What I Am Reading

January 30 (Wednesday) Markets More cracks are appearing in the market for loans that helped cause the financial crisis (C) Central banks Fed’s Powell works Congress as Trump stews over rate hikes (R) Plain-Spoken Fed Chairman Sometimes Leaves Markets Confused (W) US Cooling Housing Market Prompts Closer Scrutiny of Some Lenders (W) Bond King Jeffrey Gundlach says we just got ‘the most recessionary signal’ yet (C) Odds of a recession spike to a three-year high, according to CNBC’s Fed survey (C) Europe May Gets Mandate From Parliament to Renegotiate Brexit Deal (B) China Chinese Exit U.S. Commercial Real Estate as Beijing Directs Money Home (W) US politics Democrats do not plan to consider ‘Dreamers’ issue in U.S. border fund talks: Hoyer (R) U.S. lawmaker Yarmuth says Democrats to begin Medicare for All hearings (R) Trump Won’t Act Alone to Move Fannie, Freddie Out of Government Control (W) Geopolitics & trade Mnuchin Signals Chance to End China Trade War Ahead of Talks (B) Big Divides Remain as U.S.-China Trade Talks Resume (W) As China and Russia Align, U.S. Security Threats Grow (W) Industries & companies FAANGs: Amazon plans to launch a new Middle East marketplace, two years after buying Souq for $580 million (C) FAANGs: Apple’s Revenue and Profit Drop: ‘The iPhone Has Matured’ (W) FAANGs: Apple Scrambles to Fix FaceTime Bug That Allows Eavesdropping (W) Industrials: GE shares turn negative after top analyst Stephen Tusa of JP Morgan gives warning before earnings (C) Media: AT&T’s Media Ambitions Hindered By DirecTV Deal (W) Retail: Skip the dentist’s office: Walgreens and CVS are offering ways to fix your teeth in their stores (C) Corporate finance FedEx stock Is so cheap that Amazon really should buy the company, analyst says (MW) PG&E Files for Bankruptcy, Setting Up Complex Restructuring Case (W) Technology Uber Wants You to Catch the Bus or Train—if They Can Drive You There (W)

January 29 (Tuesday) Markets Dow drops more than 200 points as weak Caterpillar, Nvidia guidance stokes China fears (C) Stock could be in for sharper decline, as Apple and other big tech firms report (C) Opinion: Investors are interpreting the dramatic slowdown in corporate earnings all wrong (MW) Global The World Economy Can’t Escape Its Low-Growth, Low-Inflation Rut (N) Central banks BOJ May Be Attempting to Let Steam Out of the Property Market (B) A key market sector is signaling that the Fed should stay on hold, says Jim Cramer (C) US Buying a House? Odds Are Rising You Have a Six-Figure Income (B) U.S. delays fourth-quarter GDP report after government shutdown (R) Japan The next big innovation in Japan’s aging economy is flushable adult diapers China Alibaba Shows Signs of Strain as China’s Economy Shudders (B) Citi sees stronger China wealthy client base in 2019 despite economy slowing (R) US politics Most Americans don’t want Trump to declare a national emergency to get his border wall (C) Trump Accepts Pelosi’s Re-Scheduled State of Union Invitation (B) Former Starbucks CEO hires ex-Obama aide as communications advisor as he mulls presidential run (C) Geopolitics & trade Goldman warned Nvidia could blow up because of China and says these companies could be next (C) US files criminal charges in two Huawei cases, seeks extradition of CFO Meng Wanzhou (C) U.S. Plans Suspension of Nuclear Treaty With Russia (B) Trump Slaps De-Facto Oil Ban on Venezuela (B) Industries & companies Utilities: PG&E Still Plans Bankruptcy Despite Investor Proposal (B) Technology Boeing’s futuristic flying taxi gets off the ground in Manassas, Va. (WP)

