Dr. Ed's Blog

February 12 (Wednesday)

Markets
Stocks inch higher as new coronavirus cases fall R
Oil prices rise as new virus cases slow, easing Chinese demand concerns R
From wind power to cow manure: oil traders seek new profit recipe R
Coronavirus Fears Creep Into Official U.S. Commodity Forecasts B

Central banks
Fed Watching Risks of Broader Coronavirus Disruptions W
Fed’s Powell says economy in good place, warns on coronavirus R
Powell Says Fed Will ‘Never’ Declare Victory on Full Employment B

US
U.S. household debt tops $14 trillion and reaches new record R
U.S. job openings hit two-year low, point to slowdown in job growth R
Insurers Drive Up Prices on U.S. Businesses W

Virus
Coronavirus live updates: Outbreak could affect US-China phase one trade deal, official says C
At Outbreak’s Center, Locals Question Accuracy of Virus Tests W
China Fires Highest-Level Officials Yet Over Coronavirus Outbreak W

US politics
Trump heaps praise on trillion dollar tech club — calling four big companies MAGA C
GOP’s 21% Corporate Tax Rate Locked In by Congressional Gridlock B
All 4 federal prosecutors quit Stone case after DOJ overrules prosecutors on sentencing request NN
Businessman Andrew Yang ends eclectic presidential bid R

Industries & companies
Tech: Here’s a first look at Samsung’s new $1,400 folding phone C

Cybersecurity
U.S. Officials Say Huawei Can Covertly Access Networks W

Corporate finance
SoftBank shares skyrocket in Japan after judge approves T-Mobile and Sprint merger C
Deal Math Just Got a Lot More Complicated W

YRI
Daily Markets Overview

February 11 (Tuesday)

Markets
Nasdaq hits new high as investors look beyond coronavirus R
First-quarter US GDP may be as low as 1.2% due to coronavirus, but stocks don’t seem to care C
How the Rise of Passive Investing May Be Creating Huge Distortions in the Market B
Big Technology Stocks Dominate ESG Funds W

Credit & commodities
Treasury Inversion Is Not About the U.S., It Is About the Whole World B
Green Bonds Branch Out With Record Sale W
Why the bond market looks so worried about the coronavirus outbreak C
The coronavirus is a ‘black swan’ for oil and energy markets, says Ned Davis Research C

Central banks
Fed’s Daly: Inflation is ‘far better’ a bit above target than below R
Fed’s Harker says central bank should hold rates steady for a while R

Virus I
Coronavirus Helps Drive China’s Consumer Prices to Highest Level in Over Eight Years W
‘Nightmare’ for Global Tech: Virus Fallout Is Just Beginning B
China’s Businesses Struggle to Resume Work W
Foxconn Resumes Some Production at Its Main China IPhone Site B
Coronavirus live updates: WHO says 15% of patients get pneumonia, Burger King closes half its China locations C

Virus II
President Xi Inspects Coronavirus Hospital in Beijing W
Coronavirus cases outside China ‘could be spark’ for bigger fire, WHO says R
Coronavirus kills 97 people in one day, while cruise ship cases almost double NN
Wuhan Evacuees Hunker Down for Weeks in Quarantine W

Europe
Merkel Will Take an Active Role in Choosing Her Next Successor B

US politics
Trump Proposes $4.8 Trillion Budget, With Cuts to Safety Nets W
Trump proposes cutting Amtrak funding, boosting money for infrastructure R
Here’s where S&P 500 CEOs are placing their bets on 2020 campaigns C
Sanders Tops U.S. Poll; Bloomberg Overtakes Warren in Third Spot B

Geopolitics & trade
More than 100 U.S. troops diagnosed with brain injuries from Iran attack R

Industries & companies
Autos: The Agony of the Tesla Bears: $8.4 Billion of Losses in Five Weeks W
FAANG: Amazon wants to question Trump after losing $10 billion Pentagon cloud contract C
Pharma: Bayer’s CEO Fights to Fix What He Broke W

Cybersecurity
U.S. charges four Chinese military hackers in 2017 Equifax breach R

Corporate finance
Xerox Raises Offer for HP W
Mall Operators Simon and Taubman Pair Up W

Offbeat
Carl Icahn Blasts SEC Proxy Overhaul as a ‘Big Step Backward’ B

YRI
Daily Markets Overview

February 10 (Monday)

