Richard Breslow, writing for Bloomberg, tells readers that asset bubbles no longer work as a cure for growth. In fact, it's time for central bankers to admit that what they're doing isn't working. He writes: If there was one message that resonated from the IMF meetings, it was that what we are doing isn’t working. Acknowledging that fact is every bit as important as the forecasts of dour prospects for global growth and the risks of excess leverage. You have to start somewhere. Or maybe we should think of it as, you have to stop at some point. It’s an understandable human tendency for … [Read more...]
The Fall of the Facebook Brand?
Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg have been enduring heightened scrutiny ever since the Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed the social media network's failures to protect user privacy. Since then, a cascade of bad news has hit the company, and according to a new ranking by Interbrand, that may be affecting its brand value. The Wall Street Journal's Nat Ives writes: Facebook fell out of the top 10 in Interbrand’s annual Best Global Brands report, dropping to 14th place from ninth as the estimated value of its brand declined 12% to $39.9 billion. Interbrand, part of Omnicom … [Read more...]
The Worst Chinese Economy in 30 Years
Economic growth has slowed down in China, with the country record only a 6% increase in GDP last quarter. That would be magnificent growth in a developed nation, but for China, that's the slowest growth in 30 years. The FT reports: China’s economy grew at 6 per cent in the third quarter of 2019 compared with a year earlier, its slowest pace in about 30 years, delivering another blow to global growth and underlining many of the challenges facing President Xi Jinping. The country’s trade war with the US, slowing income growth and cooling manufacturing investment took a toll on the world’s … [Read more...]
Can Boris’ Brexit Deal Pass?
With the announcement of a Brexit deal agreed to between Boris Johnson and the EU, the only question left is, can the deal make it through the House of Commons? Johnson's coalition partner, the Democratic Unionist Party, has said it will not back the deal, which means it will have a very hard time passing the House. James Blitz reports in the FT: James Forsyth in The Spectator has a good assessment of where the problem lies. He says Mark Spencer, the Conservative chief whip, calculated last night that if the DUP backs Mr Johnson, the government will win on Saturday with a majority of just … [Read more...]
Are Low Interest Rates Amplifying Market Shocks?
New research from the IMF suggests that forcing investors to search for yield in riskier assets by targeting extremely low-interest rates is amplifying shocks in markets. Chris Giles reports for the Financial Times: Persistently low interest rates are encouraging investors to take dangerous risks in a quest to maintain their financial returns, the IMF said on Wednesday, raising concerns that even the current lacklustre performance of the global economy may not be sustainable. Policymakers should urgently seek to extend banking regulations introduced after the financial crisis to other … [Read more...]
Are Investors Ready to Demand Higher Yields?
Worries about the future returns in bonds have heightened the possibility investors will begin demanding higher yields. Daniel Kruger reports at The Wall Street Journal: Recession worries and interest-rate cuts from the Fed have boosted bonds of all kinds this year. But worries that the gains can’t go on forever have led some investors to unusual corners of the market. Mr. Doty said he has added taxable bonds sold by states and local governments, which offer more attractive yields and stronger credit quality than most company debt or the tax-exempt bonds typically sold by … [Read more...]
Understanding Dividend Dates
If you are new to dividend investing, divided dates may still be a bit of a puzzle to you. There are many different dividend dates to remember including the declaration date, the ex-dividend date, the date of record, and the payment date. What are they? We’ll explain all of the important dividend dates and what they mean for you. What is the Dividend Declaration Date? The calendar of dividend dates is actually made up of a number of different events, and the first is the declaration date, which happens weeks or months before the dividend itself is actually paid. On the declaration date, … [Read more...]
Do Wealthy Americans Pay Their Fair Share in Taxes?
The 1% of Americans with the highest incomes pay an average federal tax rate of 33%. Meanwhile, the bottom 20% of households pay an average of 2%. In fact, once transfer payments are factored in, the bottom 20% of households pay -70% in taxes, earning $49 for ever $1 they pay in federal taxation. Bloomberg's Michael R. Strain reports: Contrary to the narrative that seems to be forming on the political left, the U.S. federal tax code is very progressive. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the lowest-income 20% of households have an average federal tax rate of about 2%. … [Read more...]
Are Central Banks about to Burn the Dollar?
For decades the gold standard reserve currency of the world has been the American dollar, but now as Eva Szalay and Colby Smith report for the Financial Times, that preeminent role may be at risk. They write: The US dollar has long towered over global markets and finance. But cracks are starting to appear in the edifice. The greenback’s pre-eminent role in official funds and international trade is formidable and unlikely to fade quickly. But the latest data from the IMF on central banks’ reserves show a subtle shift away from the dollar that analysts say could signal a rethink on the … [Read more...]
Can China Avoid Isolation, Decline and Revolt?
Bret Stephens, writing at The New York Times, isn't sure that China can avoid "full-blown nightmare of international isolation, economic decline, and domestic revolt." With the Chinese economy's growth slowing down to levels not seen in nearly 30 years, and capital fleeing the country, Stephens wonders if China has hit a "middle-income trap." He writes: It turns out to be a trap few countries escape: Of 101 countries defined as “middle income” in 1960, only 13 rose to high-income by 2008, according to a World Bank report. And some of these countries, like Greece, are prone to slip … [Read more...]
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