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The Institutional Risk Analyst
© 2003-2025 | Whalen Global Advisors LLC All Rights Reserved in All Media | ISSN 2692-1812
Banks | Markets | Finance
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R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 134 min read
HOOD: Is the Bloom off the Rose?
And just why do financial firms like HOOD, SoFi Technologies (SOFI)Â and Block (XYZ)Â talk about EBITDA in their investor materials?
241 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 46 min read
Trump, Musk & the Dollar
The real threat of tariffs announced by Trump is not inflation, but rather a LT decline in the dollar as the global reserve currency
473 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 37 min read
Is Ameriprise Overvalued? Is PennyMac Cheap vs the REITs?
We think it is notable that AMP has underperformed the other members of the group other than SCHW over the past year.
163 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 274 min read
SoFi Technology Gets No Respect
Like many names in the fintech space, growing profits and earnings are usually an indication that a stock is exiting max upside period
217 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 136 min read
Big Losses in Commercial Real Estate & PE in 2025?
Private equity portfolio companies are about 10 times as likely to go bankrupt as non-PE-owned companies.
1,072 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 58 min read
Taxing Crypto? And Just Where Is That Consumer Recession?
Yes, net loss rates in percentage terms post default are back up to 2010 levels, but the dollar volume of net charge-offs remains very low.
411 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Dec 30, 20248 min read
Update: Top Bank Asset Managers
As and when GS can exit the loss leading credit card relationship with AAPL, the performance of the business should improve significantly.
227 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Nov 26, 20248 min read
Fed Fiddles as Liquidity Risk Looms
Our bet is that the Bessent "3-3-3" plan likewise will be a failure and that the Fed will be forced to restart QE sooner rather than later
1,205 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Nov 15, 20247 min read
Update: Block Inc, Nu Holdings & Guild Holdings
Notice that SQ co-founder Jack Dorsey styles himself as "block head" in the corp roster, a silly affectation that does not help the stock
412 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Nov 6, 20245 min read
Financials: Post-Trump Victory Notes
The changes that are going to occur in Washington over the next four years will be dramatically different than during Trump I.
1,101 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 28, 20249 min read
Housing Finance Outlook; PennyMac, Mr. Cooper & NYCB/Flagstar
NYCB and the unsold rent-stabilized assets left over from the failure of SBNY are two little surprises waiting for the next POTUS.
733 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 23, 20247 min read
Powell Overshoots the Runway; Update: American Express & Charles Schwab
Last year, when a lot of people were predicting the demise of SCHW, we told our readers to calm down.
705 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 21, 20245 min read
Will BRICS Topple the Dollar?
Whenever you hear the magic words "blockchain" and "digital tokens," it's a good guess that whatever follows is nonsense.
709 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 1, 20246 min read
The Bull Case for Large Banks
If you believe that there is no recession coming in 2025, what is the logical response from an informed investment professional?
607 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Sep 24, 20246 min read
Update: Our Top Five Ideas
How will the sudden shift in Fed policy impact financials? Are we headed for a recession?
654 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Sep 2, 202412 min read
Recession? Consumer Lenders: AX, AXP, ALLY, Barclays, COF, SOFI, SYF
Axos continues to rebound after the bear raid by Hindenburg Research. AX ranked 18th in the WGA Bank Top Index in Q3 2024 vs 98th for SOFI
721 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Aug 25, 20247 min read
Universal Banks: Should TD Buy Schwab & Sell Its US Operation?
SCHW needs to take advantage of their strong operating leverage and repair some needless damage done during COVID by inept bank management.
725 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Aug 21, 20247 min read
New & Old Names in Nonbank Finance
In dollar terms, the moves in 2023 were tiny vs the post March rally in 2020.
478 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Aug 12, 20247 min read
The Powell Hedge Fund Drives Private Market Instability
In 2019, the FOMC essentially nationalized the US money markets, eliminating private price discovery for a representation of a market.
879 views
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R. Christopher Whalen
Aug 8, 20246 min read
Market Volatility and Loan Defaults
The market tantrum which began on Friday was largely over by the market close on the following Tuesday.
1,190 views
Christopher Whalen
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