The news changes so quickly that anything written seems to be almost obsolete before the send button can be pushed. However, the 50,000 foot view remains relevant. As my colleague Bob Bilkie wrote in a portion of yesterday’s Sigma blog: it’s at times like these that we have to remain clearheaded and look beyond the … Continued
This sounds like a cliché, but it’s at times like these that we have to remain clearheaded and look beyond the current financial despair. The economy will recover from the short term, coronavirus-inspired weakness and advance to renewed prosperity. So too will the financial markets. At Sigma, we have seen and lived through many periods … Continued
Over the weekend, two major oil producing nations, Saudi Arabia and Russia, lost any semblance of diplomacy on discussions related to oil supply. With no finesse, the Saudi’s announced production increases and this led to a monumental drop in oil prices and the sheer magnitude and timing shocked financial markets. In the long run, market-based, … Continued
This is a quotation attributed to Winston Churchill. It may well have some relevance today. Taken at face value, the quotation has considerable merit. But left unsaid, is the importance of information. Investors should be careful to not overreact to scary events and while courage can be a valuable attribute, informed courage is more likely … Continued
The stock market is going to react directly and proportionally to real time corona virus news. SARS and MERS were the precedents and warmer weather muted the virility of those viruses. Hence, it could be a few more weeks of volatility. All comments and or suggestions are welcome. Robert M. Bilkie, CFA
Wikipedia describes the subscription business model as one in which a customer must pay a recurring amount at regular intervals for access to a product or service. This model was pioneered by the publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century, and is now used by many businesses, charities and websites. Investors seem to … Continued
Everyone is talking coronavirus, but I do not think you can discount the effect of the “Bernie Bug.” Those two issues collided this weekend and left traders unnerved. I think in the short term, the volatility will take its course with some follow through and the direction will be tied to the latest news reports … Continued
Return on investment (ROI) is a profitability measure that calculates the profit on an investment as a percentage of the original cost. In other words, it measures how much money was made on an investment as a percentage of the purchase price. ROI allows investors to determine the efficiency of each dollar invested in a … Continued
According to Wikipedia, in sociology, socialization is the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of society. Socialization encompasses both learning and teaching and is thus the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained. Socialization essentially represents the whole process of learning throughout the life course and is a central influence on the … Continued
We have been discussing the movement away from cash and towards credit-only transactions through a series of blogs. Recently, the New York Post reported that Amazon is working on a payment system that will eliminate the need to hand over cash or a credit card. You’ll just have to hand over your hand. Amazon is … Continued
“Tommy” is the title of an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling, written from the point of view of a soldier, and contrasts the treatment they receive from the general public during peace and during war. Tommy is generic slang for a common British soldier and is roughly equivalent to the U.S.’s G.I. or G.I. Joe. … Continued
No, this is not about politics, although the original phrase was coined by James Carville in 1992 in connection with President Clinton’s successful 1992 presidential campaign. According to Wikipedia, the original phrase was, “The economy, stupid”, but is often mistakenly rendered as, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Obviously, the state of the economy and the outlook … Continued
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