Stocks down? It’s about time!

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis.

Description: Investors shouldn’t stress about the ugly week for stocks. The market is coming off of huge gains in 2013 and there’s still decent growth in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Jan 24, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2014/01/24/investing-the-buzz-stocks-nyse-markets-china-turkey-argentina.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: Why would a correction be a good thing? Do you… Read more »

Big game, big deductions for businesses

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Description: New York City will get a $550 million economic boost from next weekend’s Super Bowl and corporations will get big deductions for their lavish spending. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Jan 24, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2014/01/24/big-game-big-spending-big-tax-breaks.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: What are the benefits to corporations that send employees or clients to the Super Bowl?… Read more »

Railroads look at liquefied natural gas to power locomotives

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Description: The diesel-burning locomotive, the workhorse of American railroads since World War II, will soon begin burning natural gas — a potentially historic shift that could cut fuel costs, reduce pollution and strengthen the advantage railroads hold over trucks in long-haul shipping. Source: Star-telegram.com Date: Jan 25, 2014 Link: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/01/25/5511561/railroads-look-at-liqufied-natural.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Questions for Discussions: Do you… Read more »

Starbucks Just Sold $1.4 Billion in Gift Cards. What Did It Do With That Cash?

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Description: Starbucks (SBUX) is slowly adding a shot of banking to its grande coffee empire. As customers pour money into its gift cards and its mobile-payment app, the Seattle-based company is booking a tidy profit simply by holding onto customers’ cash. Source: Businessweek.com Date: Jan 24, 2014 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-24/starbucks-just-sold-1-dot-4-billion-in-gift-cards-dot-what-did-it-do-with-that-cash#r=hpt-ls Questions for Discussions: How does this… Read more »

Into the Bitcoin Mines

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Description: On the flat lava plain of Reykjanesbaer, Iceland, near the Arctic Circle, you can find the mines of Bitcoin. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Dec 21, 2013 Link: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/12/21/into-the-bitcoin-mines/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 Questions for Discussions: Explain the way Bitcoin is “mined” and how the rate of creation is controlled. How does this compare to the way a normal currency… Read more »

Intel outlook is not too chipper

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  Description: Shares of Intel tumbled on disappointing earnings and weak guidance. Investors want the semiconductor maker to do more in mobile and lessen its reliance on the slow-growth PC market. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Jan 17, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2014/01/17/investing-the-buzz-intel-chip-microprocessor-arm-holdings-mobile-pc.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: Why are chip stocks not performing particularly well at this… Read more »

Train stocks go off the rails

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description: Shares of railroad giant CSX are down sharply due to lower coal shipments, a sign that the recent tear in transportation stocks may be nearing an end. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Jan 16, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2014/01/16/investing-the-buzz-csx-railroad-transportation-norfolk-southern-union-pacific.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: What does this report say about rail stocks in general and CSX in… Read more »

Yahoo’s Asian Lifeline

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Description: Yahoo’s core business has been eroding. It’s lost ground in display advertising and in online search, and the Wall Street consensus is that its revenue declined last year. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Jan 18, 2014 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/technology/yahoos-asian-lifeline.html?ref=technology Questions for Discussions: What does the report say about how investors are approaching investing in Yahoo? Do you… Read more »

Stocks: Talk of a market bubble is the real bubble

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis.

Description: Bitcoin may be a bubble. Twitter (TWTR) may be a bubble. Talking incessantly about how cold it is (“It’s frickin freezing in here Mr. Bigglesworth!”) may be a bubble. But the broader stock market? That is not a bubble. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: Jan 07, 2014 Link: http://buzz.money.cnn.com/2014/01/07/bubble/ Questions for Discussions: Explain the meaning of… Read more »