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China Decreases Holdings of U.S. Treasuries

  
Analysis, Economy, Education
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China Total holding of US Treasuries: $755.4B v $789.6B prior

Japan Total Holdings of US Treasuries: $768.8B v $757.3B prior 
Oil Exporters total Holdings of US Treasuries: $186.8B v $187.7B prior 
Brazil holdings of US Treasuries $160.6B v $157.1B prior 
Russia holdings of US Treasuries $118.5B v $128.1B prior 
Hong Kong holdings of US Treasuries $152.9B v $146.2B prior 
India holdings of US Treasuries: $29.6B v $31.6B prior

treasuriesWASHINGTON (AP) — The government said Tuesday that foreign demand for U.S. Treasury securities fell by the largest amount on record in December with China reducing its holdings by $34.2 billion.

The reductions in holdings, if they continue, could force the government to make higher interest payments at a time that it is running record federal deficits.

The Treasury Department reported that foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury securities fell by $53 billion in December, surpassing the previous record of a $44.5 billion drop in April 2009.[…] (more…)

The 10 Best things Steve Jobs Ever Said

  
Education, Life
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How did one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the last 50 years think? How did he create one of the most successful companies of all time? Here are ten of the best things that he ever said . I believe they give us clues at identifying the next company that could have their stock become the monster stock of this decade.  As you read through these quotes does it make any other company come to mind besides Apple?

Steve Jobs Quotes:

“We’re gambling on our vision, and we would rather do that than make “me too” products. Let some other companies do that. For us, it’s always the next dream.” Interview about the release of the Macintosh (24 January 1984)

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world? ” A comment he made in persuading John Sculley to become Apple’s CEO.

“You‘ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology – not the other way around.” May 1997, World Wide Developers Conference

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”

“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” –BusinessWeek Interview May 1998

“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” –BusinessWeek Interview May 1998

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

“Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.”

“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” Inc Magazine

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”

7 Unfortunate Habits of Unhappy People

  
  Education
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1.  Playing it too safe.

Don’t play it so safe that you put yourself in situations where none of your potential options satisfy your calling.  Dream your dream, but also realize that you are more than just the dreamer, you are the point of origin for your dream’s reality.

Your dream is your creative vision for your future life.  You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar.  Start smashing through those emotional barriers.  Move forward.  Life doesn’t magically give you what you want in your mind; it gives you what you insist upon with your actions.  Read The Power of Habit.

2.  Continuous self doubt.

You will inevitably become who you believe yourself to be.

If you spend enough time saying, “I’m not smart enough, thin enough and rich enough,” it’s likely that you will someday be right.  On the contrary, if you havethe belief that you are smart enough, thin enough and rich enough now to take the next positive step forward, over time you will likely acquire the capacity to be these very things at your desired level of expectation. (more…)

A Delicate Balancing Game

  
  Education
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“Damage control can prevent failure, but it will never elevate you to excellence.” 

“Now Discover Your Strengths”, by Buckingham and Clifton

When I ran across this quote, I was stunned. “Is that true?” I pondered. Then almost immediately I said, “Of course.”

As traders we need to do both. We need to pursue excellence even as we maintain damage control. We must protect against undue loss even as we seek opportunities for maximum gain.

It’s an emotional, artistic, and technological balancing act summed up by the trading cliché, “Cut your losses, and let your profits run.”

It’s easier said than done. How many times have you skipped a promising trade because you sought to avoid loss? How many times have you jumped out of a winning trade to secure your current profits only to despair as the trade soars into the stratosphere without you?

Computers have been programmed to play checkers not to lose, but the set up turned out not to be sufficient. In order to succeed, the computer had to be trained to play to win.

Many traders have failed because they abhorred loss and feared consequent failure. Other traders have failed because they ignored the possibility of loss in their reckless hunt for gain.

Risk management is necessary, but if it is your primary focus, you’ll have a hard time getting to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. On the other hand, if all you think about is the possibility of gain and overlook the potential for loss, you could find yourself falling off a financial cliff.

Trading is a delicate balancing game where optimism requires a seasoning of caution, but the primary goal still needs to be excellence and profit.

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