power Renewable Energy (OTCBB:PPRW) announced it has come public through a reverse merger this weekend, on the heels of a $7 million financing led by Vision Capital.  Premier is a leading downstream solar firm which has demonstrated success in the burgeoning solar markets both domestic and overseas. In an environment where so many of its peers have struggled to achieve profitability, Premier has. It is amongst the largest and fastest growing solar installers in the nation, achieving sales of $16.7 million in 2007 and has contracted $48 million in sales for 2008, representing 187% year-over-year growth.  It has been profitable since 2006, and continues to experience dramatic growth and record sales in the US and Europe. Premier has been installing PV systems since 2000, and is one of the top seven installers in the country, focused on the $13 billion commercial market – GE’s number ...

“The next Fourth Turning is due to begin shortly after the new millennium, midway through the Oh-Oh decade. Around the year 2005, a sudden spark will catalyze a Crisis mood. Remnants of the old social order will disintegrate. Political and economic trust will implode. Real hardship will beset the land, with severe distress that could involve questions of class, race, nation, and empire.”

– William Strauss and Neil Howe, The Fourth Turning, 1997

When IndyMac …