The competition in electric cars is heating up. Tesla is the leader in luxury, and its CEO Elon Musk is making a play for the mass market with the company's forthcoming Model 3, but Chevy, Nissan, Fiat, Mercedes, and Ford are already in that space. Volvo recently announced it is also moving into that space with an all-electric car planned for 2019 with a projected price tag of $35,000 to $40,000. In the near future, electric cars will no longer be the sole domain of the luxury-car owner. According to Automotive News, Volvo Cars’ North America CEO, Lex Kerssemakers, told reporters at the … [Read more...]
This is What Happens When You Combine the Intelligence of Einstein and Watson
IBM and Salesforce.com are combining their artificial intelligence platforms to boost sales of their data-analytics offerings, reports Jay Greene in The Wall Street Journal. IBM says its Watson program is cognitive tech that can "think like a human." Meanwhile Salesforce calls its Einstein "AI for everyone," and promises it's like "having your own data scientist to guide you through your day." Greene says of the hookup between the two: The agreement is IBM’s latest move to put Watson in front of a broad business audience. The company has tailored its artificial-intelligence system, a linchpin … [Read more...]
What Happens When This Bull Market Ends?
The bull market in stocks turned 8 years old last week. This is the second longest bull market in stock market history. The longest was the bull market in the S&P 500 that ended in March of 2000 at the height of the dotcom blow-off. We all know what happened when that bull market ended. It doesn’t offer much encouragement for what’s to come when this bull market ends. Nor is it encouraging that since the March 2009 lows, the S&P 500 has increased by nearly 250%, but earnings have only doubled. The other 150% gain in prices is purely a function of investors’ willingness to pay an … [Read more...]
Sunny Naples, FL America’s Top Community for Well-Being
Gallup reports that sunny Naples, Florida has the highest well-being of 189 communities in America. If you are considering a move, maybe Naples, FL should be on your short list. Our sister company, Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd, a registered investment advisor has offices at 5150 Tamiami Trail. Below are the best and worst communities for well-being along with Gallup’s methodology. Highest 10 Communities in Overall Well-Being, 2015-2016 Out of 189 reportable Metropolitan Statistical Areas nationwide Lowest 10 Communities in Overall Well-Being, 2015-2016 Out of 189 reportable … [Read more...]
Mega Merger in the Oil Patch
London's Evening Standard newspaper is reporting that Exxon is looking at a takeover bid for British Petroleum. Exxon and BP are the first and seventh largest oil companies in the world as measured by market value. BP shares are up 3.5% on the news. Takeover chatter surrounding BP resurfaced on a quiet day for blue-chip stocks. The rumour is that US behemoth ExxonMobil, which has long been linked with a tilt for the British oil giant, has sounded out BP’s major shareholders to gauge their interest in a potential takeover. Exxon and BP have several top shareholders in common, including … [Read more...]
Income Investors are Going to Hate this Tax Plan
With resistance growing to the GOP’s border adjustment tax, The Wall Street Journal reports on a truly heinous plan B to fund a corporate tax cut. This half-baked plan comes courtesy of the American Enterprise Institute. The AEI plan would cut corporate taxes to 15% and pay for the reduction by taxing dividends and capital gains at ordinary income rates (that’s 39.6% pre-Obamacare taxes and over 43% post). Capital gains would be paid on a mark-to-market basis. If you bought a stock for $100 and it appreciated to $200 at the end of the year, but you held onto it, you would still owe $40 in … [Read more...]
You’ll be Shocked by this Statistic on Norway
On a per person basis, Norway is one of the world's leading oil producers. One might assume that with all of that oil, the Norwegian automobile fleet would be among the world's least fuel efficient, but the opposite is true. Norway is the world's most developed national market for electric cars. Last year, battery-powered cars and plug-in hybrids together accounted for 29% of all new car sales. Though the country's fleet is still only 5% electric, the government says it is realistic to expect an end to sales of new cars powered by fossil fuels within the decade. The Economist has more. TO … [Read more...]
This is why Trump just put Germany in his Crosshairs
During the Presidential campaign Trump promised to get tough on trade. Mexico was the focus of much of his rhetoric, but that isn't the only trading relationship the new administration is looking to renegotiate. The FT reports that the Trump administration wants to have a sit-down with Germany on the country's massive trade surplus. Germany's membership in the euro-area keeps its currency undervalued and provides it with a meaningful trading advantage. If the Germans brought back the Deutsche mark, most economists estimate it would appreciate significantly vis-à-vis the euro thereby … [Read more...]
Lithium-Ion Battery Pioneer Makes Major Improvements to Battery Technology
Fortune explains here the new battery that John Goodenough, one of the co-investors of the lithium-ion battery, recently introduced in the Journal of Energy & Environmental Science. Goodenough and his team say the battery charges faster, would never explode, and performs well at low temperatures. 94 year-old John Goodenough, one of the co-inventors of the lithium-ion battery that now powers everything from phones to Teslas, has developed a new solid-state battery formula that promises to hold three times more energy than li-on. Goodenough and his team also say the new battery, which … [Read more...]
Should I be Frightened or Happy about Driverless Trucking?
I don’t know if I should be frightened or enthusiastic about this news. The Wall Street Journal reports that driverless trucks may be on the horizon. With the trucking industry struggling to find drivers, regulations on labor squeezing profits, some artificial-intelligence experts see an opportunity to automate big rigs. I don’t know about you, but it is going to take some getting used to a massive big-rig hauling down the highway at 70 MPH without a driver. but should it happen, you are talking about a profound change. The opportunity not only for truckers, but for businesses would be … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 148
- 149
- 150
- 151
- 152
- …
- 218
- Next Page »