Dr. Ed's Blog

September 20 (Thursday)

Markets
Major Stock Indexes Near Records as Trade Fears Ease (W)
How trade-war fears have become less of a factor for stock-market investors (MW)
‘Safety’ Stocks Drive September Rally (W)
The Hype Around Pot Stocks Is Catching Up to the Crypto Craze (B)
Pot Stock Tilray Is Now Bigger Than American Air, Clorox, CBS (B)

Central banks
Bond Traders Move Closer to Fed, Ramping Up 2019 Rate Hike Bets (B)

US
U.S. Housing Starts Rose in August (W)
Employers Choose Bonuses Over Raises (W)

Europe
Italy Faces Crunch Time on Budget (W)

US politics
GOP to Push Ahead on Kavanaugh Pick Without FBI Probe (W)
Opioid Crisis Emerges as a Dominant Campaign Theme (W)
The Cyberthreats That Most Worry Election Officials (W)

Geopolitics & trade
China’s economy could feel far more pain than US in trade wars (C)
U.S. Congressmen Take Issue With Chinese Leader’s Trade Promises (W)
Latest U.S. Tariffs Could Make Auto Parts Pricier (W)

Industries & companies
Chemicals: Bayer Steps Up Fight Over Weed Killer Blamed for Cancer (W)
Consumers: P&G to Stop Selling Badger Hair Brushes on Cruelty Concerns (B)
FANGs: Amazon Will Consider Opening Up to 3,000 Cashierless Stores by 2021 (B)
FANGs: Apple’s New Strategy: Sell Pricier iPhones First (W)
FANGs: EU Starts Preliminary Probe of Amazon’s Treatment of Merchants (W)

Technology
New Apps Turn Cars Into Smartphones, Raising Safety Questions (W)
Google, T-Mobile Tackle 911 Call Problem (W)
Facial Recognition Goes Mainstream (W)
State Farm Drones to Assess Hurricane Damage in First Approval (B)

Offbeat
World Poverty Falls Below 750 Million (W)
Biggest U.S. Public Pension Looks to China for New Investment Chief (W)
Hackers Are Targeting Bitcoin With a Leaked NSA Software Tip, Report Says (B)

September 19 (Wednesday)

Markets
Stocks Shrug Off New Tariffs to Post Gains (W)
America First Won’t Last Much Longer in Stocks, JPMorgan Warns (B)
Investors load up on U.S. stocks while growing cautious about the rest of the world, survey shows (MW)
China’s Plunge-Protection Team Is Poised to Save Stock Markets (B)

Credit
China Cuts U.S. Treasury Holdings as Trade War Starts Heating Up (B)
Giant Debt Offer Shows Appetite for Low-Rated Companies (W)

Central banks
ECB Succession Race Tests German Faith in Bundesbank Model (W)

US
Benefit Gains Exceed Wage Growth, New Labor Data Show (W)
Here’s how much members of Generation X have racked up in debt (C)

Europe
Germany’s Intelligence Chief Loses Post Over Comments on Far-Right Protests (W)

US politics I
Senators Get Their Message Out Ahead of Kavanaugh Hearing (W)
Kavanaugh accuser Ford has yet to confirm she will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee (C)
Trump Says He Feels ‘Terrible’ for Kavanaugh Over Claim He Assaulted Woman (B)

US politics II
Kudlow suggests entitlement reform is coming, which is just what Democrats wanted to hear as they hammer GOP (C)
‘Another trillion in debt, here we come’: Cohn sees Trump working with Democrats on infrastructure (C)
Ted Cruz holds solid lead over Democrat Beto O’Rourke as GOP aims to avoid Texas disaster, poll says (C)

Geopolitics & trade
China Retaliates With Tariffs on More U.S. Goods (W)
U.S. Orders Chinese Media Firms to Register as Foreign Agents (W)
Canada’s Trudeau under growing pressure to get NAFTA deal done (C)
Koreas’ Talks Begin With Goodwill, if No Quick Results (W)

Industries & companies
FANGs: Facebook and Financial Firms Tussled for Years Over Access to User Data (W)
FANGs: iPhone XS and XS Max Review: Sit Tight for the XR (W)
Media: HBO and Netflix Tie for Emmy Awards (W)

Corporate finance
DOJ Opened Probe of Tesla After Musk’s Going-Private Tweet (W)

Offbeat
SpaceX’s First Moon Tourist Is a Japanese Billionaire (W)
Elon Musk considers going to the moon: ‘Maybe I would join on this’ SpaceX flight (C)
Three Crypto Exchanges May Be Operating Illegally, N.Y. Says (B)

September 18 (Tuesday)

Markets
Stocks Fall as Trade Threats Mount (W)
Election Uncertainty Spurs Investors to Hedge (W)

Japan
For Japan’s Aging Military, the Future Is a Gray Area (W)

