The fourth quarter was strong for Walmart, with an apparent mix of economic growth and market share gains boosting the company to solid profit and sales numbers during the holidays. Sarah Nassauer writes in The Wall Street Journal: In the U.S., the company’s comparable sales, which exclude gas but include digital sales, rose 4.2% in the January-ended quarter, adding to a string of positive quarterly sales. Walmart got a boost from strong grocery sales, online orders, as well as holiday purchases including toys. Walmart had expected quarterly U.S. comparable sales to rise at least 3% from a … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2019
Happy Presidents Day!
Do You Have What it Takes to be a Great One?
My son’s high school hockey team won their game the other night 7-1. In what can often be a tense ride home (dad’s you know what I mean) I was more relaxed talking about his play. One of his comments was “If we beat them 7-1 what are the other teams winning by that beat us 7-1?” I’ve been thinking about that comment. Becky responded that both teams looked evenly matched at the beginning and then at one point it shifted one way. It’s hard to see that shift live and in person. It’s easier to see it after the game. Take baseball, for example. If you go to a Red Sox game and see … [Read more...]
What Are You Getting Paid?
It’s a seemingly simple question, what are you getting paid? Most people can recall their weekly or monthly employment income without hesitation, but do you know what your portfolio is paying you quarterly? If you aren’t focused on generating income from your investment portfolio, you may want to adjust your strategy. In April 2006 I discussed the importance of getting paid, now. I wrote: Pay Me Now When you invest in portfolio securities, your first question should be, what am I getting paid? I do not want you investing your serious money in securities that pay you neither interest nor … [Read more...]
After Long Declines, Branded Consumer Companies Comfortable Raising Prices
Low wage and economic growth has been holding back the ability of branded consumer products companies to raise prices for a long time. But economic gains in the last couple years have given big consumer companies the confidence to once again increase prices for their products. With wages growth and consumer confidence up, it is becoming easier for consumer companies to increase the prices paid for their premium products. Aisha Al-Muslim reports for The Wall Street Journal: Makers of household staples from diapers to toilet paper are set to raise prices again this year after already hiking … [Read more...]
Is Your State Winning or Losing the Tax Game?
There are winners and losers in the race for more federal tax dollars. Some states pay out large amounts of tax dollars but don't get much back. Others reap the rewards of federal largess. The New York State Comptroller's office has studied the phenomenon and laid out the facts. New York is a big loser when it comes to tax dollar allotment, ranked at 47th in net tax flows. Worse off though is nearby New Jersey, which ranks dead last in the ratio of dollars out to dollars in. If you live in New Mexico, your state is receiving the highest net tax dollar flow, with a positive per capita … [Read more...]
Can You Rely on Income Funds?
Managed payout funds are certainly better for retirees than annuities, but can you rely on them in retirement? Funds promising steady income for retirees are subject to the same market swings as other funds. If your expectation is that you'll always receive the same income stream, you should carefully reread the fund's prospectus. They aren't guaranteed. Barron's reports: Converting a pot of money into retirement income isn’t an easy task for many retirees—and it’s a tricky proposition even for fund firms. Take the Vanguard Managed Payout fund (ticker: VPGDX), one of the largest of a type … [Read more...]
New Zealand’s Trees Fill China’s Mills, While U.S. Lumber is Slumps
The performance of the forestry industry couldn't be much different in New Zealand and the United States. Lucy Craymer reports on the industry at The Wall Street Journal: The U.S. lumber industry is in a rut, but halfway across the world, wood is still a hot commodity. Forestry prices in New Zealand—one of the world’s largest timber exporters—are near record highs, thanks largely to strong Chinese demand for pine-tree logs. A-grade logs for export were recently selling for 140 New Zealand dollars (US$95) a metric ton, up around 14% from September, according to market data provider … [Read more...]
Your Retirement Life: What States Did Americans Flee in 2018? Where Did They Go?
Every year the United Van Lines moving study sheds some light on which states are watching citizens leave, and which are receiving them. Last year, like many years, saw Americans fleeing the high tax states of New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut, the top four states for outbound traffic. After leaving those high tax states, Americans are heading for places they can retire with low taxes, or get a job. The top five states for inbound traffic were Vermont, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona. The map below from United Van Lines details Americans' movements in 2018. I've … [Read more...]
Brazil’s Finance Minister Defends its ‘Vibrant Democracy’
After the election of Jair Bolsonaro, there was some skepticism about the new administration's ability to liberalize the economy. His finance minister Paulo Guedes is trying to change those perceptions. John Pual Rathbone and Andres Schipani report at the FT: The election victory in October of Mr Bolsonaro, a former army captain who admires US president Donald Trump and has frequently praised Brazil’s military dictatorship, was widely seen as part of the global shift to rightwing nationalism and a threat to Brazilian democracy. Mr Guedes insisted that was a mischaracterisation. “It is the … [Read more...]