Markets
Coronavirus? Slower Growth? The Dow Just Had a Spectacular Week. (BR)
Why the Market’s Reaction to Coronavirus Isn’t the Same as SARS (BR)
Wall Street in coronavirus La La Land
Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies in America (BR)
The ‘Dividend Aristocrats’ Add 7 New Members (BR)

Currencies & commodities
Dollar’s Surprise Surge Challenges Stock Rally (W)
Copper Prices Hit an Almost Three-Year Low Because of Coronavirus. The Worst Is Yet to Come. (BR)

Central banks
With Easy Demeanor, Powell Cultivates Allies on Capitol Hill (W)

Virus I
How the Coronavirus Epidemic Could Upend the Global Economy
China’s Factories Struggle to Resume Operations After Virus Shutdown (W)
‘Crisis mode’: Coronavirus disrupts the heart of electronics manufacturing in China (C)
How Big a Hit? Health-Care Companies Try to Gauge the Costs of Coronavirus. (BR)

Virus II
Coronavirus live updates: China pledges $10 billion to fight outbreak, UK confirms fourth case (C)
Global death toll for new coronavirus soars past 800 to overtake SA (C)
Another truth-teller goes missing in Wuhan (NN)

US
Has the ‘Great Moderation’ returned — and is that a good thing? (MW)
Falling Rates Could Boost Mortgages Ahead of Spring Selling Season (W)

US politics
Trump to make lower, $2 billion spending request for border wall: officials (R)
Trump’s Jobs Record Is Weaker Than Everyone Thought
Buttigieg, Sanders Top New Hampshire Polls as Biden Ad Targets Former Mayor (W)
‘Neither is he’: Buttigieg hits back at Biden’s dig that former mayor isn’t Obama (NN)

Geopolitics & trade
Two ‘black swans’ could help Trump deliver historic foreign policy wins – if he can make one change (C)
U.S.-China Trade War Reshaped Global Commerce (W)
U.S., Europe could team up on 5G, but not if trade war under way: German lawmaker (R)

Industries & companies
Airfreight & logistics: FedEx Stock Spiked for a Very Strange Reason (BR)
Autos: Tesla seems expensive at these prices even when valuing it like a high-growth tech stock (C)
Autos: Tesla’s stock just had one of the wildest weeks ever — here’s what happened (C)
Autos: Daimler to cut 15,000 jobs as cost cuts intensify: Handelsblatt (R)
Consumer: Consumer discretionary names could see bumpy ride (R)
Consumer: Kraft Heinz Could Have Bad News. It’s Time to Buy the Stock. (BR)
Energy: Energy Stocks Might Finally Have Hit Bottom (BR)
FAANG: Facebook, IRS Prepare for $9 Billion Tax Court Fight (W)
FAANG: Amazon Flex drivers are using bots to cheat their way to getting more work (C)
Manufacturing: Mattel Closes Factories, as Toy Slump Weighs on Supply Chain (W)
Retail: Meet the New Nike Boss: Trading Tech for Air Jordans (W)

Corporate finance
New SoftBank Tech Fund Falls Short of $108 Billion Fundraising Goal (W)
Exor in Talks to Sell Reinsurer for About $9 Billion (W)

Offbeat
The Mormon Church Amassed $100 Billion. It Was the Best-Kept Secret in the Investment World. (W)
Cryptocurrency Scams Took in More Than $4 Billion in 2019 (W)

YRI
Daily Markets Overview

February 08 (Saturday)

Markets
U.S. Stocks Fall, Paring Week’s Gains W
Dow drops 250 points on concern coronavirus will dramatically slow China’s economy C
Markets could see a turbulent week as investors watch coronavirus, economy and Fed testimonyC
Earnings Are Beating Expectations, but Rewards Are Scarce W

Virus
Coronavirus live updates: White House commits $100 million; Royal Caribbean bans Chinese nationals; Fed flags threat C
Cases of coronavirus on ship triple overnight NN
Hospitals Pushed to the Brink in Wuhan: ‘I Just Want to Save His Life’ W
UBS Investment Chief Says Virus Has No Effect on China Bull Case B

Central banks
Fed Warns Virus Poses ‘New Risk’ to Global Growth, Markets B
Fed Officials Likely to Take Comfort From Jobs Report W
Monetary Policy Report

US
U.S. Economy Added 225,000 Jobs in JanuaryW
U.S. Consumer Credit Tops Forecast on Surge in Revolving Debt B
Hiring Strengthens as More Americans Look for Work W
Rise in U.S. Labor-Force Participation Led by Millennial Women B
Here’s where the jobs are — in one chart C
U.S. Marriages Rising as Same-Sex Couples Now Counted in Report B