US politics
Opinion: Why President Trump will keep escalating the trade war with China until after the midterm elections (MW)
Trump Promised a Rush of Repatriated Cash, But Company Responses Are Modest (W)
Kavanaugh, His Accuser Invited to Appear Before Senate Committee (W)
Democrats’ To-Do List: Translate Anger Into Actual Votes (W)
Former Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn: Jamie Dimon would make a ‘phenomenal president’ (C)

Geopolitics & trade
Trump Tariffs to Hit $200 Billion of China Goods on Sept. 24 (B)
Trump will slap 10% tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods — and they will go to 25% at year-end (C)
Trade war could become currency war depending on how China fights back (C)
A Twist in the U.S. Tariff Battle: ‘It’s Helping China Be More Competitive’ (W)
Japan Challenges China With Submarine Exercise (W)

Industries & companies
Consumer: Why Coca-Cola May Add a Cannabis Component to Drinks (B)
FANGs: Apple stock slips as analysts say iPhone preorders appear stable or down from last year (MW)
FANGs: Apple Avoids Tariffs on Smartwatches, Earbuds (W)
FANGs: iOS 12 Review: Free Update Revives Old Phones, Makes Siri Useful (W)
Financials: Mortgage lenders may again lower standards as applications drop, former CitiMortgage CEO says (MW)
Media: HBO vs. Netflix: What to Watch for at the Emmys (W)
Tech: Oracle Reports Sales That Miss Estimates on Slow Cloud Effort (B)

Corporate finance
Nestle to Sell Gerber Life Insurance Unit for $1.55 Billion (B)

Technology
Amazon plans to release at least 8 new Alexa devices, including a microwave oven and in-car gadget (C)

September 17 (Monday)

Markets
The Dow Gains 238 Points, Tariffs Be Damned (BR)
It’s Not All Tech. Small Stocks Are Powering the Market Higher. (W)
Evercore Says World-Beating S&P 500 Index Headed for New Highs (B)

Credit & currencies
The bond market is beginning to believe the Fed is serious about two more rate hikes this year (C)
Lehman-Era Alphabet Soup of Market Products Is Back on the Table (B)
Why the Euro Won’t Replace the Dollar (BR)
The (Debt) Clock Is Ticking (BR)

US
Industrial Production Rose in August (W)

Europe
Make America Germany Again (E)

China
China’s tech founders mostly keep an iron grip over their firms (E)

US politics
Trump’s Trade Fights With Mexico and China Weigh on GOP Incumbents (W)
Dimon Rules Out a Run in 2020, Regrets ‘Machismo’ in Trump Snub (B)
Kavanaugh Accuser Comes Forward (N)

Trade & cybersecurity
Trump prepares to squeeze China with new tariffs on $200 billion of goods, throwing talks in doubt (C)
China Weighs Skipping Trade Talks After U.S. Threats (W)
Why China could withstand the trade war far longer than Trump thinks (WP)
Tech’s New Problem: North Korea (W)

Industries & companies
FANGs: How Apple Got Upstaged (BR)
FANGs: Amazon Investigates Employees Leaking Data for Bribes (W)
Retail: #NikeBoycott Is Over. Why Activism Rarely Changes Sales. (W)
Tech: Dell Makes Its Case (W)

Technology
The Human Promise of the AI Revolution (W)
How to Buy a House the Wall Street Way (W)

Offbeat
Tallying the Economic Scars of a Hurricane (W)
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s new $2 billion philanthropic fund faces many unanswered questions (C)

September 15 (Saturday)

Markets
Stocks Hang on to Weekly Gains (W)
Rebound for Industrials Helps Stabilize U.S. Stocks (W)
Nobel Prize winner Shiller sees ‘bad times in the stock market’ ahead (C)

Central banks
San Francisco Fed Picks Longtime Insider Mary Daly as New Chief (B)
Janet Yellen Advocates ‘Lower-for-Longer’ Rates Plan for Future Slumps (B)

US
GDPNow in the third quarter of 2018 is 4.4 percent on September 14, up from 3.8 percent on September 11 (FRB-ATL)
U.S. Consumers Brighten, Upbeat About the Future (W)
Homeowners are sitting on $6 trillion in available cash, but they’re not tapping it (C)
Young people say these are the 2 main reasons they can’t buy homes (C)
Chicago is considering universal basic income to help struggling families (C)

US politics
Mueller Wins Manafort’s Cooperation in Plea Deal (B)
Kavanaugh Denies Allegation of Sexual Misconduct in High School (W)

Geopolitics & trade
Trump Wants $200 Billion in China Tariffs Despite Talks (B)
North Koreans Exploit Social Media’s Vulnerabilities to Dodge Sanctions (W)

