August silliness: Various financial institutions regularly email me economic commentary and analyses. Normally, the report titles are penny-plain boilerplate, e.g., “Trade – Solid Exports, Narrower Deficit” or “ISM Non-Manufacturing – Rebound in June.” But three that hit my inbox within the last day or so made me wonder if the economists writing them had one eye on the market and one eye on William Forsythe: “Steady at an Elevated Level,” “Slightly Lower, but Still Elevated,” and “Inching Away from an Elevated Level.”

It sounds like ballet for accountants! :rolleyes:

I'd be happy with watching a performance of 'Rebound in June'...

Love it Kathleen, I didnt know you were into Macroeconomics?

Ed -- Finance is my profession. Usually it's a job, but sometimes it's an adventure. Housing starts data has never, ever quickened my pulse, however -- I'm more of a balance-of-payments kind of girl ...

Re Forsythe:
Critics are alway mentioning him when they discuss which contemporary choreographer is closest in quality/durability/audience approval to the Balanchine Gold Standard Index.

Compared to a BGSI par of 100, what's Forsythe's current trading value? 75? 99? 50? 112?

Is it stronger in some parts of the world than others?

Are you a bull or bear on this particular stock?

P.S. Alas, I haven't seen enough to answer my own questions.

I think Forsythe is -45, but that's just my personal opinion!

I think it depends on the viability and marketing of his current product. When he first went public -- after he had established steam -- he got an IPO lift until the value settled. However, it's fairly clear that the ballet market is rather bearish at the moment, with everyone waiting for a Google choreographer, someone whose IPO price can increase by many factors because of the strength of the product in the post dance boom .bomb environment.

I know, I know, it’s not ballet, but in the back of my mind there’s always this thought that Mark Morris is really the successor to Balanchine: MMDG does have a school, its own dance center, always uses live music, and at this point has a pretty extensive rep to present – i.e., it’s an institution that might survive its founder. Forsythe’s new company is supported by Dresden, Frankfurt, Saxony, & Hesse, but Morris has Isaac Mizrahi on his board, which adds several points to his BGSI just for sheer fabulousness …

Of course, old bricks and mortar outfits like MMDG may well be underbid because of the effects of the Wheeldon bubble ...

I'd tip anyone interested in buying shares to look into Millepied.