US politics
Here’s what you need to know about Friday’s 2020 Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire C
Joe Biden shakes up campaign by elevating veteran Democratic strategist Anita Dunn C
Buttigieg Pulls Ahead in Iowa’s National Delegate Count, AP Says B
College grads, boomers big winners in Trump’s economy R
Vindman Escorted From White House After Trump’s Senate Acquittal B

Geopolitics & trade
Kudlow Says Xi Reassured Trump Trade Purchases Goal Will Be Met B
Republican senators tell Twitter it’s subject to US sanction laws unless it bans Iranian leaders C

Industries & companies
Financials: Fed’s Stress Test Scenario Is Tougher for the Biggest U.S. Banks B

Corporate finance
New SoftBank Tech Fund Falls Short of $108 Billion Fundraising Goal W
Goldman Private-Equity Push Takes a Hit W

Offbeat
U.S. Drones Scour for Rare Earths to End Reliance on China B
Summers Worries U.S. Tax Cuts May Lead to Financial Trouble B
How a Vegan Ends Up With Leather in Her Portfolio N

YRI
Daily Markets Overview

February 07 (Friday)

Markets
Dow rises more than 80 points to a record as Wall Street extends winning streak to four days C
China Tariff Relief Boosts Stocks W

Virus
China grows isolated as airlines cancel more than 50,000 flights amid coronavirus epidemic C
Coronavirus: The hit to the global economy will be worse than SARS C
Chinese Doctor Who Warned of Virus in Wuhan Dies, Hospital Says B
Big Economic Reads: Virus Spread Unnerves Global Central Bankers B

Central banks
Fed’s Quarles Calls Current Stance on Interest Rates Appropriate W
Fed includes ‘heightened stress’ in leveraged loans in 2020 bank stress tests R
Senate Democrats ask Fed’s Powell about repo market ahead of hearing R

US
Mnuchin Says U.S. 2020 Growth to Be Less Than 3% Due to Boeing W
US productivity rebounds in fourth quarter as labor costs growth slows C
New U.S. jobless claims fall 15,000 to 202,000 and return close to a 50-year low MW

US politics
Trump Denounces Impeachment, Saying He ‘Went Through Hell’ W
Guilty vote topples Mitt Romney’s old image NN
Top Democrat calls for audit of Iowa caucuses as problems delay final tally R
The Shoestring App Developer Behind the Iowa Caucus Debacle W

Geopolitics & trade
China to halve tariffs on some U.S. imports as coronavirus risks grow R
China to Cut Tariffs on $75 Billion of U.S. Goods W
Companies Find Ways to Bypass Tariffs on Chinese Imports W
Huawei Sues Verizon Over Patents W

Industries & companies
Autos: Tesla passes Apple as No. 1 holding on SoFi as young investors rush into surging stock C
Autos: Fiat Chrysler Thrives on Its North American Business W
FAANGs: Bezos’s Sales of Amazon Stock Reach $3.45 Billion in a Week B
Media: ViacomCBS to launch new streaming service blending CBS All Access with Paramount films, Viacom channels C
Social Media: Pinterest shares surge after earnings beat C
Tech: Uber shares spike as company says it will reach a key profitability goal sooner than expected C

Corporate finance
NYSE Owner Abandons Potential eBay Deal W

YRI
Daily Markets Overview

February 06 (Thursday)

Markets I
Dow jumps 480 points, S&P 500 closes at record as market shakes off coronavirus fears C
S&P 500, Nasdaq mint record highs after strong U.S. data, waning virus fears R
Market’s Highest Flyers Lose Favor in S&P 500’s Return to Record B

Markets II
Citi Warns of Euphoria, ‘Substantive’ Complacency on Stock Surge B
JPMorgan Cuts Equities in Asset Allocation on Virus Fallout B
Asian shares gain after solid U.S. data, focus on virus R
Coronavirus Threatens a Popular Crude Trade W

Virus
Coronavirus live updates: US can’t keep virus ‘out of our border,’ NYC has 2 new ‘patients under investigation’ C
China virus hits cruise ships, carmakers, airlines and Airbus R
China Deaths at 563; More Japan Cruise Cases Found: Virus Update B
China’s Virus Outbreak Prompts Patients to Scramble for Remedies W
Wuhan Coronavirus Hospitals Turn Away All but Most Severe Cases W

Central banks
Fedcoin? The U.S. central bank is looking into it R

US
Private payrolls soar in January, the best monthly gain in nearly 5 years C
U.S. trade deficit narrows in 2019 for first time in six years R