Industries & companies
FANGs: Apple Watch Series 4 First Look: A Medical Wearable in Pretty Disguise (W)
FANGs: The real reason Amazon’s HQ2 will be near Washington, D.C. (C)
Media: Cord-Cutters Beware: Streaming TV Prices Are Marching Higher (W)
Retail: Sears Reports Widening Losses and Tumbling Sales (W)
Retail: Henri Bendel to Close After 123 Years (W)

Corporate finance
Mary Meeker Ditches Kleiner Perkins to Start Her Own Firm (B)

Offbeat
Florence Pounds Carolinas With Wind, Rain (W)
Most Powerful Typhoon of 2018 Set to Cause Disruption in Asia (B)
SpaceX Says It Signed Up Its First Moon Tourist (W)

September 14 (Friday)

Markets
We’re Living in What May Be the Most Boring Bull Market Ever (B)

Central banks I
BOJ Policy Makers Clash Over Banks’ Complaints (W)
ECB Lowers Growth Forecasts as It Confirms Stimulus Taper (W)
ECB Takeaways: End of Stimulus Approaches, but Caution Remains (W)
ECB Didn’t Discuss Much as Clock Ticks on QE Decision (B)
The Tricky Part of the Fed’s Next Rate Increases (W)

US
Warnings Keep Coming About a Downturn That Will Hit in 2020 (B)
Distrust, grit, relief, shock. What kids of the Great Recession think about money today (C)
Consumer Prices Moderate After Run-Up Earlier in 2018 (W)
As Economy Booms, U.S. Cities Report Slowing Revenue Growth (B)

US politics
House Republicans Move to Extend Individuals’ Tax Cuts (W)
U.S. Budget Deficit Widened in August, Treasury Says (W)
Feinstein Says She Has Relayed Information About Kavanaugh to Investigative Authorities (W)
Trump Hits Back at JPMorgan CEO James Dimon (W)

Geopolitics & trade
Trump Plans to Rebrand Nafta, Warns Canada (W)
Most Economists See Tariff Effects on U.S. Economy as Limited (W)
Taking a Closer Look at U.S. Exports to China (FRB-SL)
U.S. Sanctions Russia and Chinese Tech Firms as Alleged North Korean Front Companies (W)

Industries & companies
Autos: GM Recalls 1 Million Pickups and SUVs for Crash Risk (W)
FANGs: Apple’s Challenge: Win Over China With Pricey New iPhones (W)
Financials: Goldman’s Next CEO Replaces Finance Chief, Names Deputy (W)
Retail: Forget Airline Miles. Retailers Pile on Perks for Big Spenders. (W)
Retail: How Tech is Drawing Shoppers Back to Bricks-and-Mortar Stores (W)

Technology
The First Flying-Car Review (W)
Driverless Hype Collides With Merciless Reality (W)
Why Being First in 5G Matters (W)

Offbeat
Bernanke Admits Fed Made Mistakes Combating Crisis 10 Years Ago (B)
The Jets May Be Good. This Is Bad. (W)

September 13 (Thursday)

Markets
Wall Street Is Bullish on Global Economy Despite Emerging Markets (B)
Brent Hits $80 for First Time Since May as Supplies Tighten (B)

Central banks
Fed Should Raise Rates for the Next Year or Two, Brainard Says (W) | Speech
Economy Grows Moderately, But Trade Fears Rise, Fed’s Beige Book Says (W) | The Beige Book (FRB)
Economists See BOJ’s July Policy Tweaks as `Stealth Tapering’ (B)
BOJ Policy on Hold Until After 2019 Sales-Tax Hike, Survey Shows (B)

US
Median Household Income Rose 1.8% in 2017, Census Data Show (W)
Highest Median Household Income on Record? (Census)
Income and Poverty in the United States: 2017 (Census)

Emerging
Pakistan Pushes China to Realign Goals in Belt-and-Road Initiative (W)
There’s an Inflation Crisis Brewing in the Philippines (B)

US politics
There’s Never Been a President This Unpopular With an Economy This Good (B)
Jamie Dimon Quickly Backtracks on Bragging He Could Beat Trump (B)
Leaked video shows upset Alphabet execs responding to President Trump’s election in company meeting (C)

Trade
U.S. Asks China for New Round of Trade Talks Led by Mnuchin (B)
Japan, China Find Common Ground in Trump’s Tariffs as Leaders Meet (W)

Cybersecurity
Equifax, Before It Was Hacked, Feared Chinese Spying (W)
Nearly 600 Russia-Linked Accounts Tweeted About the Health Law (W)

Industries & companies
FANGs: Apple Launches Biggest, Priciest iPhone Lineup Ever (W)
FANGs: Here’s a first look at the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR (C)
FANGs: The danger in Apple’s iPhone pricing strategy (MW)

September 12 (Wednesday)

