Rising energy prices have been the first signs of another potential blow to the US economy due to a military confrontation in Syria (see post) – something the US can hardly afford at this stage. Strangely, after numerous shocks the economy has experienced in the last few years, there has been little dialogue about how well the US may be able to absor…
Markets hate uncertainty, and last week delivered a super-sized portion! Do not expect much clarity in the week ahead. Last week I predicted that fear might beget more fear. Starting with Secretary of State Kerry’s Monday press conference the markets…
By Eric Parnell:
The winds of change are about to blow upon investment markets. And while persistent complacency will likely cause many investors to build walls in trying to resist this change, those that are currently adjusting their sails stand to benefit most from the coming transformation…
By Kevin Quon:
Investors are always on the prowl for the next big company capable of providing significant returns in a limited amount of time. Yet in this short-sighted perspective of the market, this popular mindset often boils down to a dependency on shifting market sentime…
If investors are careful, selective, and do their European company research, there is a lot of money to be made.
By David Fish:
The Dividend Champions spreadsheet and PDF have been updated through 8/30/13 and are available here. Note that all references to Champions mean companies that have paid higher dividends for a…
From a reader: Was reading a history of AIG and it was discussing the early years. There was a line to the tune of ‘anything Hank reinsured paid off’. You’ve written many times usually in the context of LTC, that insurers should not insure anything where the customers have a better idea of future claims […]
Presented with no comment…
(via @NewsNinja2012)
whether or not this is a real member of the armed forces is unknown but we suspct it sums up many of their perspectives as obama presses congress.
Here’s how the different S&P 500 sectors have performed since the market bottom on March 9, 2009 (dividends included): Sector Gain Discretionary 289.72% Financials 235.87% […]
Authored by Jim VandeHei, originally posted at Politico,
The Ironic War Plan
Imagine Dick Cheney in a “Saturday Night Live” skit fantasizing about Barack Obama handling the pressures of going to war.
Cheney’s sitting there, yucking it up with Rummy and the boys, eating yellow cake. He laughs off his own reckless rush to an unwinnable war fought…
Politicians and economic illiterates frequently assume two wrongs make a right. Here is a case in point: Japan panel backs sales tax hike coupled with stimulus.
Japan’s government won backing for a controversial decision to raise the national sales tax in 2014 after influential members of a special advisory panel said the step would not threaten ec…
September is likely to be dominated by a number of key event risks, in addition to ongoing uncertainty around the US growth outlook, the Fed’s reaction function and heightened EM volatility. We highlight the major events and likely market implications.
Via BofAML,Fasten Your Seatbelts
1. Potential US strike on Syria
US officials are reportedly …
Submitted by Charles Hugh-Smith of OfTwoMinds blog,
We are in a long-term trend where additional debt undermines the system as the positive returns on that debt turn negative.
Want to know why things are falling apart? Just look at our soaring systemic debt and the diminishing returns on that debt. Our Chartist Friend from Pittsburgh…
ATT:SA EDITORS If possible, please include this article in your SUNDAY, SEPT. 1 “dividends & Income – Dividend Ideas” e-mail alert. Many thanks!
Today one of the top economists in the world boldly predicted that investors are now going to see chaos and panic take hold in global markets. He also gave investors specific recommendations regarding exactly how they can safely navigate the coming panic in global markets with their own portfolios. Michael Pento, founder of Pento Portfolio Strategi…
From Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese comes The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
See also:
15 Scenes We Can’t Wait To See (BI)
The Wolf of Wall Street Official Movie Site.
On its surface “Abenomics”, which is focused on pulling Japan out of its prolonged deflationary environment, seems to be working. The CPI spiked to the highest level since 2009.Source: Statistics BureauBut there are two key problems with the way this policy is progressing thus far.1. Price increases have been driven by weaker yen rather than pricing …
Glenn Frey offered up a pretty good recipe for investment success in this description of what’s behind Jackson Browne‘s brilliance in Showtime’s excellent documentary on the Eagles. Elbow grease. Time. Thought. Persistence. Rinse. Repeat.
After bringing the world to the edge of WWIII and nearly launching the ironically named Patriot cruise missile, then dramatically punting in the very last second the decision to invade Syria to Congress, something he should have done from the every beginning, Obama went on to do what he does best.
Politico explains:
Right after shipping respons…
Via Stratfor,
U.S. President Barack Obama is evidently not getting the multinational coalition his administration was expecting to share the burden of a limited strike operation against Syria. The British parliament has voted against a military intervention, and NATO has said it would not participate in a U.S.-led mission. The United States can eith…
Diversified Asset Allocation Portfolios For Your Plans
| Vanguard ETF: | 10%* |  |
| Diversified Core: | 11%* | |
| Six Core Asset ETFs: | 10%* | |
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