The University of Michigan recently reported its consumer sentiment survey numbers.  They were the second highest level since 2007, only below the January 2015 level.  This survey asks people questions about their current financial situation and how they feel it will change over the next twelve months, along with questions about their feelings on the … Continued

Over the last several years U. S. new vehicle sales have been gradually improving and, according to Reuters, November 2014 sales reached an annualized rate of 17.2 million, the best November since 2003.  This is in spite of a generally lackluster economy and concerns regarding consumer spending.  Not only was unit volume strong, but average … Continued

The day after Thanksgiving is referred to affectionately as “Black Friday.”  This term is used by the retail industry to indicate when companies in the sector become profitable (an old accounting practice was to show losses in red and profits in black on the ledgers).  Imagine that – it takes almost until the end of … Continued

In economics, present value is a future amount of money that has been discounted to reflect its current value.  In short, money now is worth more than money in the future. To put the issue in a context that should be familiar to most of us; if you put your house on the market, you … Continued

It is probably fair to say that the “rule of law” is one of the key pillars of our government and financial system.  Wikipedia defines the rule of law as “the legal principle that the law should govern a nation, as opposed to arbitrary decisions by individual government officials”. As investment advisors, we are well … Continued

I was having breakfast with a companion this past Saturday, when he asked me, “Would you invest right now if you had cash?”  I chuckled and directed him to the blog my colleague wrote earlier in the week covering just that subject (https://sigmainvestments.com/invest-now-or-wait-for-a-correction/) with an answer in the affirmative. He then asked, “Where do you … Continued

Bitcoin. All comments and questions are welcomed. Bob Bilkie, CFA

Yes and Yes. But I think most observers would agree that a Rolex is much more than a time piece. For some it may be a fashion statement, a status symbol, a store of value, or something else. At a time when wearing a watch seems to be giving way to personal time keeping by … Continued

The media has been making much of the stock market recently hitting “new highs” and then doing so again and again. What does not make the headlines is whether the increase from the prior high is one point, or one hundred points, but only that it is a “new high”. Sometimes, this can be misleading … Continued

Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted of corruption yesterday. There was widespread speculation that a jury of his peers might acquit in spite of compelling evidence to the contrary. This would have been a blow to the rule of law and the fortunes of cities with a culture of corruption that were/are attempting recovery. … Continued

All comments and suggestions are welcome. Walter J. Kirchberger, CFA

Phil Mickelson, one of the world’s leading golfers, reportedly sent shock waves at last weekend’s golf tournament when he said “there are going to be some serious changes for me because I happen to be in that zone that has been targeted both federally and by the state. And, you know, it doesn’t work for … Continued