Individual investors are pouring money into retail mutual funds.  (Pragmatic Capitalist, Clusterstock)

Has the rise of hedge fund-like trading put an end to value investing?  (WSJ, MarketBeat)

The rebound in convertible bonds year-to-date has been a key source of profits for hedge funds.  (Bloomberg)

Despite a good start to the year, hedge funds are not yet in the clear.  (WSJ, Zero Hedge)

Historical volatility continues to fall.  (VIX and More)

The Nasdaq is seeing a number of new 52-week highs.  (Trader’s Narrative)

ETFs have their problems, but transparency isn’t one of them.  (IndexUniverse)

A closer look at the “prominent investor seal of approval” phenomenon?  (market folly)

“Much of trading success consists of finding a niche–a set of markets, strategies, and ways of viewing markets and strategies–that fit with internal values and strengths and external opportunities.”  (TraderFeed)

Like any business, trading requires an adequate capital cushion.  (TraderFeed)

“The fundamentals remain in place for a long-term boom in the prices of everything ag-related.”  (Fortune)

Research into using Google to pick stocks.  (The Stash)

Why the rise is Treasury yields is deceptive.  (Clusterstock)

Despite all attempts, mortgage rates are rising and mortgage applications are falling.  (greenfaucet, WSJ)

The bond market has bought into the idea of green shoots.  (FT Alphaville)

Turnabout is fair play on Wall Street.  (WSJ)

“The administration, which always seemed uneasy with the popular outrage over bonuses earlier this year, seems willing to throw the seven sinners to the wolves, while letting the bulk of the financial sector off the hook.”  (Baseline Scenario)

“The true problem underlying the comp issue is corporate governance, and the way the Boards of Directors fail to represent the interests of shareholders.”  (Big Picture)

A DIY bank stress test.  (Rortybomb also Felix Salmon)

Trends in initial unemployment claims vs. continuing claims.  (naked capitalism)

Why do so many people distrust government statistics?  (A Dash of Insight)

“If you are arguing for an incipient inflation outbreak that requires a policy response, you need a story explaining how price pressures are translating into wage pressures.”  (Economist’s View)

How important is China to world growth?  (Econbrowser also 24/7 Wall St.)

“The Fischer Blackian business-cycle theory that Cowen describes in his paper, for example, can be summarized in two words: s&*t happens.”  (Curious Capitalist)

Maybe we don’t have to choose between deflation and inflation.  Perhaps we are facing an “inflationary depression“?  (Gregor)

“Equity, for a change, has come to replace efficiency as the most important god in our socioeconomic pantheon.”  (Epicurean Dealmaker)

Separate political views from market views, and more advice on how to make financial television better.  (Daily Options Report)

Another excerpt from “The Myth of the Rational Market” by Justin Fox.  (The Big Money)

“SkyGrid does what it does quite well.  I’m just not convinced anyone really NEEDS it.”  (New Rules of Investing)

Is the VC industry simply too big, or are they not making the right investments?  (peHUB also BusinessWeek, GigaOM)

The economic crisis has not killed off the idea of really alternative asset classes.  (HedgeCo.Net, WSJ also Felix Salmon)

How many “increasingly large, powerful, energy-intensive, always-on and essentially out-of-sight data centers” are we going to need to store all our stuff?  (NYTimes)

Is ticket scalping all that bad?  (The Big Money)

The GPS device as a marriage-saver.  (Freakonomics)

You knew there had to be a financial markets angle to the Ronaldo to Real Madrid news.  (FT Alphaville)

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