WorldWinds | The World at your Fingertips: Fly your Way Through Airport Security (Wait....what?!)

The glory days have returned to the Middle East it appears, with regional indices rising between 30-50% YTD. If, however, these currencies were floating, and not pegged to the dollar, one could expect that this YTD rise would be between 80-90%. There is, however, one change to my thesis about the Middle East. While previously I was a strong advocate of the lack of correlation to global markets thesis, this is changing. Foreigners have begun dumping cash into Middle Eastern markets seeking this lack of correlation, and as this fast money comes it, it can come out just as fast. While the macro story is among the most attractive in the world, and assets versus global peers are cheap, the lack of correlation story no longer exists in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. A new factor, however, highlighting the region's attractiveness is amount of foreign capital seeking currency revaluation and cheap assets being shifting towards the region.

By: Sherif Elhalwagy

2007/12/10

As we get ready to position for 2008, the most immediate question which needs to be asked before determined sector/equity strength is global market strength.I believe that stocks are not expensive, nor are they a bargain. I still believe that global rising wealth levels will drive the developed world's economic strength, but more importantly, stock markets.While 2008 should probably be year of moderate equity gains (7-10% area ), I believe it will probably be in the likes of 20% + in developed markets, and potentially more for emerging markets. One might call me crazy? However, I just call the others crazy. I think this is a likely scenario because as people watch equity markets rise moderately, a horde of cash will begin chasing them higher and higher, until we reach a global asset price "bubble scenario." Some argue that equities are in a bubble, although I have to disagree with this given that the rise in developed market equities for the decade has not been large, although the last three years have. Also, profits grew significantly during this period, keeping valuations attractive. I also do not see a significant risk to the global economy.

By: Sherif ElHalwagy

Once again Goldman has not only surpassed The Street's estimate, but has blown away investors. A quote I once heard - "'only kiss the prettiest girl in town" has come to life with Goldman's earnings.For any long-term investor in the US bulge bracket financials, it is without question that if you want to bet on the smartest, sharpest, and savviest financial experts, the team to go with is Goldman.For 3Q07, Goldman reported $6.13 EPS, versus a consensus of $4.35.While broad based strength across business lines were stronger, Goldman's mortgage unit posted a $1b gain by shorting sub-prime debt.Even better, it was not simply speculation performed by a hedge fund, but risk management. One hopes that Goldman will remain the talent it does to manage there high-risk balance sheet.

By: Sherif El Halwagy

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Fly your Way Through Airport Security (Wait....what?!)

Are you tired of removing your clothing and shoes at airports to the awkward pleasure of Homeland Security officers? (I think so!) For those of you who get extremely frustrated with the endless layers of airport security, FlyClear is your solution. For only about $100 a year (plus a one-off TSA vetting fee of $28), the Clear card can be yours! It is a card with an innovative biometric chip that can easily allow you to breeze right past airport security. So how does it work?

All card holders are pre-screened and subsequently granted access to a specific number of airport "fast pass" lanes around the United States.

As of now, FlyClear works at the following airports/terminals: Albany, Denver, Indianapolis, JFK Terminals 1, 4, 7, Newark Terminal B, Orlando, San Francisco and San Jose.

The pre-screening is a painless yet thorough process: There's a kiosk at which this has to be done. The technology is quite frankly, pretty damn good. Here's a brief synopsis of what has to be done:

1. Scan your passport and drivers license
2. Very detailed fingerprint scans
3. Two retinal scans for (one for each eye)

The word about FlyClear is spreading fast so get your card before the price is hiked. Based on what I've heard about it, most banks on Wall Street are starting to issue FlyClear cards to employees to boost efficiency and timeliness. It is definitely something that is worth checking out!

Why don't you BUY ONE NOW? If you're one of those skeptical types, click HERE to research some more and find a FlyClear store near you.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...: this is such a risk bro!! i didnt know abt this...its going to create lots and lots of problems in the long run for sure. the application def needs to be a very hardcore process with background searches and all; February 23, 2008 at 8:31 PM

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