What President-elect Trump means for every U.S. industry

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

Description: Donald Trump’s shock victory over Hillary Clinton in the presidential race has implications for all sectors of the economy, from the highly regulated health care, energy and financial sectors, to the much less-regulated tech sector that makes most of its parts and products overseas and employs many foreign workers. Source: MarketWatch.com Date: Nov 18,… Read more »

Former exec arrests keep Valeant from ‘riding into the sunset’ on Philidor controversy

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Management Issues.

Description: Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. continues to be haunted by its ties to the Philidor speciality pharmacy as former executives from both companies face charges in a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme. Source: FinancialPost.com Date: Nov 17, 2016 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/investing/market-moves/former-valeant-executive-and-former-philidor-ceo-charged-with-fraud-in-pharmacy-probe Questions for discussion: What is the legal case against the firm based on? What are the financial… Read more »

Brookfield hoarding cash on fears 8-year bull market set to end

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Personal Finance.

Description: Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is selling off assets and paying down bank lines after an eight-year bull run in stocks and bonds near highs, joining investors such as Warren Buffett and Canada’s Prem Watsa in accumulating cash. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Nov 11, 2016 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-11/brookfield-ceo-says-cash-is-king-after-8-year-stocks-bull-market Questions for Discussions: What does the article say about… Read more »

El-Erian’s Cash-Stash Strategy Catches on as Bond Rout Deepens

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Industry Analysis.

Description: Mohamed El-Erian said he’s favoring cash when managing his own money. The idea is catching on in the bond market as benchmark 10-year U.S. yields rise to the highest level since May. Source: Bloomberg.com – video report Date: Oct 28, 2016 Link: http://bloom.bg/2e3JFIV Questions for Discussions: What is happening in the global bond markets?… Read more »

Teen-Jewelry Retailer Claire’s Seeks Debt Swap to Cut Borrowings

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial analysis, Financial Planning.

Description: Claire’s Stores Inc., the struggling tween-jewelry retail chain, is asking bondholders to exchange almost $800 million of notes for new loans that would cut the company’s debt load and buy it more time to turn around its business. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Aug 13, 2016 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-13/teen-jewelry-retailer-claire-s-seeks-debt-swap-to-cut-borrowings Questions for Discussions: What are the risks for… Read more »

Yellen: This Is Not a Bubble Economy

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

Description: Yellen: This Is Not a Bubble Economy Source: Bloomberg.com – video report Date: Apr 07, 2016 Link: http://bloom.bg/1SDwng1 Questions for discussion: What is a “bubble economy”? What is the significance of Yellen’s pronouncement, in terms of the Fed’s likely course of action in the near future? How should investors and traders interpret this pronouncement?

The tail is wagging the dog: Gluskin Sheff’s George Young explains the 2016 market turmoil

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

Description: If you are a frequent city driver, you’ve learned to predict traffic flows to get where you need to go. But imagine that the direction of all the one-way streets was suddenly reversed, causing bottlenecks, even car accidents. Source: FinancialPost.com Date: Feb 11, 2016 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/investing/investing-pro/the-tail-is-wagging-the-dog-gluskin-sheffs-george-young-explains-the-2016-market-turmoil Questions for discussion: Summarize the explanation for market… Read more »

There will be another financial crisis. The only question is when?

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

Description: Financial bubbles are inevitable and their pathologies virtually identical. The only variable is timing. Source: The Telegraph; FinancialPost.com Date: Feb 18, 2016 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/there-will-be-another-financial-crisis-the-only-question-is-when Questions for discussion: What are the indicators of concern, as described in the article? Do you agree with this assessment? How should investors deal with the risk?

5 worst investment calls of this century

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

Description: Subprime ‘contained’? Gold at $5,000? No housing bubble? Here are the worst of the worst Source: MarketWatch.com Date: Feb 11, 2016 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/opinion-the-5-worst-investment-calls-of-this-century-2016-02-11 Questions for discussion: How would you explain the poor judgments in each of these cases? What lessons can be learned in today’s economy from these colossal errors?