Dr. Ed's Blog

Mar 01 (Thursday)

Markets
If You Didn’t Sell Stocks This Month, FOMO May Be Why (W)
China stocks slide on growth and rate-rise fears (FT)
Why International Investors Aren’t Buying Treasurys (W)
Muni Market Headed for Worst Start of a Year Since 2008 Crisis (B)
The Dollar is Making Sense Again (W)

US
Year-End Growth Revised Down; First Quarter Looks Set to Slow Even More (W)
How Low Can Unemployment Really Go? Economists Have No Idea (N)
Paychecks Are Getting Bigger. Don’t Get Too Used to It. (N)
Overdue US credit card debt hits 7-year high (FT)

China
China Stifles Criticism of Plan to Extend Xi’s Reign (W)
China manufacturing hit by sharpest fall in 6 years (FT)

Emerging
India’s Quarterly GDP Increases 7.2% (W)

Geopolitics
Germany Says Government Network Was Breached (W)

Industries & companies
FAANGs: Amazon Acquires Ring, Maker of Video Doorbells (W)
Media: Netflix Climbs 50% in Two Months and Now Outruns Price Targets (B)
Wireless: T-Mobile Joins 5G Race With Early Service Set for New York, Los Angeles (W)

Corporate finance
Sky Is the Limit in Battle for Sky (W)
Spotify Kicks Off Its Unusual IPO (W)

Offbeat
Dick’s Ends Sales of Assault-Style Rifles, Raises Age for Gun Buyers (W)

Feb 28 (Wednesday)

Markets
U.S. Stocks Sell Off After Powell Talks (W)
ETFs Weren’t to Blame for the Market Correction, Powell Says (B)
Dividends Climb, as Does Competition From Bond Yields (W)
Japanese Are Selling U.S. Bonds Over Budget, Dollar Fears (W)
Tax Reform Shakes Up the Muni Market Landscape (Morningstar)
Opinion: The market dogs that didn’t bark (MW)

Asset management
Investing in Index Funds Is No Longer Passive (B)
Fidelity’s Income Rises 54% Even as Active Outflows Persist (B)

Central banks
Powell Testimony Boosts Odds of Four Rate Rises in 2018 (W)
Here’s What We Learned From Powell’s First Fed Chair Testimony (B)
ECB’s Weidmann Signals Openness to Succeeding Draghi as President (W)

US
U.S. Consumer Confidence Reaches Highest Level Since 2000 (W)
U.S. Home Prices Continued to Rise at End of 2017 (W)
Construction Is Holding Back the Economy (B)
Warning Signs: A Theory of America on the Edge (W)

Europe
The Real Italian Job: Make the Economy More Productive (W)
Europe’s centre left has lost voters’ trust (FT)

China
Who Is ‘Uncle He’? The Man in Charge of China’s Economy (W)

US politics
Multistate Lawsuit Takes Aim at ‘Heart’ of Affordable Care Act (W)

Geopolitics & cybersecurity
U.S. Confirms Steep Duties on Chinese Aluminum Foil, Industry Group Says (B)

Industries & companies
FAANGs: The Next Big Threat to Consumer Brands (Yes, Amazon’s Behind It) (W)
FAANGs: Google gets 2.4m requests to delete search results (FT)
Financials: JPMorgan Says Tax Changes Will Lead to More Profitability (W)
Financials: JPMorgan urges Fed to loosen capital shackles (FT)
Financials: Goldman Sachs, Adviser to the Elite, Wants to Be Your Local Banker (W)
Industrials: White House Nears Air Force One Deal With Boeing (W)
Retail: Macy’s Has a Spring in its Step (W)

Corporate finance
Comcast’s Sky Takeover Bid Scrambles Deals for Fox and Disney (W)
Microchip Technology Nears Deal to Buy Microsemi (W)
Unilever chief: Kraft Heinz bid forced compromises (FT)

