Category Archive: Finance
Commodities Carnage Will Hurt These 10 States Most
As we’ve seen in Louisiana and West Virginia, the commodities downturn has had a real impact on state budgets. Back in April for example, we explained how a sharp decline in oil tax revenue helped push LSU to the brink of bankruptcy and in West Virginia, the impact of falling coal prices has put significant pressure on the state’s […]
Does “Creative Destruction” Include The State?
When do we get to exercise democracy and fire every factotum, apparatchik, toady and lackey in the state who has abused his/her authority? Everyone lauds “creative destruction” when it shreds monopolies and disrupts private enterprise “business as usual.” If thousands lose their middle-class livelihoods– hey, that’s the price of progress. Improvements in productivity and efficiency can’t […]
The Only Remaining China-Based Trade I Like
The Shanghai Composite Index (SSEC) plunged 8.5% to start trading for the week. The ripple effects were wide and far-reaching even as arguments continue floating that the collapse in China’s stock market matters little outside of China and does not truly reflect on economic conditions in the country. Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook summed up […]
Is Gilead Sciences About To Make An Acquisition?
Gilead Sciences (GILD) reports its FQ2 ’15 results after the closing bell today. Both Estimize and Wall Street are predicting a fall in EPS and revenues QoQ. Estimize are forecasting an EPS figure of $2.77 and a revenue target of $7.540B. Wall Street estimates EPS to come in at $2.64 and revenues to be $7.360B. […]
The Economic And Financial Problems In Europe Are Only Just Beginning…
Right now, the financial world is focused on the breathtaking stock market crash in China, but don’t forget to keep an eye on what is happening in Europe. Collectively, the European Union has a larger population than the United States, a larger economy than either the U.S. or China, and the banking system in Europe is […]
The U.S In Recession? The World?
This headline “US Recession Imminent – Durable Goods Drop For 5th Month, Core CapEx Collapses”, following on “Forget Recession: According To Caterpillar There Is A Full-Blown Global Depression”, impelled me to check to see if I’d missed something. Term Spreads The first thing that I wanted to inspect was the term spread, in this case the 10 […]
What About Diamonds?
The diamond market has never came close to the insane levels reached during the investment boom which peaked in 1980. Diamonds entered a 37 year bear market, which often follows such a major Phase Transition. This warns that we could yet still see the final major low unfold in 2016 on an annual closing basis […]
Will ‘Brexit’ Fears Make London Think Twice About The Euro?
When we talk about the euro, we usually don’t consider the United Kingdom as a dominant presence in the discussion. After all, despite being a member of the Eurozone group, London has opted to keep the Pound Sterling as her local currency. When it came to the latest ongoing Greek crisis, nary a word was […]
Saudis Expand Price War Downstream
The undisputed king of oil and gas is making some moves that could change the face of the global refining sector. In June 2015, Saudi Arabia pumped 10.564 million barrels a day, a record level. As if being the world’s biggest exporter of oil was not enough, the desert kingdom is now looking to conquer […]
5 Things Businesses Forget To Consider When Outsourcing
Much has been written about how outsourcing has changed the way business works and how it has helped many companies succeed all over the world. We also often read articles about the factors that businesses must consider before deciding to acquire outsourcing services. Unfortunately, not all those who have outsourced are successful and oftentimes it’s because […]
