The day after the election, the S&P 500 index rallied about 2.2%. If you had $100,000 invested in the S&P 500 index, your portfolio would have appreciated $2,200 on that day. On the other hand, the yield for a current 5-year brokerage CD is 0.5%. If you invest $100,000 in this CD, the total return … Continued
In our blog of 9 Oct 2020, (Productivity: The Key to Economic Growth), we commented on the importance of productivity, defined as economic benefit per worker. Historically, the U.S. has done a relatively good job regarding productivity. Moreover the increasing adoption of direct human/robotic interaction, as discussed in our blog of 15 Oct 2020, (Cobots), … Continued
It is generally accepted that the U.S. has a significant infrastructure problem. Addressing this problem has the potential to provide a significant number of jobs and be an important part of an economic recovery. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have periodically called for supporting infrastructure projects, particularly those that are “shovel ready”. Investopedia … Continued
It is clear that the world is racing to develop coronavirus vaccines. While pinpointing a date is speculative, it is likely that substantial progress, and perhaps FDA approval, will come during the first half of 2021, with widespread availability before the end of 2021. The big unknown is, to what extent people will step up … Continued
As the world struggles to identify potential solutions to Covid-19, herd immunity appears to be the most promising opportunity to mitigate some of the worst effects of the pandemic. According to Wikipedia, “herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a large percentage of a population has become immune … Continued
Financial modeling has long been used by financial analysts and corporate executives in an effort to organize historical data in a manner that can be helpful in projecting possible outcomes for future events. Models are also used as a method of assessing the impact of recent events on potential developments in the future. Models relating … Continued
Cobots are robots intended for direct human/robotic interaction within a shared space, or where humans and robots are in close proximity. According to Wikipedia, cobots were invented in 1996 and have been successfully deployed to support human activities, in contrast to robots that typically work separately from humans. Their 1997 U.S. patent entitled “Cobots” describes … Continued
Productivity describes various measures of the efficiency of production. There are many different definitions of productivity. Perhaps the most common, and probably the easiest to understand, is an aggregate labor productivity measure, such as GDP per worker. In other words, how much economic benefit is derived from the contribution of each worker. In order for … Continued
It is generally accepted that small business is a significant driver of job growth in the US. While precise data is not available, it has been suggested that, historically, startups have accounted for approximately 20% of job creation. Currently, small businesses appear to be suffering more than larger concerns, probably due, at least in part, … Continued
Creative destruction can be described as the dismantling of long-standing practices in order to make way for innovation. The process is sometimes referred to as disruptive and inevitably results in winners and losers. Consider the emergence of Lyft, Uber and similar companies and their impact on more traditional taxi and car service enterprises. The path … Continued
It is generally accepted that a strong economy is based on high levels of employment with rising wages that can support positive trends in consumer spending. This is where we were last January. Going forward, it is important to remember that the U.S. economy is highly dependent on consumer spending. Historically, fluctuations in consumer spending … Continued
As of September 16th, 2020, the Bankrate weekly mortgage rate survey has once again touched all-time lows with the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage sitting at 3.09% and the average 15-year fixed rate mortgage coming in at 2.53%. For homeowners who have a mortgage, many have already taken advantage of falling interest rates by refinancing … Continued
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