See allLatest Trade Alerts

Brokerage Partners

The Best of Kass

Written by: Doug Kass 12/02/12 - 8:20 AM EST
Tickers in this article: F
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Doug Kass of Seabreeze Partners is known for his accurate stock market calls and keen insights into the economy, which he shares with RealMoney Pro readers in his daily trading diary.

Among his posts this past week, Kass explained why investors should get behind the wheel with Ford and why the media are inflating fears about the fiscal cliff.

Please click here for information about subscribing to RealMoney Pro.

More Headlines

Ford Is Still a Katch
Originally published on Friday, Nov. 30 at 1:21 p.m. EST.

  • Take a cue from the credit default swaps and get behind the wheel on this one.

    • I have always thought that the bond market crowd is smarter than the stock market crowd.

    That said, it is often helpful to watch the price of individual company credit default swaps as a potential precursor to a move (higher or lower) in a company share price.

    As most are aware, a credit default swap (invented by JPMorgan's Blythe Masters 18 years ago) is a financial swap agreement that the seller of the instrument will compensate the buyer in the event of a loan default or other credit event. The buyer of the credit default swap makes a series of payments (the "fee" or "spread") to the seller and in exchange receives a payoff if the loan defaults.

    The charts below display Ford's (F) five-year credit default swap spreads against Ford's equity price.

    These charts demonstrate that:

    • Ford's five-year credit default swap spreads are the lowest in more than two years; and
    • the price performance in Ford's shares are lagging the credit improvement.

    I expect the credit ratings agencies to upgrade Ford's debt rating by two notches in the months ahead -- the improvement in credit default swaps indicate they are getting late to this party.

    Ford is one of my largest long equity holdings and still a Kass Katch.

    I see less than $1 a share of risk (to $10.50 a share) but more than $3 a share of upside (to $14.50 a share).

    I like these odds.

    I have also bought calls in Ford recently (January 11s and 12.5s and Feb 10s).

    At the time of publication, Kass was long F common stock and calls.