Description: Turns out, the biggest short in the banking industry anywhere in the world isn’t in Switzerland or Silicon Valley, but rather, in the relatively tame financial centre of Canada. In recent weeks, short sellers have upped their bearish bets against Toronto-Dominion Bank, and now have roughly US$3.7 billion on the line vis-à-vis Canada’s second-largest… Read more »
Posts By: Brahm Canzer
Doctors are drowning in paperwork. Some companies claim AI can help
Description: When Dereck Paul was training as a doctor at the University of California San Francisco, he couldn’t believe how outdated the hospital’s records-keeping was. The computer systems looked like they’d time-traveled from the 1990s, and many of the medical records were still kept on paper. Source: NPR.org Date: Apr 05, 2023 Link: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/05/1167993888/chatgpt-medicine-artificial-intelligence-healthcare Questions… Read more »
Women now dominate the book business. Why there and not other creative industries?
Description: These findings and others come from a new study by Joel Waldfogel, an economist at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. Waldfogel crunches the numbers on the book market’s female revolution. And, in a recent interview, the economist helps us think through potential reasons why women trail men in many creative industries, but have… Read more »
Here’s what went wrong with Virgin Orbit
Description: Not too long ago, Virgin Orbit was in rarified air among U.S. rocket builders, and executives were in New York celebrating its public stock debut. The scene was true to the marketing pizazz that has helped Sir Richard Branson build his Virgin empire of companies, showcasing with a rocket model in the middle of Times Square. Source: CNBC.com… Read more »
Win the Race for Higher Risk-adjusted Stock Returns
Description: A new paper co-authored by Wharton’s Nikolai Roussanov uses machine learning to construct investment portfolios that ensure predictability of returns in a world of changing risks. Source: knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu Date: Mar 28, 2023 Link: https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/win-the-race-for-higher-risk-adjusted-stock-returns/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the argument presented in this report. Why is it so controversial? How should investors use this… Read more »
Tipping in the United States has gotten out of control, experts say. Here’s why
Description: “What we’re seeing now nationwide is something that is known as ‘tipflation’ … at every opportunity we’re being presented with a tablet that’s asking us how much we’d like to tip,” said etiquette expert Thomas Farley, also known as “Mister Manners.” Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Apr 01, 2023 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/01/how-tipping-in-the-united-states-got-out-of-control.html Questions for discussion:… Read more »
Rogers-Shaw deal approved by Canada’s industry minister
Description: The Canadian government will allow Rogers Communications Inc. to acquire rival Shaw Communications Inc., ending a two-year odyssey to seal one of the biggest corporate takeovers in the country’s history. Source: BNNBloomberg.ca – video report Date: Mar 31, 2023 Link: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/rogers-shaw-deal-approved-by-canada-s-industry-minister-1.1903059 Questions for discussion: Summarize the key points presented in the report about the… Read more »
Your Next Landlord Could Be 100 Random People
Description: Startups are buying properties and wooing first-time real estate investors to buy shares. The model could have real repercussions for renters. Source: Wired.com Date: Mar 30, 2023 Link: https://www.wired.com/story/arrived-fractional-investment-real-estate/?_hsmi=252508126&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_6BxRUZp1vSN_Bh9FIR75GdG5FKWsByHxbC_DJZDAZmwMgmVCH8bsPs5FGOfillRcF-m8PKY-jKUpm8wARM0PD-Glm5NW2HTIr6kMQs_1UcPfQ4tE Questions for discussion: Summarize the pros and cons of this sort of business model, as described in the article. What is the impact on rentals,… Read more »
Twitter is dying
Description: It’s five months since Elon Musk overpaid for a relatively small microblogging platform called Twitter. The platform had punched above its weight in pure user numbers thanks to an unrivaled ability to both distribute real-time information and make expertise available. Combine these elements with your own critical faculty — to weed out the usual spam and… Read more »
David Rosenberg: Even if this banking crisis is not a repeat of 2008, it won’t be a picnic
Description: Nobody seems to have any clue at this point about the degree of the damage already done in the current banking crisis or whether there are more shoes to drop. The knock-on effects from Silicon Valley Bank to First Republic Bank are now obvious, but the investor fear, whether rational or not, is spreading. Source: Financialpost.com… Read more »
