The "Sexy" Facts about Debt Markets

By: Chris Tell at http://capitalistexploits.at/
Like a bad case of hemorrhoids, debt is a topic too often left out of polite conversation. It’s a good thing then that you don’t come here for polite conversation. It is a topic previously written about in these pages and one which has the power to keep me awake at nights when I really ought to be …

China RQFII Expansion A Boon For A-Shares ETFs

By Tom Lydon:

A decision by Chinese regulators to expand its renminbi qualified foreign institutional investor (RQFII) that allows foreign investors access to stocks traded on China’s mainland ignited a rally in exchange traded funds holding A-shares equities last…

Is the U.S. Secretly Egging On Hong Kong Protesters?

The mass demonstrations in Hong Kong are dramatic, indeed. And given that Hong Kong has long enjoyed a more liberal existence under British rule, protests against a more authoritarian Chinese government (at least it used to be more authoritarian) are not entirely surprising.
But Chinese officials accuse the U.S. of egging on the protests.  As th…

Debt Hysteria

I have been reading the Geneva 16 report, which came out yesterday. It’s scary stuff. If you thought the world was reducing its debt pile – forget it:

Will Rising Rates Hurt REIT Performance?

The prevailing wisdom on real estate investment trusts (REITs) is that they’ll be doomed once interest rates start to rise. Because of the way REITs are structured for tax purposes they have to pay out at least 90% of their taxable income in the form of dividends.

Russia ETFs Flirt With Bear Market, Still Gaining Assets

By Tom Lydon:

Exchange traded funds tracking Russian equities are dangerously flirting with bear markets, but that is not preventing investors from putting new capital to work in the funds.

On Monday, Russia’s RTS Index, a dollar-denominated gauge of Russian…

IPO Preview: Vivint Solar

By IPOdesktop:

Based in Provo, Utah, Vivint Solar (Pending:VSLR) scheduled a $350 million IPO on NYSE with a market capitalization of $1.8 billion at a price range midpoint of…