I know we work up a lot of righteous indignation on behalf of the short selling community over the ass backwardness that is the ban. All of it it warranted– especially that which is thrown at people like the proprietors of GLG and Man Group– but this might actually be the last time we act as a proxy for the particular injustice that is the Long Only Suction. Because it will probably be difficult if not impossible to top the richness of this latest episode. AMB Property (an Industrial REIT) was not one of the original Lucky 799. Since the barrier to entry was non-existent, the company requested it be added to the list last Monday. Then on Wednesday, it oh so coincidentally decided to slash earnings guidance for the remainder of the year (which, we’re told, they did on a property tour in Europe that unless you were on or listening in on the internet probably didn’t notice). And on Friday night, AMB proclaimed with flourish that they wanted off the list because, they told The REIT Newshound,* “It didn’t feel right. We believe we’re a good company and if someone wants to short us that’s okay.”
*Which is apparently “The Page Six of the REIT world.”

Comments (28)

  1. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 6:26 PM

    Neither a borrower nor a lender be. The muslim world thrives despite a ban on interest. I think we should adopt some elements of sharia law.

  2. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 6:33 PM

    1, I think you should stop smoking PCP.

  3. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 6:33 PM

    They thrive because they sit on top of all those fossil fuels.

  4. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 6:34 PM

    don’t underestimate the hound – vinocur had every angle on the EOP craziness last year, he was 2 hours ahead of the tape with every bid. and he was the only man doing proper reporting on the Maguire Properties mess this year too.

  5. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 6:36 PM

    @1: The Muslim world thrives? More like a few plutocrats live in obscene opulence because of what’s under the sand they happen to control while everyone else struggles to get by.

  6. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 6:40 PM

    @6 Look if we nationalized Chevron and Exxon, I’m we could increase our wealth and our per capita income. Why are we nationalizing failed banks and insurance companies?
    I have to disagree with you about people struggling to get by. Saudia Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, Qatar — there is very little poverty in these countries.

  7. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 6:40 PM

    dirka dirka la la la la la dirka dirka allah akbar

  8. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 7:05 PM

    There is very little poverty in Saudi Arabia? Are you on crack?

  9. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 7:10 PM

    They do something we don’t do. They don’t allow foreigners to come in and buy their buildings and businesses. Wasn’t there some guy who got permission to put up a building there and then suddenly one day they said “oops our bad, it’s our land and our building, bye” and now he is suing in a court in London hoping for the best?

  10. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 7:14 PM

    Anybody know what the DTCC is? It says they own 99% of securities in actuality, for convenience of trade:
    http://yourmortgageoryourlife.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/who-really-owns-your-money-part-one-the-depository-trust-clearing-corporation/
    I have never heard of them before. Scary shit.

  11. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 7:17 PM

    Anybody know what the DTCC is? It says they own 99% of securities in actuality, for convenience of trade:
    http://yourmortgageoryourlife.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/who-really-owns-your-money-part-one-the-depository-trust-clearing-corporation/
    I have never heard of them before. Scary shit.

  12. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 7:25 PM

    @10 & 11, i hope you’re being facetious, but i can’t tell.

  13. Posted by AJ | September 30, 2008 at 7:28 PM

    @10,11 Would you rather mail paper certificates back and forth every time you sold shares? Someone has to be the central depository…

  14. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 7:36 PM
  15. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 7:39 PM

    Have you ever been to the Muslim world? Stuff thrives there alright, but it’s mostly dictators and tropical disease.

  16. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 7:40 PM

    Ban interest? Clearly you own nothing of value.
    Oh and @7 excellent.

  17. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 7:45 PM

    Watching Kudlow. According to Senator Sherman and what he is saying, if I’m understanding him then this is all just subterfuge to bail out foreign governments?

  18. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 8:01 PM

    This is not market manipulation. The SEC has clearly defined market manipulation as anything that makes stocks go down or anything that was said or done, no matter how random, around the time the stocks went down. Correlation is the clearest proof of causation.
    We are in a race with Zimbabwe for the dumbest banana republic on the planet. Sadly, we’re winning.

  19. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 8:14 PM

    some of those Persian chicks are hot, but I can’t see the housekeeping being too stellar…

  20. Posted by onetwo | September 30, 2008 at 9:39 PM

    They should be prosecuted for fraud…plain and simple.

  21. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 9:55 PM

    fascinating post that would be funny if it weren’t so true:
    “The American people might as well face it they do not have enough political leaders with genuine testicular courage to block a tear duct.”
    http://tinyurl.com/43y7zo

  22. Posted by guest | September 30, 2008 at 11:11 PM

    Bess great job this week and weekend. I still come here first before clusterfuck… –,–’–(@

  23. Posted by guest | October 1, 2008 at 12:13 AM

    This is clearly the era of “who gives a fuck?” in corporate America. So a company goes on the short list, cuts earnings than says “we don’t want to be on the short list”. Who cares?
    As Bess points out the whole idea of not allowing short selling invalidates the notion of a free market. It’s like Malaysia stopping the outward conversion of their currency. Thie is America: buyers only please.

  24. Posted by arthurcutten | October 1, 2008 at 12:17 AM

    KILL the BILL v. 2
    http://tinyurl.com/4uccq5

  25. Posted by guest | October 1, 2008 at 12:42 AM

    No. 23, by instituting the no short selling rule did they effectively prevent the market from deciding who goes and who lives to fight another day?

  26. Posted by guest | October 1, 2008 at 12:55 AM

    i agree with @ 22!! Bess you are kicking ass

  27. Posted by guest | October 1, 2008 at 1:09 AM

    Definitely, amazing job Bess. But, do you ever sleep?

  28. Posted by guest | October 1, 2008 at 1:21 AM

    The coming collapse of European banks (due to AIG, and prevented momentarily only by the fed bailout of AIG).
    Also pay attention to how to profit from this and from the collapse of EUR.
    http://financialtraders.blogspot.com/2008/10/aig-european-banks-crisis-us-government.html

Leave a comment

You can log in with your account or comment as a guest below.