Saturday, May 12, 2012

Regarding JPM...

...like I said 2 posts ago, this entire "issue" is just entering the beginning stages of politicization.  The below snippet from a WSJ article is a precursor for future claims that Bank Bail-Outs are nothing but a taxpayer funded cross-subsidization of New York City living standards and Real Estate.

It matters not about the probity of that argument, its vigor alone will suffice.

The U.S. is the monopoly provider of "Order" on the planet.  This perception relies on confidence as does any other massively scaled service business.  It is somewhat analogous to Bank Runs.  If all the countries across the world perceive the U.S. as being unable to provide security services (both physically, financially, and legally), then in grand reflexive fashion, that prophecy will soon become self-fulfilling.

So, ANY challenge to these perceptions are of utmost importance.  There is opportunity here for populism.

One trader estimated more than a dozen hedge funds and banks profited
by taking the other side of J.P. Morgan's trades. Firms such as
(EDIT BY RECAPITULATOR...several New York City Firms, the names

 are unimportant) each scored gains of about $30 million, according to people
familiar with the matter. The firms declined to comment.

Regulatory inquiries into the bets include a review by the Securities
and Exchange Commission, according to a person familiar with the
matter. The informal inquiry is focused on whether the loss was
disclosed to investors at a sufficiently early stage.There are no firm
guidelines on when projected trading losses become "material" to
investors and therefore need to be disclosed.

Some lawmakers said Friday the trading blowup reinforced the need for
tougher financial regulations, with some of the fiercest criticism
aimed at Mr. Dimon. He has been one of the loudest foes of certain
rules imposed since the financial crisis.

"J.P. Morgan Chase, entirely without any help from the government, has
lost, in this one set of transactions, five times the amount they
claim financial regulation is costing them," said Rep. Barney Frank
(D., Mass.), former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee
and a co-sponsor of the Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law of 2010.


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