Xcel Energy is preparing the largest multi-state investment in wind capacity in America. The plan is for eleven wind farms across seven states, with a generating capacity of 3,380MW. Ivan Shumkov writes of the plan at Renewables Now: The plan, to be implemented through 2021, includes a mix of owned wind parks and power purchase agreements (PPAs). “With wind energy at historic low prices, we can secure savings that will benefit customers now and for decades to come,” said Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy. Xcel has submitted proposals for the 522-MW Sagamore Wind … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2017
Parents Listen Up: You Gotta Make Work Cool Again
I’m optimistic this morning. Lucky you. One reason why, is that my Cato friend Tucker Carlson is replacing embattled, former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. If anyone is up to the task to fill this important time slot, it’s Tucker Carlson. He can bridge the gap between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials. He has a great feel for the pulse of America. The other reason for my optimism is because of guys like Mike Rowe, a recent guest of Carlson’s, who is doing the heavy lifting on issues that need to be addressed-like jobs. If you are a young parent like me, you can relate to my concern … [Read more...]
This is a Disturbing Trend for Mutual Funds
Exchange traded funds are a booming business today. Brokers, advisors, and everybody’s mother has been moving assets from actively managed funds into ETFs, but now even actively managed mutual funds are buying ETFs. I guess since many investors now recognize that actively managed funds are nothing more than high-fee closet index funds, the “portfolio managers” of these funds feel they can just openly buy index based ETFs. Marketwatch reports that in 2016 1,222 mutual funds held an ETF as a component in their portfolio. The median size of the ETF holdings were 4.5% of the portfolio. In … [Read more...]
Buy American, Hire American
Small-business is the heartbeat of the American economy. President Trump visited Snap-on Inc. yesterday in Kenosha, WI to sign his “Buy American, Hire American” executive order. "The 'Buy and Hire American' order I'm about to sign will help protect workers and students like those of you in the audience today," the president said in a speech. "This historic action declares that the policy of our government is to aggressively promote and use American-made goods." Trump said his order aims to reevaluate U.S. trade deals with foreign governments and enforce 'Hire American' rules -- saying too … [Read more...]
A Smart Road Revolution Could Make Driving Faster and Safer
States are testing new technologies to make their roads safer and more efficient. Some of the technologies can talk with "smart" vehicles, and some target the drivers directly with communications about the weather or accidents. The changes are happening fast, and you might see them in your neighborhood soon. Paul Page writes at The Wall Street Journal: “This transition is happening a lot quicker than we anticipated,” says Ronique Day, a government transportation analyst in Virginia, one of several states studying ways for roads and cars to communicate. State transit authorities say they … [Read more...]
Why the Border Tax Needs to Die Now
The centerpiece of the House Republican tax reform plan is a border-adjustment tax (BAT) that would tax all imports and exempt all exports. The revenue generated from this new tax would be used to fund a reduction in the corporate income tax. Supporters of the BAT tax contend that it levels the playing since many countries already exempt their own exports and tax import via the value-added tax, but Dan Mitchell and Veronique de Rugy dispel that myth in a recent Wall Street Journal piece. The plan calls for dropping the top corporate tax rate to 20% from 35%, while exempting exports and … [Read more...]
Transports Look to Sympathetic Trump Admin to Fight Costly Obama-era Regs
Typically railroad operators and trucking companies fight tooth and nail over who can best move freight. But the two rival industries have come together in a battle to push back costly Obama-era regulations which make it hard to do business. In January Paul Page wrote for The Wall Street Journal: The trucking and rail industries, often at odds in Washington, are teaming up to press the incoming Trump administration to limit the ability of transportation regulators to write new rules. Leaders of the industry trade groups say they are trying to unite transport representatives in Washington, … [Read more...]
A Basket-Case of Stocks
Only a handful of stocks, the 10 largest, are responsible for 53% of the S&P 500’s 4.7% advance this year according to Fundstrat Global Advisors. You know the names. But these three stand out the most as The WSJ’s Chris Dieterich writes, "Technology-oriented companies dominate the list: Apple AAPL 0.55% Inc., the world’s largest company by market capitalization, is up more than 22% this year through Monday. Social-media company Facebook Inc. FB 1.46% has risen nearly 23% while e-commerce powerhouse Amazon.com Inc.AMZN 1.96% has climbed 20%.” It’s a perpetual-cycle. As money flows into … [Read more...]
Is Your 401(k) Eating Your Returns with Fees?
I've warned investors for years about the fees hiding in their 401(k) plans. Often employees don't have much say over how their 401(k) savings are invested. Some of the investments in their plans could be loaded with fees that eat away at their returns. A study reported on by Andrew Osterland at CNBC shows that most retirees don't even know what's lurking in their plans. He writes: Are you paying 12b-1 fees in your 401(k) plan? Are you charged front- or back-end loads on the funds you pick for the account? What's the size of the sub-transfer agency fee paid to the third-party service provider … [Read more...]
Are Emerging Market Stocks Headed for a Fall?
After a flood of inflows that have driven up valuations, some investors are concerned that emerging market stocks have gotten ahead of themselves. Yield-seeking investors have poured money into emerging market stocks keeping share prices elevated in the face of geopolitical tensions. Should inflows and sentiment reverse, some investors are worried emerging market stocks could be headed for a fall. Saumya Vaishampayan and Ira Iosebashvili report: With European elections looming and tensions spiking between the U.S. and North Korea, “there is elevated political risk on too many different … [Read more...]
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