Some stuff I read online 3/25/08

I took a couple of days off so just getting back to some writing. Some notable non financial news: Tiger Woods win streak is stopped. That is right. Tiger played this weekend and did not win. First time in 7 tries. Next stop for Woods is the Masters which goes off April 7-13 and woods looks in fine form (as an aside…Tiger was on Squawk Box this morning and confessed to being an early investor in and current shareholder of Google). Kimi Raikkonen took round 2 of the 2008 F1 season and now trails Lewis Hamilton by three points. Of note is the success of relative newcomers Kovalainen and Kubica. Fourth and fifth overall, these two are some rising stars in the series.

One of my options posts (part 2) was highlighted in the most recent Carnival of Personal Finance hosted by Million Dollar Journey. The link to the carnival is here. Post 3 took a vacation with me last week so look for it soon.

Here is today’s list of interesting articles I have read online.


JP Morgan raised its bid to $10 for Bear Stearns yesterday. Part of the reason was a clause in the original contract that put JPM on the hook for trades made by Bear even if the deal did not go through. Bear trades at $11 as I write this so still some speculation that there may be another raise. A brief article below on the “line” that may have forced the raise.

Lawyers in spotlight over loophole

The merger of XM and Sirius moved a step closer to fruition yesterday when the justice department approved the merger. While the FCC still has to approve the deal, it is definitely more likely now than it was last week. That raises the question of the Canadian entities who at this point are separate entities from the US firms and operate under Canadian regulations. While I personally question whether the CRTC would approve such a merger easily, as the Globe and Mail article below highlights, it may be tough for them to continue to operate separately once the merger is concluded in the US.

U.S. ruling sets clock ticking on radio deal

I have mentioned before that I like the long term outlook for Blackstone and at $15 and change, a great buy (will likely enter this week). Here is an interesting piece supporting a buy in Blackstone.

Calling a Turn in Blackstone Group

And lastly, a piece on a Dividend Aristocrat, 3M. A great piece suggesting that it is on sale right now and that the dividend is primed for safe long term growth as a result of a lowered payout ratio over recent years.

3M Company: Dividend Aristocrat Available on the Cheap

Thanks for reading…