In our March 15th blog, we commented on the apparent deterioration in shareholders’ rights in connection with the initial public offering of Snap, Inc. shares, which have no voting rights. This issue is garnering increased attention from institutional investors. State Street Global Advisors recently urged the U.S. financial regulator to block companies from adopting controversial […]
Read MoreOn June 5, 2017, Bloomberg News reported that, “China plans to halt issuing permits to produce electric vehicles because of concern that additional approvals may lead to a glut in the world’s biggest auto market, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” On June 19, 2017, Bloomberg News reported that, “Tesla, Inc. is close […]
Read MoreRecently released data from Freddie Mac revealed that nearly 50% of Americans, who have recently refinanced their homes to take advantage of lower interest rates to reduce borrowing costs, are taking cash out. This means that the home owner is increasing the principal balance, and reducing equity. This is the height of folly. Apparently, people […]
Read MoreIt is beginning to look like the answer is yes. Historically, conventional wisdom held that China’s low wage rates were the trump card in manufacturing location decisions. Things are changing. While low wages were certainly a major factor in China’s economic competitiveness, low taxes were also a material factor. Today in China, wages are going […]
Read MoreIs China moving towards using coal to power cars and trucks? Consider: China is the world’s largest importer of oil. China is the world’s largest producer of coal. China has a chronic shortage of electricity. In 2016 57% of China’s electric generating capacity was coal fired. China continues to build new coal generated electricity capacity. […]
Read MoreThere has always been an underground economy, sometimes referred to as a shadow economy, and more recently described as the Gig economy, with the rise of such relatively new activities, such as home and ride sharing. Investopedia defines the underground economy as illegal economic activity. Transactions in the underground economy are illegal, either because the […]
Read More