Technology & cryptocurrency
This PC Runs on Any Device—and Never Needs an Upgrade (W)
Ford Targets Miami to Test Driverless Food Delivery (W)
Levi’s Wants Lasers, Not People, to Rip Your Jeans (W)
All the Ways Regulators Plan to Tame Bitcoin (B)

Offbeat
Dimon calls shareholder meetings ‘waste of time’ (FT)

Feb 27 (Tuesday)

Markets
U.S. Stocks Extend Recovery, Lifted by Tech Rally (W)
Global FANG Index Just Hit a Record High (B)
Quantitative hedge funds take February beating (FT)
How Softbank, World’s Biggest Tech Investor, Throws Around Its Cash (W)
In New Jersey, New York, Tax Overhaul May Be Lifting Muni Bonds (B)

Central banks
Powell Faces Policy ‘Combativeness’ in Riskier Post-Yellen World (B)
They’re Richer Than Ever in the Land of Negative Interest Rates (B)

US
Home Sales Declines Not Yet Alarming Economists (W)

China
China’s Communist Party Proposal Sets Stage for Xi to Hold On to Power (W)

US politics
Trump Sees Role for Mental Institutions in Stopping Mass Shootings (W)

Geopolitics & cybersecurity
Trump is considering a move that would be his biggest step yet toward a trade war (BI)
Supreme Court to Hear Microsoft Case on Overseas Data (W)
New York is quietly working to prevent a major cyber attack that could bring down the financial system (BI)

Industries & companies
FAANGs: Apple’s China Lesson: Think Different, but Not Too Different (W)
FAANGs: Apple Plans Giant High-End iPhone, Lower-Priced Model (B)
Industrials: GE Overhauls Board, Dumps Longest- Serving Directors, Names Outsiders (W)
Logistics: XPO Unit Faces Suit in California Over Allegedly Misclassifying Drivers (W)
Tech: Galaxy S9 First Look: Samsung Upgrades Camera…and Little Else (W)
Wireless: FTC’s Data-Speed Suit Against AT&T Allowed to Proceed (W)

Corporate finance
Qualcomm Warms to Broadcom Bid, but Price Is Sticking Point (W)

Offbeat
Buffett Won’t Boycott Gun Makers, ‘That Would Be Ridiculous’ (W)
Georgia’s lieutenant governor threatens to retaliate against Delta unless it reverses its decision on the NRA (BI)

Feb 26 (Monday)

Markets
Investors’ Zeal to Buy Stocks With Debt Leaves Markets Vulnerable (W)
Goldman Says Stocks May Plunge 25% If 10-Year Yield Hits 4.5% (B)
Equity Investors Fleeing Wall Street Are Turning to Europe (B)
European Investors Are Now Blocked From Investing in One of the Most Popular ETFs (B)

Currencies & commodities
Dollar-Rate Breakdown Exposes Foreign-Exchange Mystery (W)
2018 Energy Roundtable: Don’t Give Up on Oil (BR)

Central banks
Fed Report Signals No Worries About Recent Market Volatility (W)
Fed plays down worries of US labour shortages (FT)
Japan’s central bank chooses continuity over tradition (E)

US
Coal Jobs Get a Boost—From Exports (W)

China
China’s Communist Party Proposal Sets Stage for Xi to Hold Onto Power (W)

US politics
Congress Returns to Washington Under Pressure to Act on Guns (W)

US tax reform
Tax Changes Could Spur Swap Meet for Used Goods (W)
Berkshire Reaps $29 Billion Windfall From New Tax Plan (W)

Geopolitics
North Korea Olympic Delegation Says Regime ‘Fully Willing’ to Talk to U.S. (W)

Industries & companies
Autos: Fiat Chrysler to kill off diesel in all cars by 2022 (FT)
FAANGs: Apple to Store Sensitive Encryption Keys in China (W)
Industrials: GE plans to restate earnings for past two years (FT)
Retail: Investors put faith in traditional US retailers (FT)
Wireless: Wireless Companies to Start Small With 5G Rollouts (W)

