Description: After years of frustrating fits and starts in the wake of the financial crisis and the Great Recession, the United States economy finally appears to be generating jobs at a healthier, more sustainable pace that many analysts now think will continue into 2014. The official unemployment rate fell in November to its lowest level… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Growth & Valuation
The Ugly Numbers Behind Unbundled Cable TV
Description: If you’re a cable TV subscriber who grumbles about paying for dozens of channels your family never watches, a media analyst has a message: That cable bundle carries all sorts of unseen benefits. Source: BusinessWeek.com Date: Dec 06, 2013 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-12-06/the-ugly-numbers-behind-unbundled-cable-tv#r=hpt-ls Questions for Discussions: Explain the arguments presented for and against bundling with respect… Read more »
Record Highs Lure Investors Back to Stocks
Description: Investors are rediscovering their taste for equities. Stock funds took in $148 billion in the year’s first 10 months, after five years when money flowed out, according to Investment Company Institute data. The shift marks a reversal from the four years through 2012, when investors put $1 trillion into bond funds, and the financial crisis… Read more »
Yahoo is selling stock (so it can buy it back)
Description: Wall Street deals haven’t gotten any less convoluted since the financial crisis. We got some more evidence of that this week. Source: Fortune.com Date: Nov 22, 2013 Link: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2013/11/22/yahoo-buyback/?iid=SF_F_River Questions for Discussions: Summarize the criticisms leveled at Yahoo for the way this deal was structured. Do you think there is anything unfair or misleading… Read more »
The Anonymous Fashion Line That’s Cleaning Up on Wall Street
Description: The fashion label Vince creates slouchy, mid-priced luxury basics that sell well at Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Barneys New York, and Saks Fifth Avenue, among other retailers. And while it may seem safe to assume that those comfy T-shirts are designed by a guy named Vince, well, there’s no Vince at Vince. Source:… Read more »
Carl Icahn clarifies his stock-caution comments as others downplay them
Description: Activist investor Carl Icahn has clarified his comments that contributed to pushing stocks to session lows on Monday. Source: MarketWatch.com Date: Nov 19, 2013 Link: http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2013/11/19/carl-icahn-clarifies-his-stock-caution-comments-as-others-downplay-them/ Questions for Discussions: What does the report say about investor reactions to comments by investors like Carl Icahn? Do you believe the markets are due for a correction?
Dow 16,000? Who cares!
Description: With the economy still sluggish, don’t get too excited about the record high stock market. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Nov 15, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/11/15/investing-dow-record-16000-who-cares.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: What is the Dow? Does its rise or fall relate to how well the economy is performing? What is the explanation for the recent surge?
Save a million before you retire
Description: Fidelity polled people who make less than $150,00 a year but still saved up a million. Here’s what they found. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Nov 15, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/pf/2013/11/15/pf-401k-millionaire-savings-retirement.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: What is the formula for successful long-term investing? What strategies would you add to this list of suggestions?
Intrawest’s Ski Business Goes Downhill Toward IPO
Description: There’s a saying among skiers and snowboarders: “Go big or go home.” Intrawest Resorts, a giant in the skiing business, has chosen the former. Source: BusinessWeek.com Date: Nov 15, 2013 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-15/intrawests-ski-business-goes-downhill-toward-ipo#r=hpt-ls Questions for Discussions: What are the risks to owners of stock in this business? How does snowfall determine revenues? How would you… Read more »
The next 10 investment bubbles
Description: Asset bubbles are funny things. You’re not sure something is in a bubble until it pops. Ever since investors first bid up the price of tulip bulbs to ridiculous levels back in the early 1600s, one thing many economists seem to agree on is that pre-popped bubbles defy formal identification. This past year Princeton… Read more »
