The supply chains in the U.S. are clogged with merchandise enroute from foreign manufacturers to domestic distributors and retailers. The consequences of this include record-breaking shipping rates, long queues of vessels that must wait over a week to reach a berth in U.S. ports, and logjams at railroad yards. Most of these issues pertain to […]
WHAT’S BEHIND THE SUPPLY CHAIN BACKLOG? Read More »
As the Covid-19 pandemic slowly retreats, will the economies the major cities of developed nations in particular return to their pre-pandemic ways? Will the wave of telecommuting continue and even increase in scope? The answers will take substantial time to be realized, but there are signs of change that could become permanent. Exodus From Urban
CAN CITY CENTERS RECAPTURE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY? Read More »
When the words “American Revolution” come to mind, so do the names of the major heroes of the time—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Thomas Paine, and so on. But there are many other participants who played very significant roles in the revolution who history has nearly forgotten. One such revolutionary was Robert Morris Jr.,
THE UNSUNG HERO OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION Read More »
The Federal Reserve is toying with the idea of dialing back quantitative easing (increasing the money supply) in the near future. With this, investors can expect interest rates to gradually begin to rise. Bonds, notes, and many other fixed securities issued at the lower rates of interest will begin to decline in value as investors
A PARADIGM FOR BUYING FIXED SECURITIES Read More »
The Federal Reserve is weighing a reduction in bond purchases (Quantitative Easing) in the near future which will reduce the growth of the money supply. It’s widely expected that this action will lead to interest rate increases that should have an impact on the value of fixed income securities that private investors could be holding.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT RISING INTEREST RATES Read More »
Stock markets have been on a long bull run with only a very few minor pullbacks since March 23, 2020. The government has provided a major amount of stimulus, and this activity will likely continue. But the day will come when the stimulus ends. What happens then? If history is any gauge, we can expect
THE ART OF THE SHORT SALE Read More »
The signs we are seeing about the current economic recovery are mixed—in some instances it appears that the recovery is moving along as planned, but other signs point to potential problems. By drilling down closer we may be able to see if the economy is on the right track or recession is just around the
IS THE CURRENT ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN TROUBLE? Read More »
Do you subscribe to the greater fool theory of investing? That would be buying a stock at a certain price without knowing about the fundamental or technical attributes, then realizing that it’s going to tank. You promptly sell the stock to someone else believing this person to be the greater fool. It’s all about strategies,
WHO’S THE GREATER FOOL? Read More »
The carry trade is all about borrowing short-term in a weak currency and investing long term in a stronger one. The stronger currency will generally be noted by rising interest rates. The funding is short-term where the rates are apt to be lower, and the investing is long term where the rates are out near
WHAT IS THE CARRY TRADE? Read More »
It should come as no surprise that railroads played a crucial part of the economic growth of the western United States, especially in the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth. Railroads carried passengers, cargo, and mail, back and forth from midwestern departure points to the west coast. The
THE SANTA FE RAILROAD’S IMPACT ON GROWTH IN AMERICA Read More »