Although it's still a far bigger scam than Bernie Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme, it has gotten a relatively tiny amount of attention. I don't know why but I suspect it's because the victims of the $330 billion Auction Rate Securities (ARS) swindle -- in which money invested in supposedly cash-like investments in government bonds whose rates reset in weekly auctions -- are not bold-faced names like Kevin Bacon and Steven Spielberg.

Nevertheless, when the ARS scandal broke in February 2008, those investors found that their supposedly safe savings were frozen when the auctions to reset those rates stopped happening. My original post now has 7,343 comments from people who have been trying to get their money back. The good news is that some $200 billion worth of those securities have been unfrozen thanks to Massachusetts and New York officials, Bill Galvin and Andrew Cuomo, respectively, who fought on investors' behalf.

Nevertheless, there remain about $135 billion worth of these ARS that remain frozen. There are many individuals whose funds remain frozen with limited prospects of recovery. And there are companies and non-profits whose funds are still frozen as well. These include Vicor (NASDAQ: VICR) with $38 million of its funds tied up until 2010 at the earliest; Tufts Health Care has $30 million, which has half its cash tied up and no prospects for recovering it; and Five Star Quality Care (AMEX: FVE), with $75 million tied up in ARS and just just $39 million in cash.

Continue reading Auction Rate Securities: $200 billion unfrozen, $135 billion to go

Auction Rate Securities: $200 billion unfrozen, $135 billion to go originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Kindred Healthcare, Five Star Quality, Corporate Executive Board, Deckers Outdoor and Discover were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded shares of Kindred Healthcare Inc (NYSE: KND) to Buy from Hold on valuation as they believe the risk/reward is attractive given good near-term earnings visibility and reasonable prospects for legislation to remove a significant reimbursement overhang.
• The firm also upgraded Five Star Quality Inc (AMEX: FVE) to Buy from Hold following a meeting with management, to reflect the company's improving occupancy and better cost controls.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of The Corporate Executive Board Company (NASDAQ: EXBD) to Buy from Hold as they believe the company is positioned for strong growth in 2008.
• Nollenberger upgraded shares of Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NASDAQ: DECK) to Buy from Neutral, as they believe the UGG brand will continue to outperform expectations both domestically and internationally.
• Discover Financial Services LLC (NYSE: DFS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Calyon on valuation.

• HSBC raised Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd (NYSE: TSM) to Overweight from Neutral.
• Banc of America upgraded Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) to Buy from Neutral.
• Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE: WMT) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Merrill Lynch.
• Deutsche Bank upped General Mills Inc (NYSE: GIS) to Buy from Hold.

Analyst upgrades: KND, FVE, EXBD, DECK and DFS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Jefferies upgraded shares of Lincare Holdings (NASDAQ: LNCR) to Buy from Hold on valuation as they now believe the likelihood that Congress could severely cut Medicare oxygen reimbursement this year is priced into shares.
  
• Jefferies also upgraded Gentiva Health (NASDAQ: GTIV) to Buy from Hold on valuation, as they believe the recent sell-off is overdone.
  
• RBC Capital raised Five Star Quality Care (AMEX: FVE) to Outperform from Sector Perform, as they believe the company's Q3 report could be better than expected and that census and outlook are improving.
  
• CIBC upgraded shares of Arris Group (NASDAQ: ARRS) to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer on valuation as they believe the weakness in the stock is overdone.
  
• Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) to Buy from Hold, as they expect the company to be a major beneficiary of rising raw material costs. Further, Deutsche thinks Lone Star and Stelco will be catalysts for earnings growth in 2008.

• VeraSun Energy Corporation (NYSE: VSE) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• UST Inc (NYSE: UST) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded BASF AG (OTC: BASFY) to Overweight from Neutral.
  
• Avondale Partners upgraded Polaris Industries (NYSE: PII) to Market Outperform from Market Perform.

Analyst upgrades: LNCR, GTIV, FVE, ARRS and X originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.