US politics
Trump acquitted of both charges in Senate impeachment trial C
Trump Touts Economy, Ignores Impeachment in State of the Union Speech W
Biden says he’s ‘not going anywhere’ after poor Iowa showing R
How Iowa Slipped Away From Joe Biden W
Bernie Sanders Backed by One-Third of New Hampshire Democrats in Poll B

Geopolitics & trade
U.S. must be ‘understanding’ if China virus impacts trade pledges: agriculture secretary R

Industries & companies
Autos: Tesla shares crater 17% after coronavirus delays Model 3 deliveries C
Autos: Ford Skids Again but Might Yet Pass GM W
FAANGs: Rapid Spread of Coronavirus Tests Apple’s China Dependency W
FAANGs: Justice Department Ramps Up Google Probe, With Heavy Focus on Ad Tools W
Retail: Nike CEO John Donahoe: Shoppers care about sustainability C
Retail: Nike Alphafly Sneakers Will Also Avoid Olympic Ban W

Corporate finance
Merck to Spin Off Slow-Growth Products Into New Company W
Casper Prices IPO at $12 W

Offbeat
Ancestry to lay off 6% of workforce because of a slowdown in the consumer DNA-testing market C

YRI
Daily Markets Overview

February 05 (Wednesday)

Markets
Wall Street jumps as China stimulus measures soothe virus worries R

Virus
Virus Cases Cross 20,000; First Hong Kong Victim Dies W
Researchers say the coronavirus may be more contagious than current data shows C
China virus claims second life off mainland, Macau casinos told to close R
China Is About to Find Out Whether Its Mass Quarantine Worked B
China Marshals Its Surveillance Powers Against Coronavirus W

US
Defense aircraft demand lifts U.S. factory orders; underlying softness remains R
Virus Has U.S. Gas Export Prospects Going From Bad to Worse B

US politics
Iowa Democrats to release first results after chaos R
Partisan rancor on display as senators explain their positions in Trump trial R

Geopolitics & trade
White House adviser says China virus to delay U.S. export surge from trade deal R
No meeting with Trump, but WTO chief sees U.S. ‘sense of urgency’ on trade reforms R
U.S. Pushing Effort for 5G Networks Without Huawei W
Chinese Lead Foreign Selling of U.S. Commercial Property W

Industries & companies
Autos: Ford loses $1.7 billion in fourth quarter on flawed Explorer launch, labor costs, China C
Autos: Tesla’s 2020 Advance Blows Past 100%, Leaving Wall Street in Awe B
Autos: Tesla draws comparisons to past speculative bubbles: ‘Stock is going to get absolutely clobbered’ C
FAANGs: Amazon Finally Closes Above $1 Trillion After Months of Flirting B
FAANGs: Instagram Brings In More Than a Quarter of Facebook Sales B
Media: Disney shares flat despite earnings beat C
Media: Disney now has 26.5 million Disney+ subscribers C
Media: Twitter to label deepfakes and other deceptive media R
Restaurants: Chipotle earnings beat Wall Street estimates C
Retail: Macy’s to close 125 stores, cut 2,000 corporate jobs, in hunt for growth C

Corporate finance
Boeing to Set Loan At $13 Billion After Lenders Step Up B
NYSE Owner Makes Offer to Buy eBay W

Technology
Anti-solar panel can generate electricity at night, researchers say

Offbeat
How to Handle Air Travel During the Coronavirus Outbreak W

YRI
Daily Markets Overview

February 04 (Tuesday)

Markets
Stocks rebound from Friday’s deep sell-off, but coronavirus fears linger C
Oil bear market deepens as OPEC talks emergency action to deal with coronavirus crisis C
Dollar gains on upbeat manufacturing data, virus threats cap yuan R

Virus
Virus Outbreak a Major Test of China’s System, Xi Says W
China accuses U.S. of whipping up panic over virus R
WHO chief: Widespread travel bans not needed R
Coronavirus causes Goldman Sachs to cancel annual partners meeting R
Coronavirus live updates: China says its death toll hits 425 as total cases rise to 20,438 C
Coronavirus Outbreak Likely Began With Bats, an Omen for Next Epidemic B

US
U.S. manufacturing rebounds; Boeing, coronavirus loom R
Global Factory Revival in Doubt as Coronavirus Spreads W

Emerging
Hong Kong Suffers First Annual Recession in a Decade W

US politics
Democrats get their first chance to choose their 2020 presidential candidate in Iowa, which has been at the center of Trump’s trade war C
Trump Trial Prosecutors Invoke Senate Duty Yet Await Acquittal B

