Many countries are moving toward more renewable sources of energy. According to BP, in one of their more optimistic scenarios, renewable energy could supply almost half of the world’s energy by 2050. That is still a long way away, but long-term investors should start thinking about the potential winners and losers now. The losers in a shift to renewables are likely to be fossil fuels. What defines a loser? We are defining it here as a fuel that will lose market share. The biggest loser among fossil fuels is likely to be coal. Oil is also likely to see a significant loss of market … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2021
Richard Young Reports: The Great Money Explosion and Disasters
You and I know disasters happen. Just because they haven’t happened yet doesn’t mean they won’t. But disasters aren’t accidents. People do dangerous stuff—beginning with getting out of bed. It’s the start of your chaotic day. The world is filled with Chaos. As my father-in-law Dick Young reminds me from time to time, “There’s no such thing as accidents.” I try to explain that to my teenaged kids, though they insist “accidents” happen all the time. When it comes to your money, think about it like you’re hiking with a heavy backpack (I hope!) where you have decisions to make about which … [Read more...]
Fidelity’s 26 Million Retail Accounts in 2020, Up 17%
Yours truly can attest to Fidelity’s banner year, as business is booming in my neck of the woods. Never before have I opened more accounts for existing and new customers. Who would have thought this would EVER happen in a pandemic year? I certainly did NOT. But as I’ve written to you before, when it comes to investing, you don’t want to be in the PREDICTION business. It never hurts to have a front-row seat, though. “Fidelity’s Retail Investor Accounts Rise 17% to 26 million” reports the WSJ here: Fidelity Investments capped 2020 with record annual operating profit, lifted by strong … [Read more...]
You’re Rich When You Invest Like Croesus
One of my favorite investment themes is about investing like you don’t need the money. Because THE MARKET doesn’t care about your NEEDS. Time and time again it’s the investor who doesn’t need the market who ends up being as RICH AS CROESUS. I want you to think about your investments as lifetime positions that you don’t need to maintain solvency. Learn, like I do, from the rich and you’ll discover what TRUE investment success feels like. Konrad Putzier discusses Charles Koch and his company's real estate business, writing in The Wall Street Journal: Koch Industries Inc. is emerging as a … [Read more...]
Joel Kotkin: Economic Civil War
On his blog, Joel Kotkin explains that America is in a form of economic civil war, with the tangible economy of "making, growing, and using real things," in competition with the "incorporeal world of media and digital transactions." Donald Trump, the irascible New York developer, focused on the places where the tangible economy was strong, but President Biden convinced enough voters in heartland states that their economic interests would be taken seriously. Some parts of the Biden agenda—measures to reshore industry, restore supply chains, and improve basic infrastructure—could unify the … [Read more...]
Depositors in Europe Now Being Charged by Banks
In The Wall Street Journal, Patricia Kowsmann reports that depositors being charged by banks for their business are getting fed up. She writes: Interest rates have been negative in Europe for years. But it took the flood of savings unleashed in the pandemic for banks finally to charge depositors in earnest. Germany’s biggest lenders, Deutsche Bank AG DB -0.04% and Commerzbank AG CRZBY 0.05% , have told new customers since last year to pay a 0.5% annual rate to keep large sums of money with them. The banks say they can no longer absorb the negative interest rates the European Central Bank … [Read more...]
Teaching A Family Investment: Warren Buffett’s Annual Letter and You
It’s nice to have some traditions you can count on. One of those is Warren Buffett’s annual letter to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway, released over the weekend. With all the chaos in the world, it’s nice to have stability when you can find it. I read the report Sunday morning before Becky and I met my parents for lunch at a favorite spot in Tiverton, RI. My Mom and I ordered the fresh cod with littlenecks and linguica. My Dad commented that he had the same dish Friday with his friend at another restaurant in New Bedford. If you’ve ever read the history of how Berkshire Hathaway got … [Read more...]
This Is When Things Get Interesting in Currency and Bond Markets
Today, the Australian Central Bank doubled the size of its daily bond purchases to hold down the rise in long-term Australian interest rates. The market says Australian rates are too low and need to rise. The central bank disagrees, but if the market ends up having the correct view of the exchange rate, look for the Australian dollar to start depreciating. The FT has more on Australia’s decision: Australia’s central bank doubled the size of its regular bond purchases on Monday in a move that analysts say will have broad implications as policymakers consider their response to a global jump in … [Read more...]
JNJ’s “One Shot, Shot”
The FDA has approved the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, which unlike its competitors from Pfizer and Moderna can be stored at room temperature and needs only one dose. The WSJ reports: The first single-dose Covid-19 vaccine, a shot from Johnson & Johnson, JNJ +1.55% was authorized for use, a big boost for a mass-vaccination campaign rushing to end the deadliest pandemic in more than a century. The vaccine’s authorization on Saturday, the third issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will give health authorities a desperately needed new source of doses as they … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5