Corporate finance
Warren Buffett’s Annual Letter: Buffett Laments High Price of Acquisitions (BR)
Buffett Says He Needs to Make a ‘Huge’ Deal (B)

Technology
Wrapping Your Mind Around Quantum Computing (BR)

Offbeat
Delta and United Join Companies Dumping the NRA (B)
We’re All Gun Owners, and Here’s Why (BR)

Feb 24 (Saturday)

Markets
Currency Markets May Be About to Get Some Direction (B)

Central banks
Fed Report Signals No Worries About Recent Market Volatility (W)
Paper Argues Fed Bond Buying Plan Largely Ineffective (W)

US
Why the Inflation Picture Looks Starkly Different for Businesses and Consumers (W)
Video: Ed Yardeni: I think inflation is dead (C)
Bond King Gundlach says it would be a ‘miracle’ if White House’s inflation view works out (C)
Fed Says U.S. Labor Market Near or Beyond Full Employment (B)
Prime-Age Men May Never Return to U.S. Workforce, Fed Paper Says (B)

China
China’s ‘Heavy Hand’ With Anbang Rattles Analysts (W)
Chairman of China’s Geely Has 9.7% Stake in Daimler (W)

US politics
Trump infrastructure plan comes up $1 trillion short of its funding goal, analysis finds (C)

Geopolitics & trade
Global Trade Flows Rise at Quickest Rate Since 2011 (W)
U.S. Unveils New Round of Sanctions on North Korea (W)

Industries & companies
Airlines: Airlines Are Booming, So Why Are Investors Worried? (W)
FANGs: This company [Amazon] built one of the world’s most efficient warehouses by embracing chaos
FANGs: Nobody Wants to Let Google Win the War for Maps All Over Again (B)
Financials: Citigroup to refund $335m to credit card customers (FT)
Industrials: GE Cuts $2.4 Billion From Biggest Pension Deficit on S&P 500 (B)

Corporate finance
US tax reform won’t spur huge buybacks and dividends (FT)
Dropbox Files for Its Initial Public Offering (W)

Offbeat
Drug That Promises to Kill Flu in a Day Approved in Japan (W)

Feb 23 (Friday)

Markets
Wall Street climbs as interest rate concerns ease (R)
Corporate Earnings Look Good, But Investors Already Know That (W)
If You Believe Quants, Nothing Happened in Markets This Month (B)

Credit
Opinion: ‘Bond vigilantes’ should die a quiet death (MW)
Spotted: Some Possible Good News In Rising Bond Yields (W)

Asset management
Goldman Sachs Raises $2.5 Billion to Buy Stakes in Private-Equity Firms (W)
How Gargantuan Can Private Equity Get? (W)

Central banks
Fed Officials Say Economy Is Ready for Higher Rates (N)
Fed’s Randal Quarles hails buoyant US economy (FT)
Fed’s Dudley Warns on Cryptocurrencies (W)
ECB minutes reveal fears over Trump currency wars (FT)
ECB Keeps Guidance Change on the Radar for First Half of 2018 (B)

US
Leading Economic Indicators Index Rises (W)
The Economy Is Getting Hotter. Is a Productivity Boom Next? (N)
To Get Into the 1%, You Need Adjusted Gross Income of $480,930 (B)

Europe
‘Frugal four’ team up against Brussels’ budget plans (FT)

US politics
Pass-Through Businesses Rethink Their Status in Wake of Tax Law (W)
Trump Suggests Giving Bonuses to Trained and Armed Teachers (N)
N.R.A. Chief Invokes 2nd Amendment in Attack on Democrats (N)

Geopolitics
The Big Loophole That Helped Russia Exploit Facebook: Doctored Photos (W)
Olympics Closing Ceremony Will Be Chance for Ivanka Trump, North Koreans to Meet (W)

