Barn raising is a collective action of a community, in which a barn is built or rebuilt by members of the community.  In many respects this could be considered a precursor of property/casualty insurance, wherein the insureds pay a modest annual fee with the expectation that the combined contributions, cash or in kind, of the member … Continued

Week of July 10, 2023 Inflationary concerns rose to the forefront last week as ADP reported surprisingly strong employment growth trends. The implication is that wage pressures will remain firm. Commodity prices, on the other hand, are well off their peaks. The Fed appears to be poised to act to further to raise rates if … Continued

Market timing is the act of moving investment money in or out of a financial market, based on expectations for a change in valuations.  To the extent that investors can predict when the market will go up or down, they can, in theory, make trades that capitalize on these movements. Timing the market is often … Continued

Week of July 3, 2023 Common stock prices surged this past week. Two major areas of focus in our Sigma Signals analytics are geopolitics and US domestic policy. Russia dominated the former and the Supreme Court, the latter. Russia’s less prominent position on the map signifies the country’s diminished presence in hegemonic terms. China has … Continued

Week of June 26, 2023 We raised the topic last week of the false perception of Soviet Union strength in prior decades and successor Russia took the spotlight over the weekend with a mini coup attempt. This highlights the futility faced by dictators trying to inspire their citizenry to foment economic strength which begets military … Continued

The goal of providing high quality, together with large quantities, at low prices, has been described as the unattainable triangle.  In a free market, effective managements seek to balance these contradictory objectives at levels that meet the demands of their customer base, often by providing a choice of, good, better, or best, at appropriate price … Continued

Week of June 19, 2023 It was widely perceived in the 1940s, 50s and 60s that the Soviet Union had a vibrant economy. That was subsequently proven wrong. It is widely perceived that the current Chinese planned economic system is superior to capitalism but “green shoots” of economic recovery are fading. US economic growth of … Continued

Wikipedia defines a corporation as an organization, authorized by the state, to act as a single entity.  Corporations don’t pay taxes, we do. Corporations are, in effect conduits.  They collect taxes from others, primarily employees and customers and then remit the money to the government. Taxes collected from employees through payroll deductions include, income, social … Continued

Week of June 12, 2023 Interest rates on US Treasury securities across the maturity spectrum are within normal ranges of the last 30 years, suggesting inflationary pressures are abating. The Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index has advanced 20% over its previous low, technically marking a new bull market (and once again highlighting the futility … Continued

Wikipedia defines Hobson’s choice as a free choice in which only one thing is actually offered.  The term is often used to describe an illusion that multiple choices are available. The New York Times recently published an article titled “Can the World Make Batteries For Electric Cars Without China.”  The article goes on to suggest … Continued

Week of June 5, 2023 US federal debt limit negotiations encompassed a dual matrix. First, a deal had to be reached between Speaker McCarthy and President Biden, and second, Senate approval was required. Once in the bag, fuel was delivered for substantial and broad stock market gains. Favorable job growth, as reported on Friday, upped … Continued

Perhaps the three most important words in an investor’s vocabulary may be “I don’t know”.  Investment decisions are typically (hopefully) based on an informed assessment of potential future financial results.  However, any estimate of future events is inherently uncertain, which no amount of research can fully mitigate.  Generally, past performance, broad industry trends and projections … Continued