Jennifer Smith reports at The Wall Street Journal that a recent drop in the prices for last minute shipping via tractor trailer could be a temporary phenomenon. With new regulations on their way to enforcement in April, and a charging economy, there could be upward pressure on trucking prices once again in the near future. She writes: Manufacturers and retailers are enjoying a breather from soaring trucking costs, but many shippers say lingering problems in booking big rigs point to more turmoil ahead. Rates on the spot market, where companies book last-minute transportation, have come … [Read more...]
Tax “Cuts” will Fuel the Florida Migration
Originally posted November 14, 2017. Want to get away? If you live in blue-states New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and while I’m at it California, you do now. As the so-called tax “cut” grinds its way through the sausage maker in Washington, why would you stick around any longer than you have to? Most of you aren’t sticking around for the weather. It’s more likely you’re here for your family. Last time I checked, raising a family is a big investment and where you live is a huge part of the equation. Which is why I have a problem with this tax “cut” … [Read more...]
Do You Live in a Blue State and Want to Get Away?
There’s no perfect answer but I like the idea of a boots on the ground approach through vacationing or a seasonal rental. Once you determine you actually like living somewhere new, then it’s time to make the big move. Research is part of the fun and here’s one way to get you on the road again. Glenn Ruffenach at The Wall Street Journal gives potential movers a way to compare destinations: So, as you indicate, combining results from several resources generally works best. Here are some good places to start: The nonprofit Council for Community and Economic Research in Arlington, Va., has … [Read more...]
How Revolutionary Satellite Tech is Changing the World
Here the FT reports on the revolution in satellite technology that is having a profound impact on many different businesses and industries. Investors, for example, can now estimate traffic at retail establishments or oil storage tankers moving into China. Today, a new revolution in satellite technology is unfolding at warp speed, and its consequences are just as unpredictable. The rapid adoption of billions of smartphones and other connected devices over the past decade has boosted the market for telecommunications satellites, transforming the demand side of the business. But the supply side … [Read more...]
Despite Strong Growth, the Retail Reaper Still Haunts Brick and Mortar
Despite strong economic growth over the last year, some brick and mortar retailers are still having trouble fighting the e-commerce tide. Barnes & Noble had a poor holiday season of sales, and will be forced to fire employees. Jeffrey Trachtenberg writes: The bookseller, which declined to say how many staffers are being cut, said in a securities filing that it will take a charge of about $11 million in its third fiscal quarter ended Jan. 27 related to severance costs. The retailer said the layoffs, which will also affect people involved in receiving products into stores, are expected … [Read more...]
Dow Swings 2,000 Points: My February RAGE Gauge
Make sure you have your investment plan in place sooner than later. There may be some rough waters to navigate. Inflation numbers out today could foretell some tough times as the Fed may be forced to respond. When a record share of small businesses say now is an opportunity to expand operations I pay attention. Bloomberg reports: Six of the 10 components that make up the small-business optimism index increased in January, producing one of the strongest readings in the 45-year history of the survey. The figures show sustained, sturdy business sentiment since the November 2016 election. A … [Read more...]
Inflation in America: A Reason to Avoid Emerging Markets?
Traditionally emerging markets haven't performed well in times of inflation in the United States. While most inflation predictions for the U.S. don't put emerging markets in jeopardy, the latest inflation numbers and some predictions are raising red flags that all emerging market investors should be paying attention to. Steve Johnson reports in the FT: Matters could yet become a little fraught, however, with some estimates for inflation starting to come uncomfortably close to the danger level for EMs. Research by Daniel Salter, head of emerging market equity strategy at Renaissance … [Read more...]
Shale Oil Production Explosion
After being put on the ropes by an OPEC strategy that forced the price of oil down below $30 a barrel in 2016, U.S. shale oil producers are back, and they are producing at record rates. Christopher Alessi reports: U.S. shale companies are churning out crude oil at a record pace that could overwhelm global demand and reverse the oil market’s fragile recovery, a top energy-market observer said Tuesday. U.S. shale production is growing faster in 2018 than it did even during the boom years of $100 a barrel oil prices from 2011 to 2014, said the International Energy Agency in its closely … [Read more...]
Bitcoin: Bubble, Ponzi Scheme, and Environmental Disaster
Bitcoin is a “combination of a bubble, a Ponzi scheme and an environmental disaster,” a top central-banking official recently cautioned, referring to the large amount of electricity needed to create bitcoin. You don’t have to tell that to the residents in Wenatchee, Washington, where a bitcoin invasion is under way. Why? Because the electricity is cheap. “Home to hydroelectric dams that harness the flow of the Columbia River, north central Washington has some of the cheapest power in the U.S. That has made the largely rural area best known for its apple orchards a magnet for bitcoin … [Read more...]
Shale Oil Production Booming
The WSJ reports here that shale oil production is growing faster this year than it did when oil was at $100 per barrel. The breakeven price for shale producers is now much lower than it was in 2014. Shale producers “cut costs dramatically” during the nearly three-year-long oil industry downturn, the IEA said. They then took advantage of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries cartel’s decision to cut its own output, which helped prices rise from the low $40s to over $70 a barrel as recently as late last month. “All the indicators that suggest continued fast growth in the U.S. … [Read more...]
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