January 28 (Monday) Markets Stocks Start Off 2019 With a Bang (W) Opinion: Dow needs to give back some gains before stocks see another big leg up (MW) When Markets Crash, Everything’s Correlated. Even Factors (BR) The Euro’s First 20 Years (Project Syndicate) US America’s Hidden Workforce Returns (W) China Manufacturers Take Sales Hit in China (W) China’s Slowdown Is Only Just Beginning (BR) China Replaces Top Securities Regulator Amid Market Weakness (W) US politics Immigration Debate In Focus as Next Shutdown Looms (W) Roger Stone Says He Would Consider Cooperating With Mueller (W) The Push to Tax the Rich (BR) Presidential Run by Starbucks’ Howard Schultz Could Boost Trump, Democrats Fear (B) Geopolitics & trade Trade Talks Spotlight Role of China’s State-Owned Firms (W) Here Are Three Scenarios for U.S.-China Trade Talks This Week (B) Industries & companies FAANGs: Brands Invent New Lines for Only Amazon to Sell (W) Pharma: Pfizer Pivots to Cancer Drugs for Growth (W) Corporate finance Seattle start-up building the Amazon Prime of primary care with backing from Larry Fink and others (C) Technology & cybersecurity From Wi-Fi to Bluetooth to 5G, All Your Wireless Is About to Change (W) New Job for Robots: Taking Stock for Retailers (W) This former Google exec talked to the social media trolls the Russians paid to influence elections (C) Offbeat CBD goes mainstream as bars and coffee shops add weed-related drinks to menus (C) Millennials may claim another victim: Harley-Davidson and the classic American motorcycle (C) Gen Z’s 7 Lessons for Surviving in Our Tech-Obsessed World (W) Expecting a Big Tax Refund? Don’t Be So Sure (W)

January 26 (Saturday) Markets Dow gains for fifth straight week after deal reached to temporarily reopen government (C) U.S. Stocks in No-Man’s Land After the First Sideways Week of 2019 (B) Apple, Microsoft and Amazon could drive the market in the next wave of earnings (C) Why upbeat investors are counting on the ‘Powell put,’ the ‘Trump put’ and the ‘Xi put’ (MW) Emerging markets brought the bears, now they have the bulls (R) Central banks I Fed Weighs Earlier End to Bond Portfolio Runoff (W) Central bank policy tightening: damned if they do, damned if they don’t (R) ECB Can Sound More Confident in Economy by Cutting Its Forecasts (B) Central banks II Kudlow: White House Seeks Fed Nominees Who Understand Shift on Growth, Inflation (W) Why the Fed should be worried about deflation (NN) Everything You Need To Know About Modern Monetary Theory (WP) US U.S. economy lost at least $6 billion to government shutdown: S&P (R) Los Angeles and Other Cities Stash Money to Prepare for a Recession (W) Millennials are ‘delusional’ about how rich they’re going to be (MW) China China’s slowing economy will make it harder for its companies to pay debts, ratings agencies say (C) China can no longer rely on real estate for growth. It’s now turning to railways and more debt (C) Chinese Cars Are Still Cheap. But They’re No Longer Ugly. (W) Emerging Business leaders in Davos ‘don’t care’ if Brazil’s Bolsonaro is a populist — it’s all about economic reform (C) US politics Senate votes to temporarily reopen government after longest shutdown in US history (C) Trump Bows to Democrats, Temporarily Ends Shutdown Without Wall (B) Beyond the Shutdown: The Trump-Pelosi Dynamic Defines Washington (W) U.S. government shutdown gives banks rare public relations opportunity (R) Geopolitics & trade Opinion: Trump has the chance of wiping out the U.S. trade deficit with China (MW) Major Carrier Halts Huawei Purchases Amid Security Fears (W) Industries & companies Airlines: Air traffic controller shortage delays flights at several major US airports (C) FAANGs: Apple shares rally, erasing the losses from the company’s revenue warning earlier this month (C) Industrials: GE Reworks Deal to Raise More Cash for Itself (W) Corporate finance IPO Hopes Trigger Scramble for Shares of Top Unicorns (W) Technology Zuckerberg Plans to Integrate WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger (N) Offbeat Tax Filing Season Is Starting, but It May Not Go Smoothly (N)