Geopolitics & trade
Trump Administration Denying More Tariff-Exemption Requests W

Industries & companies
Autos: Tesla up 20% after Panasonic posts first quarterly profit at battery business R
Autos: The Auto Industry Wanted Easier Environmental Rules. It Got Chaos. W
FAANGs: Google still isn’t telling us about a key metric for YouTube and cloud: Profits C
FAANGs: Alphabet shares fall as Google misses on sales, YouTube revenue disappoints R
Financials: Goldman Sachs is close to a deal with Amazon to offer loans to the e-commerce giant’s merchants C
Tech: How Today’s Tech Run Differs From the Dot-Com Bubble W

Technology
FAA Moves Toward Certifying Specific Drones for Package Deliveries W

Offbeat
Clean Power So Cheap a Staunch Defender of U.S. Coal Went Green B

YRI
Daily Markets Overview

February 03 (Monday)

Markets
An analysis of the market sell-off: What’s likely causing it and how worried you should be C
If coronavirus fears escalate, Wells Fargo warns 10-year Treasury yields could fall another 30% C
Where to Find International Dividend Stocks Now BR
The Super Bowl Is the Biggest Moment for Ad Agencies. Investors Should Still Run Away From Their Stocks. BR

Central banks
China to inject $174 billion of liquidity on Monday as markets reopen R

Virus
The Big Question Hanging Over China’s Virus Attack: How Long Before Containment? BR
Coronavirus Kills Its First Victim Outside China as Toll Grows W
Trump says U.S. has ‘shut down’ coronavirus threat R
Ninth US case confirmed in California as White House studies economic impact of coronavirus outbreak C
Hong Kong Hospital Workers to Strike Over Coronavirus W

US
Boeing’s Woes Create Headwinds for U.S. Economy W

US politics
Americans Stuck to Their Views on Trump Through Impeachment Trial W
Revolution or return to decency? 2020 Democrats’ final Iowa arguments show their case against Trump C
‘I will pay more’: Bloomberg unveils $5 trillion tax plan targeting the wealthy and corporations C

Industries & companies
Retail: More retailers file for bankruptcy twice as they struggle with rising debt, pressure from Amazon C
Semiconductors: Buy These Car Chip Makers Instead of Tesla or GM BR
Tech: Tech Sector Fears Supply Delays as Effects of Virus Ripple Through China W

Corporate finance
JPMorgan’s Rising Stock Makes Buybacks More Expensive W

YRI
Daily Markets Overview

February 01 (Saturday)

Markets
Dow plummets 600 points in worst day since August as coronavirus fears grow C
Friday’s massive sell-off ruins ‘January barometer’ market signal C
Tech Sector Fears Supply Delays as Effects of Virus Ripple Through China W
Energy Stocks Are Black Eye on the S&P 500, Again W

Virus
CDC issues mandatory quarantine for first time in more than 50 years to Wuhan passengers in California C
Chinese Coronavirus Cases Rise to More Than 11,700: Virus Update B
China reports 46 new coronavirus deaths, total at 259 R
Gilead Sciences Offers Experimental Drug for Coronavirus Treatments, Testing W
There’s Another Virus Stalking America: It’s Called the Flu B

Central banks
Fed’s 2020 Rate Outlook Clouded by Framework Review W
Fed’s Clarida: U.S. economy in good place, coronavirus a ‘wildcard’ R

US
U.S. Manufacturing Titans Portend Gloom for Global Economy B
U.S. Consumer Spending, Wage Gains Eased in Late 2019 W

Europe
UK formally leaves the European Union and begins Brexit transition period C

US politics
Senate votes against calling new witnesses in Trump’s impeachment trial C
U.S. Adds Six Countries to Travel Ban List, Including Nigeria B

Industries & companies
FAANGs: Amazon Joins, Then Leaves, the $1 Trillion Club W
FAANGs: Zuckerberg: Our new honesty-first approach is ‘going to piss off a lot of people’ C
FAANGs: Facebook to Ban Posts About Fake Coronavirus Cures W
Media: Hulu CEO Randy Freer out as Disney moves to absorb the streaming service C
Pharma: First Peanut Allergy Drug Wins Approval From U.S. Regulators B
Tech: IBM Doubles Down on Cloud Bet With New Leadership Team W

Technology
Why Porsche and Toyota Are Investing in Flying Cars W

YRI
Daily Markets Overview