Perspectives

We are at this writing at record levels for most of the stock indexes. The line of greatest credibility for the forecasting profession is to predict an extension of this trend into the future. If only it were so easy. The first year of a presidential term is usually...

At this writing Donald Trump has won the election and control of the Senate is now in republican hands. The House is still being tabulated. However, as mentioned last month the financial markets will be driven by how Trump deals with the pressing issues of the day,...

As we enter the final stretch for the presidential elections in November, all manner of datais being thrown around trying to make one candidate look better than another. Harris is accused of handing out more presents than Santa Clause. Trump wants to cut taxes on the...

Last week the stock of Dollar General declined over 25 percent in one day. The reason was reported to be earnings that were reported below consensus and a subdued outlook. Other dollar chains such as Dollar Tree declined in unison. The prior investment case for Dollar...

Investing in 500 stocks sounds like diversification. If one goes down, the other 499 perseveres. This is not exactly the way the S&P 500 works. The index is weighed by capitalization which is defined as the price per share times the number of shares outstanding....

Last May, Starwood Investors placed a limit on the monthly withdrawals from its private commercial real estate funds it manages. It did so to avoid having to sell assets at a loss to meet redemptions. Starwood manages about $10 billion in assets in what is estimated...

The annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway has been dubbed the “Woodstock of Capitalism”. People flock from all over the world to attend the event, held on the first Saturday in May in Buffet’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. It is covered live by CNBC, the one...

In 1949 there was, like today, a shortage of affordable housing. Soldiers were returning from abroad eager to start families, but there was little to no housing available. This was due to the imbalance of supply and demand which led to a strong undercurrent of...

At its most basic, interest rates reflect supply and demand. Supply comes from the amount of money in circulation and demand from the various parties who, for their own reasons, desire to borrow. In a free market the two sides agree upon a given cost for money, called...