Industries & companies
Autos: Tesla Begins Taking Model 3 Orders (W)
Autos: Tesla Wants to Help You Charge Your Electric Car at the Office (B)
Financials: Democrats win bank backing ahead of deregulation vote (FT)
Financials: Barclays swings to net loss of almost £2bn (FT)
REITS: Real estate investors suffer bond market blues (FT)
Retail: The Trend in Online Shopping: Not Shopping Online (W)

Corporate finance
Companies Could Get More Flexibility to Launch IPOs (W)

Technology
What Bitcoin Rout? Sales of New Digital Tokens Are Still Soaring (W)
Limiting the downsides of artificial intelligence (FT)

Offbeat
China’s Approach to 2022 Winter Olympics: Faster, Higher, Stronger, Cheaper (W)

Feb 22 (Thursday)

Markets
U.S. Stocks Pare Gains After Fed Minutes (W)
17 reasons for a weak dollar (FT)

Central banks
Fed Officials Marked Up Inflation Outlook in January (W) | Minutes
Some Fed officials worry inflation will stay below their target (BI)
Wall Street Overreacts to Data But Fed Shouldn’t, Kashkari Says (B)

US
Home Sales Post Their Sharpest Drop in Three Years (W)
Why Productivity Growth May Be Poised to Recover (W)
Can’t Wait a Month for Inflation Data? Daily Gauge Shows Prices in Real Time (W)

US politics
US proposes overhaul of ‘too big to fail’ regime (FT)
Trump Takes Step to Ban ‘Bump Stocks’ (W)
Trump Wants to Turn Space Into a Free-Market Paradise (B)
Democrats Counter GOP Tax-Cut Pitch by Warning of Long-Term Pain (B)

Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Task Force to Protect Elections Is Unveiled (W)

Industries & companies
FAANGs: Amazon Is Taking Over the Stock Market, Too (W)
FAANGs: Facebook seen struggling with new European privacy rules (FT)
FAANGs: Netflix, Amazon win new favor after Wall Street sell-off (BI)
Financials: JPMorgan plans massive HQ tower in New York’s Park Ave (FT)
Industrials: How Jeffrey Immelt’s ‘Success Theater’ Masked GE’s Rot (W)
Industrials: 3M, State of Minnesota Settle For $850 Million (W)
Retail: Walmart Stumbles in Shift to Web Selling (W)
Tech: Airbnb’s Push Into ‘Experiences’ Has Been a Slog (W)

Cryptocurrency
The Rise of Bitcoin Factories: Mining for the Masses (W)

Offbeat
Sorry, America, but you have to pay taxes on your bitcoin — here’s how (MW)

Feb 21 (Wednesday)

Markets
Fear’s Gone But Greed Hasn’t Materialized in U.S. Stock Options (B)
Is a 3% Treasury Yield Good News or Bad? For Now, Investors Say Good (W)
Market’s Red Line for Yields Isn’t Where Everyone Thinks It Is (B)
U.S. Floods the Market With $179 Billion of Debt in Just One Day (B)
Two ways to read Mrs Watanabe’s splurge on Japanese stocks (FT)

Central banks
How Japan’s Central Bank Policy Is Driving Speculation About Stimulus (B)

US
House Republicans Take First Step to Tackle Opioid Crisis (W)

Europe
‘Mini-Merkel’ joins Germany’s political big league (FT)

China
China’s tech darlings have a value problem (FT)

US politics
Trump Administration’s Deregulation Push Heads for Outer Space (W)

Geopolitics & cybersecurity
Russian Trolls Tweeted Disinformation Long Before U.S. Election (W)
Why Was Facebook So Easy to Hijack? (W)
North Korea Repositions Hacking Unit for Global Cyberattacks (W)
Lawmakers to Equifax: Extend Free Credit Protection Services (W)

