We sold California short months ago, but perhaps we were a little to hasty. We would have bet the rest of our Hyatt Gold Passport Points that their $4 billion bond sale was doomed after nine months of being shut out of the credit markets all together and being downgraded to the lowest credit rating any state in the Union has to offer. That would have totally ruled out our trip to Lake Tahoe (off peak, you know) because Cali managed to suck in over $6.5 billion instead. We think, however, we know why:

Of the $6.54 billion, California sold $3.2 billion to individual investors.

An effective 9% yield may also have pulled shell shocked Cali denizens out the door (along with the blitz of an advertising campaign).

California Ends Bond Sale
[The Wall Street Journal]

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Comments (21)

  1. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 5:07 PM

    Why is Cali the new Puerto Rico? New York is the new Yucca Mountain!

  2. Posted by Anal_yst | March 25, 2009 at 5:09 PM

    Weird, I asked the same (ish) question via twitter the other day. Seems besides living in a soon-to-be (already?) bankrupt State, citizens want to be super-concentrated Cali default risk.
    I know I speak for everyone here when I say I am shocked (SHOCKED I tell you!)…

  3. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 5:15 PM

    If California defaults, could state taxpayers declare there state bond losses against state income tax?

  4. Posted by shalimar | March 25, 2009 at 5:16 PM
  5. Posted by Anal_yst | March 25, 2009 at 5:28 PM

    Er I should have clarified with the “not to toot my own horn (seriously)” just that I’m in agreement with EP and whatnot

  6. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 5:32 PM

    Absurd. A state run ponzi scheme…and from Maxine Waters home state! Who would have thought?

  7. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 5:42 PM

    Hey #6, it’s also Ronald Reagan’s home (adopted) state and Richard Nixon’s. The left has no monopoly on nutballs and slimebags.

  8. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 6:29 PM

    Well said, #7.

  9. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 6:32 PM

    @6 true. But the left is definitely leading the race. (Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein, Woolsey, Eschoo, Pete Stark, Barbara Lee, Miller – and that’s just from the Bay Area!)
    And have a little respect for Cali. We’re paying 9% – dammit! (For now anyway.)
    Man, I can’t wait for that high speed rail that nobody is going to use.

  10. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 6:36 PM

    Oops! @7, then as before.

  11. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 6:50 PM

    Wow – another ill informed asshatish posting on shitbreaker.com!
    Well done!

  12. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 6:59 PM

    Come on, if we didn’t have Uncle Blarney and Maxine those hearing would be more boring than they already are. Fine entertainment at a hearing near you!

  13. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 7:39 PM

    whine all you want east coast haters! California has staggeringly better weather, is more beautiful at every turn (dont get me wrong, the Meadowlands rock!), has an outdoor/athletic lifestyle you cant even imagine, and oh yeah has zillions of job that pay better than you wall street pukes who are now stopped out at 250 pretax. please, PLEASE, stay on that cold, nasty coast with all the ugly people and if you think about coming out here, just stop off in aspen and vail and stay there.

  14. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 8:29 PM

    Munis are the new killin’ it. Discuss

  15. Posted by guest | March 25, 2009 at 8:30 PM

    Munis are the new killin’ it. Discuss

  16. Posted by Anal_yst | March 25, 2009 at 10:05 PM

    @13
    You sound like one of the Trolls from Curbed.com, home of the infamous “Chicago/LA/SF vs. NYC” fucktard battles.
    Please, spare us.

  17. Posted by Lowly Assistant | March 25, 2009 at 11:18 PM

    Anal,
    In fairness, we could use some warm women, cold beer, and 60+ weather. I hate to be a turncoat, but it’s around this time each year that I start fantasizing about moving to Florida/California. Although (regarding personality types), Florida=Philadelphia/California=Park Slope. So…yeah, fuck that.

  18. Posted by Anal_yst | March 26, 2009 at 1:21 AM

    @ Lowly
    Oh, no doubt the ideal gig would likely be 2 (lets not get greedy) offices, one in NYC and another in say, Miami, to which one could venture for “fundraising” and “diligence” trips and whatnot. As far as Cali goes, no doubt weather/lifestyle is good, but 3hr time difference and as you said, even more annoying people than NYC (which says alot).

  19. Posted by guest | March 26, 2009 at 5:07 AM

    California is the canary in the coal mine of the changes Barry O’bama wants to bring.
    California has turned its back on good ole’ fashioned supply and demand. The rest of us will shortly follow. The complex forces that make up the market cannot be challenged.

  20. Posted by trojan | March 26, 2009 at 6:52 AM

    Having spent some good years in socal i can say:
    1)the beach boys had it right- girls are 10x hotter/easier than in the northeast. i told my buddies in dank northeast colleges they couldn’t comprehend the girls in socal vs the dogs barkin at home. better ROI than nyc girls for sure
    2)the landscape (minus the central valley) is slightly better than the east (except CT in fall)
    3)saying “i work in finance” still makes you the smartest guy in the room
    4)i hate the goddamn lakers

  21. Posted by Debter | March 26, 2009 at 10:38 AM

    uh so the highest yield in the term longest term was 6.10% (6% cpn), that’s actually the effective yield.
    9.38% is the after tax yield (assuming 35% effective rate).
    I know it’s nit-picky, but that’s how the world looks at it.
    Cal isn’t going to default.

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