January 25 (Friday) Markets Stock market faces hurdles after Intel earnings miss sours chip rally (C) Stocks Waver Again as Chipmakers Jump and Drug Companies Dip (N) China Counters Selloff by Cutting Markets Some Slack (W) Central banks ECB Worries Over Economy Mount, But Officials Stand Pat on Rates (W) Mario Draghi Is Watching His ECB Rate Hike Slip Over the Horizon (B) US U.S. government shutdown may yield a recession: Scaramucci (R) Labor Market Powers On Despite Growth Concerns (W) China A Key Driver of Home Sales in China Just Hit the Brakes (B) US politics White House demands ‘large down payment on the wall’ as Senate tries to reach shutdown deal (C) Shutdown continues: Senate blocks bills to fund government amid fight over Trump border wall (C) Trump postponement is latest twist in changeable State of the Union (R) Elizabeth Warren to propose new ‘wealth tax’ as 2020 race heats up (C) Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Says Federal Workers Should Take Loans During Shutdown (N) Geopolitics & trade Ross Says Trade Deal to Hinge on China Accepting Deeper Reforms (B) U.S. Treasury’s Mnuchin sees China trade progress, currency talks (R) The U.S.-China Cold War Will Get Worse Before It Gets Better (B) Global economy in real danger if U.S.-China trade war escalates: Reuters poll (R) Huawei Struggles to Counter Claims It Can Spy for China (W) Industries & companies Airlines: Airlines Warn Shutdown Strains Are Worsening (W) Consumer: World’s Biggest Brands to Test Refillable Containers (W) FAANGs: Amazon’s Pitch to Shippers: Fewer Fees Than FedEx, UPS (W) Financials: Big banks expected to testify before House Financial Services Committee in March (C) Restaurants: Starbucks shares jump on stronger-than-expected sales (C) Restaurants: Starbucks Is Basically a China Stock Now (B) Tech: Intel misses on revenue and gives weak guidance — stock falls after hours (C) Utilities: PG&E spikes 75% after California investigators absolve utility of 2017 fire (C) Technology Apple just dismissed more than 200 employees from its autonomous vehicle group (C) Over 30 million U.S. workers will lose their jobs because of AI (MW)

January 24 (Thursday) Markets Dow rises more than 150 points on strong earnings from IBM, P&G and United Technologies (C) Wall Street regulators should’ve investigated the Christmas Eve crash, Jim Cramer argues (C) Global The Global Boom, Barely Begun, May Be Over (W) US U.S. government shutdown to crimp growth, recession risk steady: Reuters poll (R) Too Many Americans Will Never Be Able to Retire (B) No Pay Stub? No Problem. Unconventional Mortgages Are Back (W) Europe Europe’s Political Funk Sets Back Its Economy (W) China Headlines about China’s weak growth are somewhat misleading (E) US politics Showdown: Trump pledges ‘alternative’ event after Pelosi blocks State of the Union (C) Geopolitics & trade Huawei Struggles to Counter Claims It Can Spy for China (W) U.S. Believes It Doesn’t Need to Show ‘Proof’ Huawei Is a Spy Threat (W) Kim Jong Un Praises Trump, Says He Expects ‘Step-by-Step’ Talks (B) Industries & companies Airlines: Boeing warns the shutdown could hurt its business and the overall aviation industry (C) Autos: Ford misses profit estimates as pension and layoff costs erode earnings (C) Autos: Tesla slashed Model S and X staff in recent layoffs (C) Consumer: P&G Raises Outlook After Another Quarter of Strong Sales (W) FAANGs: Amazon’s Pitch to Woo Shippers: Fewer Fees Than FedEx, UPS (W) Technology Inside Google’s Team Fighting to Keep Your Data Safe From Hackers (W) Offbeat BuzzFeed to Cut 15% of Its Workforce (W)

