peHUB First Read

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Cofee* Remember all that old (bogus) talk about LBO firm collusion? Well, things don’t look too clubby anymore.

* Jack McHugh: Some questions for the “Perfect 10” TARP repayers.

* Forget traditional economics. Just pay attention to the underwear index.

* Morning Call: U.S. futures point higher, London rises early, European stocks rise on oil & TARP repayment, the Nikkei hits 8-month closing high and Hong Kong snaps slump.

* 10 dumbest tech products so far.

* Paritosh Bansal: J.C. Flowers also bid for BankUnited, thus keeping intact its streak of bidding on virtually every troubled financial institution on the block (and for losing most of those auctions).

* Supremes clear the way for Fiat’s acquisition of Chrysler.

* S-E-X at the SEC

* Art Laffer: Get ready for inflation and higher interest rates. We’ll see about inflation, but the interest rates are kind of a given. After all, there’s no real way for them to go down again.

* Layoffs at D.E. Shaw.