Paul Ziobro reports on FedEx's strong quarterly performance in The Wall Street Journal, writing: Christmas came in July for FedEx Corp. FDX 0.14% The delivery company posted the highest quarterly revenue in its history as the coronavirus pandemic spurred residential-shipment levels normally seen during the holiday season. FedEx shipped 31% more packages a day through its Ground network during the summer months. The extra cargo boosted profit more than 60% for the three months ended Aug. 31. More consumers are buying products such as laptops and toilet paper online because of temporary … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2020
Who Wants to Live the Island Life? You Do: Part II
You read yesterday about how to live an "island life," whether that be on an actual island, or by simply protecting yourself from the dangers around you. One of the best parts of living on an actual island is access to the beach. But many islands with top beaches come along with a high cost of living. Thrillist has put together a list of the "World's Most Beautiful Beach Cities Where You Can Live for Dirt Cheap." There are some nearby places like Las Terrenas in the Dominican Republic, and some further afield like Canggu, Bali. The author writes: More than a few Americans fantasize … [Read more...]
Who Wants to Live the Island Life? You Do
Imagine sitting under a palm tree, toes in the sand, gazing across a turquoise sea with not a care in the world. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel like this most days of the week rather than only on vacation, especially in times like these? Now, I know it’s not exactly practical, even if you have a tropical island as the backdrop of your Zoom calls. But you’d be surprised at how much island life is right in front of your eyes. For example, when it comes to investing, my favored Prudent Man certainly stands alone as an island far away from your everyday stock traders: For years my father-in-law … [Read more...]
The Casino Market
Stock options volume now exceeds the volume of underlying shares. Speculation is rampant in the stock market. “Investing” in stocks is being treated more like a roll of the dice than it is a long-term strategy for building wealth. Gregory Zuckerman and Gunjan Banerji report for The Wall Street Journal: The two strategies show no signs of fading despite big declines in the past week. Taken together, they will likely continue boosting volatility in markets already grappling with an uncertain economy, the coronavirus pandemic and a presidential election that may not have a conclusive result … [Read more...]
You Don’t Get To
You don’t get to choose a lot of things in life. In times like these, we're always thinking of loved ones. We look at the world today and wonder what it will be like for them when we’re gone. How will our children survive, when being a productive citizen is frowned upon? Believe me, your instinctual focus on your family is always correct—because they need your guidance. You just need to give it. Your children will always be your children. In my conversations with you, you’re telling me how worried you are about their futures. In many cases, you’re telling me how successful they are in … [Read more...]
COVID-19 Retail Survivors Could Benefit from Less Competition
COVID-19 shutdowns have strangled many retailers to death. The industry was already having trouble before 2020 hit, but those retailers who survive may end up in a favorable position. Teresa Rivas reports for Barron's: More than two dozen retailers have gone bankrupt this year, as the Covid-19 pandemic has ripped through the industry. Yet that could be good for the survivors, says Yardeni Research. Even after the large number of bankruptcies in recent years, Barron’s has argued that the U.S. still has too many stores. Ed Yardeni writes that perhaps with this most recent wave of … [Read more...]
The Task of Investing for Your Retirement Security
Let’s run some numbers, shall we? If you’re making twenty-five grand working part-time, how much will you need to invest to match it with a three-percent draw rate? The answer is just over eight hundred thousand dollars. Puts some perspective on how much your time is worth doesn’t it? The more you want to draw, the more you'll need to save. My number one piece of advice for anyone considering retirement is simply this: don’t. You have incredible worth in times like these with interest rates nailed to the floor and assets inflated. The task of investing for retirement … [Read more...]
Competition is Heating up for Electric Vehicles
Tesla is getting a new competitor. Barron's Al Root reports on the new EV offering by Lucid Motors, the Lucid Air. The Air is build to compete with Tesla's Model S sedan and claims some pretty impressive specifications. Root writes: The new EV is a luxury sedan like the Tesla (ticker: TSLA) Model S. It’s the Lucid Air from Lucid Motors, a privately held EV maker. The Air made its debut in Silicon Valley Wednesday evening. “Lucid Motors is driven to make the electric car better, and by doing so, help move the entire industry forward, toward accelerated adoption of sustainable mobility,” … [Read more...]
Manhattan Apartment Vacancies Reach Record High
Bloomberg's Oshrat Carmiel reports: Manhattan apartments are piling up on the market -- and it’s getting harder to fill them. Rental listings jumped to a record 15,025 at the end of August, more then double the inventory from a year earlier, according to a report Thursday by appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and brokerage Douglas Elliman Real Estate. The borough’s vacancy rate reached a new high of 5.1%. Last August, it was under 2%. Renters are finding few reasons to sign new leases in Manhattan, with Midtown offices still largely empty and public school reopenings an unresolved question. … [Read more...]
The “Dumbest Thing” He Ever Did Cost him $1.5 Million
At The Wall Street Journal, Michael Wursthorn and Geoffrey Rogow tell the story of Swedish investor, Kristjan Kullamägi, who found out the hard way that shorting stock can be a dangerous endeavor. They write: “Lately, shorting has been a little more stressful,” said Kristjan Kullamägi, a 32-year-old trader who lives in Stockholm. “Some of these tech stocks have doubled and tripled.” Mr. Kullamägi, who has been trading full time for himself for nearly a decade, was keeping an eye on smaller, more-volatile stocks for a potential opening to short. He found one in late July in shares … [Read more...]