It appears that, after reviewing the latest comments from the Fed, the majority of prognosticators continue to believe that the Fed is likely to modestly increase interest rates at the September meeting. Apparently these expectations come despite some real questions as to whether economic conditions actually warrant higher interest rates. Consider: Inflation appears to be running … Continued
From the August 26, 2015 Wall Street Journal article titled “Trading Tumult Exposes Flaws In Modern Markets.” “Lansing, Mich. based financial adviser Theodore Feight had set up an automatic sale for iShares Core U.S. Value ETF MMIUSVMM if it were to fall a certain amount. The ETF tumbled 34% in early trading, and instead of … Continued
The recent market volatility can be scary for any investor. After six years of positive returns, investors had finally started to feel good about investing again. This recent correction can be a small reminder of what most of us lived through in 2007-2009. We believe this is a correction in a long term bull market. … Continued
It is becoming apparent that the administration’s proposed nuclear deal with Iran is likely to go forward. While there is considerable uncertainty and reluctance in Congress, at the end of the day, there do not appear to be enough votes to halt the process. For investors, the key issue is uncertainty. Not uncertainty as to … Continued
The question of bundled or unbundled products or services is becoming an increasingly important issue across a wide range of industries. Bundling is buying a total package that includes a fairly substantial menu of services, compared to unbundled, in which you buy just the specific product or service that interests you. In the world of … Continued
After an unexpected report of a year over year drop in Chinese exports of -8.5%, the Chinese government, literally overnight, devalued its currency, by just under 2%. Translation: The Chinese government reduced the value of its currency, which makes the price of the goods it produces cheaper/more attractive to foreign buyers. For example, a Chinese product that … Continued
The title of this blog is a quote from a January 17, 1924 speech by then President, Calvin Coolidge. According to Wikipedia, the ultimate assessment of his presidency is still divided between those who approved of his reduction in the size of government programs and those who believe the federal government should be more involved … Continued
Short-termism refers to an excessive focus on short-term results at the expense of the long term. Numerous politicians, on both sides of the aisle, and most recently Hillary Clinton, have sought to blame the weak economic recovery over the last several years, on the perception that corporate America is consumed with an effort to maximize … Continued
During the 1992 presidential elections, a wealthy individual ran a substantially self-funded presidential campaign as an independent, in competition with the established parties’ candidates, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The impact of Ross Perot’s run on the eventual outcome remains a subject for debate, with no clear consensus as to which of the … Continued
According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, researchers at University College London have, using new satellite data, concluded that the total volume of sea ice in the Northern Hemisphere was well above the average in the autumn of 2013, after an unusually cool summer. This is an interesting and potentially important finding. … Continued
According to Wikipedia, predatory pricing is a pricing strategy where a product or service is set at a very low price, intending to drive competitors out of the market, or create barriers to entry for potential new competitors. The objective of this strategy is to eliminate enough competitors to allow monopoly pricing in the future. … Continued
This declaration was part of a justification on the part of Greece’s Education Minister, Aristides Baltas, for his plan to return control of Greek universities to students. This may work for Greek higher education, or not, but investors would be well advised to continue to carefully consider management when committing funds. The importance of management … Continued
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