Back in the Saddle

I've been traveling lately, so I've been neglecting my blog. Last week, I attended the Eastern Finance Association conference in New Orleans. I didn't get a chance to visit the hurricane ravaged areas of the city, but the French Quarter was blowing and going. I was delighted to see crowds of people filling the streets, enjoying the unique flavor of the city. We managed to partake of many delicacies. I even had my fortune read by a Tarot reader on the square. Oh, yeah, I even managed to learn a few things about finance! Last week was a record setter for stocks, but today saw retreats all round. Bank mergers were the tale of the day, as Bank of America and Barclays opened their pocketbooks for new ventures. HealthSouth's shamed CEO cut a deal with the SEC. He has agreed to pay $81 million in damages. Where do you find that kind of cash? I guess it's pocketchange, if you're a corporate do-no-gooder! DJIA -42.58 NASDAQ -2.72 S&P 500 -3.42