Wikipedia defines consumerism as a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon that is typical of industrialized societies.  It is characterized by the continuous acquisition of goods and services in ever increasing quantities.  In contemporary consumer society, the purchase and consumption of products have evolved beyond the mere satisfaction of basic human needs, transforming into an activity that … Continued

Week of April 21, 2025 As of January 25, 2025, 175 of the 193 United Nations member countries had a value-added tax (VAT), according to Wikipedia. The United States remains one of the few without such a system. Tariffs share several characteristics with VATs—particularly in their role as sources of government revenue. In both cases, … Continued

In a recent article in The Wall Street Journal titled, “The Clean Energy Revolution is Unstoppable”, the authors suggest that clean energy costs will decline and performance will improve in a manner similar to the evolution of semiconductors and similar technologies. They also contend that large segments of fossil fuel demand will disappear as the expected … Continued

Week of April 14, 2025 Last week, we noted that “the markets have misinterpreted the Trump tariffs as final.” On Wednesday, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on the implementation of tariffs to allow time for bilateral negotiations with countries willing to reduce trade barriers. At the same time, both the House and Senate advanced … Continued

It is completely clear that the wildfires in California have created a massive financial loss that will require billions of dollars to mitigate.  It is equally clear that no one wants to fund what is needed.  While many properties are at least partially insured, the amount of damage to the area’s infrastructure is still being … Continued

Week of April 7, 2025 With the severe equity market sell off last week, we have changed our Domestic Equity Investments Signal from yellow to green. We think that the markets have misinterpreted the Trump tariffs as final. Instead of tariff wars, we’re likely to have a reconciliation and a general reduction in global tariff … Continued

On the most basic level, there are two steps to selling anything: You create a product and then you persuade people to buy it.  If you have a better product or a lower price, your strategy is straightforward.   More likely, you are seeking to differentiate your product from near-identical competitive products.  That’s where branding steps … Continued

Week of March 31, 2025 We have changed our US Economy Signal from green to yellow.  Business confidence – particularly manufacturing – and consumer sentiment, has declined amid uncertainty surrounding President Trump‘s planned imposition of tariffs. This could lead to a reduction in spending by businesses and consumers, in concert with reduced Federal expenditures, impacting … Continued

Week of March 24, 2025 A series of bilateral conflicts are coming into sharper focus, each carrying the potential for significant and far-reaching consequences upon their resolution.  They can be summed up as:  Trump versus (pick the adversary) on a host of cases that the Supreme Court will rule upon; Democrats versus Republicans on federal … Continued

According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon had some harsh words regarding the proxy voting duopoly of Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services.  These two organizations, with an estimated 90% market share, provide recommendations to asset managers on how to vote their shares on proxy ballots.  Mr. Dimon’s … Continued

Week of March 17, 2025 Equity market indexes have approached, or broached, correction territory.  After back-to-back years of double-digit gains, this is not unusual.  Pundits are forced to attribute equity market weakness to some concurrent force, but the reality is that market psychology shifts often and the reasons are seldom clear.  The long-term outlook, led … Continued

American businesses and consumers have demonstrated an ability to adjust to changes in administrations and policies.  However, in order to do that, some clarity is important.  Obviously, it is difficult, if not impossible, to formulate strategies in a universe of rapidly moving targets. Understanding what the rules are is essential for investors when making decisions … Continued