Homocon

1.) "Home Depot Inc., the biggest home-improvement retailer, slumped for a 12th day as data this week showed new-home sales declined the most in a decade . . . Slowing earnings growth, a rise in mortgage delinquencies and signs that U.S. manufacturing is contracting have sent the (The Standard & Poor's 500 ) index down 5 percent from a six-year high on Feb. 20." -- U.S. Stocks Drop as Consumer Confidence Falls; Treasuries Rise

2.) "Investors withdrew an estimated $2.39 billion from global equity mutual funds tracked by TrimTabs Investment Research in the week ended Thursday, a sharp reversal from the $2.73 billion that flowed into the funds during the previous week . . . Equity funds that invest primarily in U.S. stocks saw total outflows of $3.48 billion, after inflows totaling $530 million in the previous week . . ." --Investors flee equity mutual funds

3.) "Which market will blow up next? India. It's as big as China. It's growing just about as fast. Its economy is in more danger of overheating. And it's more dependent on speculative hot money. The Indian stock market suffered through a 30% drop in May and June of 2006, so similar volatility in the days ahead is certainly a possibility. And the country looks like it's on the road to a genuine economic and political crisis." -- Which market will blow up next?

4.) "What I find totally amazing and mind-boggling about these examples of market mania is that no matter the extent of the carnage and financial devastation, a new crowd of "investors" . . . arise from the ashes of the crash and in good time, latch on to another object of speculative desire. Memories of the last bust are soon forgotten and as surely as spring follows winter, new and persuasive arguments are put forward about the superlative investment qualities of the new asset class . . . Caution is thrown to the wind and those who preach it are labeled as old timers who just don't get it." -- Preys, Predators and Markets

5.) "It's not about being a doomsayer or a cynic - it's about recognizing that bubble-like conditions are popping in markets from Shanghai to Istanbul to New Delhi and elsewhere." -- Global financial system is more fragile than financiers like to admit

6.) "Stocks are in for a shaky ride, now that the past five sessions have erased all of this year's gains and then some. Investors in the coming days will be grasping at any and all signals, both domestic and foreign, to see if the market can find a foothold." -- No calm yet after this storm: Wall Street braces for bumpy ride this week

7.) "If you drink too much, you're gonna have a hangover. And we've had a big, long party and no hangover. The longer the party is gonna be, the bigger hangover." -- Volatility Could Linger on Wall Street

8.) "Goldman Sachs issued a research report yesterday outlining what have emerged as the three most popular theories behind this week's selling: First, that it was simply a healthy and short-lived correction in markets that were due for a pullback; second, that it was a symptom of the growing risk of a credit crunch, stemming from rising interest rates in Japan and deepening worries about the U.S. subprime lending market; and third, that it reflected fears that the U.S. economy is in more trouble than previously thought, fuelled by recent disturbing economic data . . . "Although this third explanation does not appear to be the best interpretation of Tuesday's market turmoil . . . it comes closest to our view of what the market should be worried about," the Goldman report said." -- Selloff puts defensive positions in spotlight

9.) "It was certainly no coincidence that this week's outbreak of market jitters came on the heels of some disquieting economic data. On the same day that Shanghai stumbled, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that orders of durable goods in America—a key indicator of economic health—had fallen sharply in January. That followed an unnerving speech by someone many consider the great economic forecaster of our era, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. On Feb. 26, he warned in a speech that investors couldn't rule out the possibility of a U.S. recession in 2007, noting that corporate profit margins "have begun to stabilize, which is an early sign we are in the later stages of a cycle." -- The Markets' New Fear Factor

10.) "December’s figures indicate that foreign investment is drying up and the world is no longer eager to purchase America’s lavish debt. The only thing the Federal Reserve can do is raise interest rates to attract foreign capital or let the dollar fall in value. The problem, of course, is that if the Fed raises rates, the real estate market will collapse even faster which will strangle consumer spending and shrivel GDP. In other words, we are at the brink of two separate but related crises; an economic crisis and a currency crisis. That means that the unsuspecting American people are likely to be ground between the two mill-wheels of hyperinflation and shrinking growth." -- US Housing Market Crash to result in the Second Great Depression