Can S&P Charm Snakes?
FromTheStreet.com
Standard & Poor's has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to put a hold on Vanguard's distribution of its Viper fund, according TheStreet.com. The article explains that S&P is afraid that Vanguard would have to halt distribution or even recall shares of they are sold prior to a resolution of the court case it filed against the fund company. The article also speculates on the rate being paid by fund companies to license the index for their products. Barclays' iShares S&P 500 pays 4 basis points while it guesses that State Street pays just 1 basis point for its SPDRs product. Another wrinkle may be in whether Barclay's fee includes an exclusive on the index for ETFs. If it did it may be in a position to renegotiate if Vanguard wins the suit.

More on Liberty's Sale
From Wall Street Journal
Boston Globe
Liberty's hiring of CS First Boston to explore its options is featured in multiple reports today. The Journal adds that "executives are considering selling the company because its shares were undervalued and showed no sign of an imminent turnaround." The Boston Globe raises the possibility that the firm could be split in two -- an investment management business and an annuity business -- for a potential sale.

What Makes Gabelli a Success?
FromInvestor's Business Daily
Mario Gabelli want people working for him who are "poor, hungry and driven," according to this profile of the the chairman of Gabelli Asset Management. "I look for people who love Wall Street, who love the stock market, who love to talk stock and think stocks 24 hours a day," he is quoted as saying. Like Fidelity's Peter Lynch, Gabelli claims to have been introduced to stock picking working the golf courses as a caddy for the affluent.

Who is Fidelity's Felman?
FromBoston Globe
The paper profiles David Felman, manager of Fidelity's Mid-Cap Stock fund, His fund has gained roughly 30 percent so far in 2000. And, nearly half of the fund is invested in technology.

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