Industries & companies
Consumer: Coca-Cola’s Game Plan: Reformulate and Expand (W)
Insurance: Reinsurers Hit by Catastrophe Losses, Rising Competition (W)
Retail: Walmart’s Catch-Up Game With Amazon Is Crushing Its Bottom Line (B)
Retail: Walmart’s Online Sales Come Under Pressure (W)
Retail: Gap Is Replacing CEO of Flagship Brand (W)
Wireless: Judge denies AT&T access to White House correspondence on Time Warner deal (R)

Corporate finance
Qualcomm Raises Bid for Chip Maker NXP to $44 Billion (W)
Albertsons Scoops Up Remainder of Rite Aid in Face of Online Threat (W)

Cryptocurrency
ETF Veteran Goes Crypto, Predicting Multitrillion-Dollar Market (B)

Offbeat
Household Debt Is Rising Quickly Around the Globe (W)

Feb 20 (Tuesday)

Markets
Stock swings making you woozy? Better get used to it (CBS)
What Wall Street Worries? Stocks Make a Comeback (W)
Beware the all-knowing macro forecasting genius (FT)
Tudor Veteran Says Just a Little More Inflation Could Rock Bonds (B)
Don’t Wish for a Stronger Dollar (BR)

Central banks
Fed Chairman Powell Taps Two Senior Advisers (W)

US
The Ghost of Inflation Reappears (BR)
Where Will Consumers Spend Their Tax Cut? (W)
The Boom Turns to Bust for Millennials (B)

US politics
Trump Backs Idea to Improve Background Checks for Guns (W)
FBI chief urged to quit over school shooting (FT)
Halting Russian Meddling Won’t Be Easy for Tech Giants (W)
Tax Regulations at Center of GOP Dispute (W)

Geopolitics
How Unwitting Americans Were Deceived by Russian Trolls (N)

Industries & companies
Financials: Deutsche Bank cuts up to 500 banking and trading jobs (FT)
REITs: REITs Are Sending a Powerful Buy Signal (BR)
Restaurants: KFC lays an egg as chicken runs out (FT)

Technology
Why A.I. Researchers at Google Got Desks Next to the Boss (N)
The Robots Are Coming for Garment Workers (W)
Bitcoin Thieves Threaten Real Violence for Virtual Currencies (N)

Feb 17 (Saturday)

Markets
Stocks On Track for Best Week in Years (W)
Selloff Grips Credit Funds as Rate Fears Take Hold in Market (B)
Pimco calls top in 10-year Treasury yields at 3% (FT)
Worries over interest rates spread to junk bond funds (FT)
Higher bond yields fail to arrest weakening dollar (FT)

Asset Management
Pimco Posts Best Quarterly Profit Since Bill Gross Left (W)
Wall Street Snaps Up Cheap Single-Family Rentals (B)
Investing: activism enters the mainstream (FT)

Central banks
Bank of Japan Hands Kuroda a New Five-Year Term (W)

US
U.S. Home Construction Rose 9.7% in January (W)
Jumbo Loans Are New Threat in U.S. Student Debt Market (W)

Europe
Renzi fights to avoid Italy election debacle (FT)

US politics
Mitt Romney Announces Run for Utah Senate Seat (W)

Industries & companies
Consumer: Food Makers Still Searching for Stronger U.S. Sales (W)
Consumer: Kraft Heinz Misses Estimates Adding Pressure to Make a Deal (B)
Consumer: Coca-Cola Gains After New Drinks, Coke Zero Boost Earnings (B)
Consumer: Campbell Declines After Walmart Woes Take a Toll on Soup Sales (B)
Retail: What Stores Do With $90 Billion in Merchandise Returns (W)

Corporate finance
Roche to Acquire Healthcare-Software Company Flatiron for $1.9 Billion (W)
Qualcomm Rejects Broadcom’s Offer, Says Open to More Talks (B)

Technology
Apple’s Business Model Will Backfire in Self-Driving Cars (B)

Offbeat
Tech: Tech Luminary Peter Thiel Parts Ways With Silicon Valley