Opening Bell: 03.02.10

Goldman Lists New ‘Risk’: Bad Press (WSJ)
So put a sock in it, Matt Taibbi: “In its annual report, the New York company said “adverse publicity” could have “a negative impact on our reputation and on the morale and performance of our employees, which could adversely affect our businesses and results of operations.”

Banks Raise Pay as U.K. Efforts to Cut Bonuses Fail (Bloomberg)
Call in the corgis: “Barclays paid its investment-bank employees about 191,000 pounds each in 2009 compared with an average payout of 99,000 pounds for the previous year, the filings show. RBS set aside about 173,000 pounds last year in total compensation per employee, up from about 100,000 in 2008. HSBC awarded each employee an average of about $166,000 in 2009.”

Buffett Casts a Wary Eye on Bankers (Dealbook)
“In more than 50 years of board memberships, however, never have I heard the investment bankers (or management!) discuss the true value of what is being given,” he wrote in his letter. Also: “Bankers act like teenage boys who just discovered girls.”

Justices Hear Appeal of Ex-Chief of Enron (NYT)
His lawyer, Sri Srinivasan, spent about 20 minutes of his half-hour argument on the jury selection question and the “wave of public passion” in Houston that he said made it impossible for his client to receive a fair trial.

Geithner, Summers Leading Search for Successor to Fed’s Kohn (Bloomberg)
Shoot them a note if you’re interested in the gig.

Panda Found Eating Like A Pig (Reuters)
Hunger drove a wild panda to break into a Chinese farmer’s pig pen and eat their food, which was meat and bone, rather than bamboo.

Comments (15)

  1. Posted by Investorcluzo | March 2, 2010 at 9:25 AM

    I have a folksy demeanor, everything I buy goes up, I only hire the best managers, I love me some cherry coke and I don’t like bankers…who am I?

  2. Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2010 at 11:17 AM

    Epic IT FAIL.

  3. Posted by barney | March 2, 2010 at 11:20 AM

    Or boys Warren?

  4. Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2010 at 11:41 AM

    i told you

  5. Posted by Booyashakah | March 2, 2010 at 12:00 PM

    You are Shia LaBuffet!!!

  6. Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2010 at 12:37 PM

    @1– Raj Rajratnaman?

  7. Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2010 at 12:39 PM

    @1 What is Raj Rajratnaman?

  8. Posted by Brendan F Behan | March 2, 2010 at 12:54 PM

    There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.

  9. Posted by Brendan F Behan | March 2, 2010 at 12:54 PM

    As I always say, there is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.

  10. Posted by Brendan F Behan | March 2, 2010 at 12:54 PM

    As I always say, there is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.

  11. Posted by Breandan F Behan | March 2, 2010 at 1:07 PM

    As I always say, there is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.

  12. Posted by Rahodeb | March 2, 2010 at 1:15 PM

    Brendan, just for clarification, is there any such thing as bad publicity, or would that classification be limited solely to an individual’s own obituary?

  13. Posted by big red | March 2, 2010 at 2:11 PM

    eats, shoots, and leaves ?

  14. Posted by Brendan F Behan | March 2, 2010 at 4:12 PM

    @Rahodeb– to clarify, bad publicity can be created by 3 things:
    1- your own obituary
    2- a quadruple post
    3- a wonky website revamp

  15. Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2010 at 4:48 PM

    This was a revamp? Wow.

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