Markets
New Way to Play FANG Stocks Falls Short for Some Investors (W)
Hong Kong’s $2.1 Trillion Benchmark Stock Index Enters Bear Market (W)
Reliance on Soaring Stocks Leaves the U.S. Dollar in a ‘Fragile’ State (B)
These Are the Markets in Hurricane Florence’s Path (B)

Central banks
Markets See Highest Chance Yet of Two More Fed Hikes in 2018 (B)

US
U.S. Small Business Optimism Just Hit Its Highest Level in History (B)
Job Openings Exceed Unemployed Americans Again in July (W)
More Workers Are Quitting as Job Openings Rise (W)
Steel Workers Demand Higher Pay as Tariffs Lift Profits (W)
Older Workers Account for All Net Job Growth Since 2000 (FRB-SL)
Investors finally embrace big single-family rental companies a decade after the financial crisis (C)

China
China Replaces Family Planning With Family Development as Births Decline (W)

US politics
Trump told Gary Cohn to ‘print money’ to lower the national debt, according to Bob Woodward’s book (C)

Geopolitics & trade
China Woos U.S. Companies Again, Curbs Trade Threats (W)
China Seeks to Retaliate Against U.S. Over Dumping Violation (B)

Industries & companies
FANGs: Apple will probably lower iPhone prices on Wednesday — here’s why (C)

Offbeat
Robots Are Producing More of What You Eat (W)
The Government May Want to Buy Your Dying Mall (W)

September 11 (Tuesday)

Markets
S&P 500 Rises Ahead of Economic Data (W)
Economic Confidence Is Really High. Perhaps It’s Time to Sell. (W)
Borrowers Struggle to Raise Funds as Emerging Markets Tumble (W)
Here’s how junk bonds became a ‘quiet haven’ for investors (MW)

Central banks
Boston Fed President Backs Quarterly Rate Increases (W)

US
Americans Haven’t Felt This Good About Income Growth Since 2001 (B)

US politics
This chart shows the dramatic rise in corporate cash brought home since the tax cuts (C)
California Law Mandates Carbon-Free Electricity by 2045 (W)
Four States Could Determine Control of House (W)

Geopolitics & trade
Trump Card: Japan’s Abe Bets on Trade in Bid for New Term (W)
Trump Open to Second Kim Summit Despite Stalled Nuclear Talks (B)

Industries & companies
Autos: Tesla shares climb 8 percent after bullish analyst reports (C)
Retail: Nike’s Stock Regains Ground After Kaepernick Ad Controversy (B)

Technology
Robots Can Manage Money. But Even They Need Humans. (NYT)

Offbeat
Hurricane Florence Grows to Category 4 as Coastal Evacuations Begin (W)
Brain Data Could Help Read Moods, Potentially Treat Depression (W)
Most Teens Prefer to Chat Online, Rather Than in Person (W)

September 10 (Monday)

Markets
Asia markets broadly lower in morning trade as US-China trade jitters linger (C)
FAANG-Shunning Stock Pickers Just Had Worst Month Since 2009 (B)
The Nasdaq’s Plunge Was a Selloff Waiting to Happen (BR)

Central banks
Fed Ponders a New Tool to Avert Crises (W)
Japan’s Central Bank Won’t Tweak Policy Again Any Time Soon, Ex-Official Says (B)

US
Wages Are Rising. Will Inflation Follow? (W)
How to Spot the Next Financial Crisis (BR)

Europe
Google Case Asks: Can Europe Export Privacy Rules World-Wide? (W)

China
China Boosts Steel, Pressures Other Metals (W)

US politics
How the Midterm Elections Could Be Bullish for Stocks (BR)
All The President’s Friends Show Up to Reject Image of Turmoil (B)
Ex-Trump Adviser George Papadopoulos Sentenced to 14 Days in Prison (W)

Geopolitics & trade
Japan is worried about its alliance with America (E)
Trump Shows He’s Ready to Go All-In Against China on Tariffs (B)
Trump Presses Apple to Move Production to Avoid Tariffs (W)
Who pays for tariffs? (E)

Industries & companies
Media: Viacom Stock Is Worth Buying Regardless of CBS and Moonves (BR)
Tech: Why Microsoft thinks Amazon’s expansion is actually an opportunity for the software giant (C)

Technology
The 5G Race: China and U.S. Battle to Control World’s Fastest Wireless Internet (W)
Bitcoin Tracker One and Ether Tracker One Suspended by U.S. SEC (B)
Crypto Wipeout Deepens to $640 Billion as Ether Leads Declines (B)

Offbeat
An Alternative View of Boom and Bust Cycles (BR)
The 7 Best Books About the Financial Crisis (BR)
Florence intensifies, expected to become ‘an extremely dangerous’ hurricane targeting the US (C)
African swine flu is causing alarm in China—and beyond (E)