January 23 (Wednesday) YRI Video Podcast: China Is Getting Less Bang Per Yuan Daily Markets Overview Markets Stocks Tumble on Growth Worries (W) Stock market bulls get a do-over after last year’s volatile ride (C) Trump Loves the Stock Market. Sometimes It Loves Him Back. (N) ‘Fallen angels’ are posing the biggest threat to the bond market this year (C) US The unusually large drop in home sales has real estate agents baffled (C) Home Sales Sank 6.4% in December (W) BofA Says Don’t Believe the Hype on a Housing Collapse (B) China China’s Plan for Tech Dominance Is Advancing, Business Groups Say (W) Tax cuts could be the ‘front line’ of China’s fight against slowing growth, experts say (C) US politics Trump moves forward with State of the Union plans despite Pelosi’s request to postpone it (C) The Supreme Court just weakened Trump’s hand in government shutdown talks (C) Trump’s border wall offer looks doomed in the Senate as 800,000 workers face another lost paycheck (C) John Kerry: President Donald Trump should resign (C) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could probe banks’ earnings (P) Geopolitics & trade Stocks Cut Losses as Kudlow Says No Canceled Talks (B) US cancels trade planning meeting with China, source says (C) U.S. Intelligence Warns That Russia and China Are Seizing on Global Turmoil (B) iPhone Assembler Foxconn Weighs India Move (W) How Huawei Wooed Europe With Sponsorships, Investments and Promises (N) Industries & companies Consumer: Johnson & Johnson Expects Sales Growth to Slow (W) FAANGs: Apple’s 2020 iPhones will likely get upgraded displays after the XR disappoints (C) Retail: Starbucks partners with Uber Eats to expand coffee delivery (P) Corporate finance Starboard, Elliott Management Call on eBay to Shed StubHub, Classifieds (W)

January 22 (Tuesday) Markets Global Stocks Weaken as China’s Growth Slows (W) U.S. stock futures fall in shortened session as China data reinforces global slowdown fears (MW) Why Oil Prices May Hinge on U.S.-Iran Showdown (W) Investors’ Cash Dash Adds to Stock Market’s Vulnerability (W) A Major Market’s Major Headache: Stocks That Crash Without Warning (W) Overseas Investment Seen Rebounding as U.S. Firms Repatriate Less Profits (W) Central banks, IMF, & Davos IMF says the global economic expansion is losing momentum as it cuts growth forecasts (C) IMF, CEOs sound warnings as leaders gather in Davos (R) Davos opens with US vs. China contest emerging as ‘the key problem of our time’ (C) Trump is skipping Davos this year — but it probably won’t matter (C) Europe May refuses to rule out no-deal Brexit (R) China China’s economy grew 6.6% in 2018, the lowest pace in 28 years (C) China’s Economy, by the Numbers, Is Worse Than It Looks (N) The number of births in China hit its lowest level since 1961 (C) US politics Trump, Democrats Inch Closer to a Compromise (B) Senate to Weigh Trump’s Proposal to End Shutdown, With Passage Unlikely (W) Shutdown Hits Industries Nationwide (W) Companies Try to Skirt Shutdown’s IPO Limbo (W) Airport security screener absences hit a record on 31st day of partial government shutdown (C) Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris jumps into 2020 White House race (C) Geopolitics & trade Europe should stand up and compete, not blame China (C) Huawei launches a PR offensive — but it may face a ‘literally impossible’ task (C) The Public Face of Huawei’s Global Fight (W) U.S. and North Korean Spies Have Held Secret Talks for a Decade (W) Industries & companies Airlines: Fliers Find an Old Friend on More Planes: Empty Seats (W) Autos: Tesla sinks after cutting 7% of its workforce. Five experts weigh in on what’s next (C) FAANGs: Google Fined $57 Million in Biggest Penalty Yet Under New European Law (W) FAANGs: Amazon Knows What You Buy. And It’s Building a Big Ad Business From It. (N) Retail: J.C. Penney Struggles to Avoid Same Fate as Sears (W) Technology For Industrial Robots, Hacking Risks Are On the Rise (W) Offbeat DoubleLine’s Jeffrey Gundlach says he’s leaving Twitter due to ‘suspicious activity’ (C) China Moves to Punish Scientist Involved With Gene-Edited Babies (W)

