Jay Goldinger of Capital Insight in Beverly Hills, Calif., said that despite the employment data, the economy was still growing.

By week's end, Capital Insight and its president, Jay Goldinger, were telling clients they were going out of business.

Jay Goldinger, a bond trader at Capital Insight in Los Angeles, added: "The market has gone straight south, and the compass seems to be broken.

Neither company named Mr. Goldinger or Capital Insight.

But a lawyer for Mr. Goldinger has confirmed that Capital Insight is the brokerage firm in question.

Mr. Goldinger has been unavailable for comment this week since reportedly shutting down Capital Insight and informing investors that their accounts were being liquidated.

"Those arguments got tired" yesterday, said Jay Goldinger, a government bond trader at Capital Insight in Los Angeles.

Ms. Cohen of Capital Insight suggests the bonds to clients who want the extra yield of an agency security but are concerned about the potential risk.

Jay Goldinger, a bond trader at Capital Insight in Los Angeles, lamented, "How much better can the news get?"

A person close to Capital Insight, which has about 30 clients, said yesterday that it had stopped making trades and would soon cease operations.