January 21 (Monday) YRI A contrary indicator suggests the market’s win streak is just beginning, Wall Street bull Ed Yardeni says (C) Daily Markets Overview Markets The Dollar’s Dominance Seems Secure, Despite Challengers (W) Valuations for China stocks are ‘very, very attractive’ now: Fidelity (C) Central banks Fed’s Brainard Says Prolonged Political Uncertainty Could Weigh on Economic Activity (W) Currency Ghosts Fade as Emerging-Market Central Banks Stand Pat (B) Central Banks Struggle With Policy Settings (W) US What Job Applicant ‘Ghosting’ Says About the Current Workplace (BR) America’s wealthy are ‘in preservation mode’ and don’t think the market has hit a bottom: Survey (C) Europe The Blame for Brexit (BR) China China set to post slowest growth in 28 years in 2018, more stimulus seen (C) China’s Bankers Face Smaller Bonuses, Fewer Job Opportunities (B) US politics Trump, Democrats Float Proposals to End Shutdown, but Wide Gaps Remain (W) TSA calls in backup officers as absences of unpaid airport screeners rise (C) Special Counsel’s Office Disputes Trump-Cohen Story (W) DNC Says Russia Tried to Hack Its Computers After Midterms (W) Geopolitics & trade Trump says ‘a lot of progress’ with North Korea but economic sanctions to stay in place (C) Industries & companies Financials: Bank Investors Look Beyond Trading Revenue to Deliver Strong Gains (W) Healthcare: Five Ways to Play a Growing Health Sector (BR) Retail: Costco Stock Might Be a Good Buy After 2018’s Pullback (BR) Offbeat The Hot New Channel for Reaching Real People: Email (W)

January 19 (Saturday) Markets Dow jumps more than 300 points after China offers a way to eliminate US trade imbalance (C) Small caps just did something they haven’t in three decades (C) Opinion: Here’s what low NYSE trading volume is telling us about the stock market’s direction (MW) State Street Is Cutting 1,500 Jobs (W) US U.S. consumer sentiment at two-year low, manufacturing rebounds (R) US manufacturing output posts biggest gain in 10 months (C) GDP Growth Estimates Are Being Cut as Shutdown Persists (B) US politics White House games out potential new Trump infrastructure plan (C) Speaker Pelosi accuses Trump of endangering U.S. troops, lawmakers (R) U.S. Treasury finalizes tax rule on pass-through businesses (R) Lawmakers to Investigate Report That Trump Told Cohen to Lie to Congress (W) Geopolitics & trade China offers 6-year import boost in trade talks with US: Sources (C) White House: Next Trump summit with Kim Jong Un will take place near the end of February (C) EU’s Focus for U.S. Trade Talks Risks Trans-Atlantic Clash (W) Who’s Right? U.S. and EU Contradict Each Other on Trade Talks (B) Industries & companies Autos: Tesla has $920 million in debt that’s coming due — and it could wipe out a large chunk of its cash (C) Autos: Elon Musk’s Whiplash in Tone on Profit Sends Tesla Shares Sliding (B) FAANGs: FTC is reportedly considering a ‘record-setting fine’ against Facebook (C) Media: ‘I don’t think anyone can catch them’ — former NBC executive says Netflix is too far ahead (C) Media: Netflix stock falls but analysts get even more bullish (MW) Pharma: Drugmakers Raise Prices Amid Shortages, Recalls (W) Pharma: Lilly’s Sarcoma Drug Combo Proves Ineffective in Trials (W) Tech: Microsoft recommends switching to iPhone or Android as it prepares to kill off Windows phones (C) Corporate finance M&A Heats Up for Battered Mining Companies (W) Leaked Emails Reveal New Reason Apple, Qualcomm Parted Ways (B) Offbeat Why Jeff Bezos’ Divorce Should Worry Amazon Investors (N)