wiar 11-21-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 21 (Tuesday)

Markets
Developed Economies’ Stock Gains Pale Beside Emerging Markets’ GDP Boom (W)
The Long Bond—Not Fed—Is Deciding Dollar’s Future (W)

Central banks
Yellen to Leave Fed Board When New Chief Takes Over (W)

Europe
Merkel Weighs New Vote After Collapse of Coalition Talks (W)
Germany’s Political Impasse Will Stymie Further European Change (W)

China
China’s $15 Trillion Problem: Investors Don’t Believe in Losses (B)

US politics
Ron Johnson Is ‘Encouraged’ on Taxes But Slams ‘Awful Process’ (B)
Where senators stand on the Republican tax plan (FT)
Republicans Are Throwing Away Their Shot at Tax Reform (The Atlantic)

Geopolitics
U.S. to Label North Korea as ‘Sponsor of Terrorism’ (W)
U.S. Rebuffs China’s Charm Offensive, Edging Closer to Trade War (W)

Industries & companies
Autos: Volvo Promises Uber Fleet of Self-Driving Taxis by 2019 (W)
Banking: Zions to Challenge ‘Big Bank’ Label (W)
FANGs: FANG Stocks May Not Be ‘Tech’ Stocks in 2018 (W)
Industrials: GE Directors Buy Up Slumping Shares Ahead of Board Winnowing (B)
Media: FCC to Outline Plan to Roll Back Rules on Net Neutrality (W)
Retail: Retailers Try New Pricing Tricks to Battle Amazon on Black Friday (W)

Corporate finance
AT&T Sued by U.S. Seeking to Block Merger With Time Warner (B)
AT&T says DoJ’s Time Warner suit will chill deals (FT)
Takeovers Roar to Life Amid Footsteps From Tech Giants (W)
Marvell Confirms $6 Billion Purchase of Chip Maker Cavium (W)
Toshiba to Raise $5.3 Billion in Sale of New Shares (W)

Offbeat
Basic Income: $17,000 a Year, No Strings Attached (W)
CBS Suspends Charlie Rose, PBS Halts His Show Following Allegations (B)

wiar 11-20-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 20 (Monday)

Markets
The Market’s Journey: Don’t Stop Believing (BR)
Strategist Predicts Asian Shares Will Double (BR)

Commodities
Fuelled by Middle East tension, the oil market has got ahead of itself (E)
Mine Shutdown Heats Up Uranium Prices (BR)

Central banks
Trump’s New Fed Chair Won’t Be Afraid of Trump (B)
Goldman Sachs Sees Four 2018 Fed Rate Hikes as U.S. Growth Gains (B)
A Smooth Exit Seen for Mortgage Securities (BR)

Europe
Struggling Greek businesses cling to recovery hopes (FT)

China
China Home Prices Stop Three-Month Drop as Market Stabilizes (B)
What a debt crisis in the provinces says about governing China (E)
How China’s Acquisitive HNA Group Fell From Favor (W)

Japan
What five years of Abenomics has and has not achieved (E)

Emerging
Mugabe Faces Impeachment After Failing to Step Down in Zimbabwe (B)
How Zimbabwe’s economy was brought to the brink of collapse (FT)

US politics
GOP Steams Ahead With Tax Overhaul (W)
Key GOP Senator Cites Concerns Over Senate Tax Bill (W)
A Tax Provision That Would Exempt Mutual-Fund Firms but Not Individuals (W)

Geopolitics
Nafta: Who Should Worry? (BR)

Industries & companies
Autos: Tesla Plays the Long Game With Semi Truck (W)
Energy: Keystone XL Day of Reckoning Comes to Nebraska After a 9-Year Pipeline Fight (B)
Energy: Conoco sets $50-a-barrel ceiling for oil projects (FT)
Industrials: GE Housecleaning Will Alter Board’s Makeup (W)
Industrials: The Risk in GE’s Dividend Cut (BR)
Retail: The Holiday Outlook Brightens for Retail Chains (BR)
Tech: IBM: Blue Chip at a Bargain Price (BR)
Tech: The Secret to Tech’s Next Big Breakthroughs? Stacking Chips (W)

Cybersecurity
U.S. Warned of Russian Firm Kaspersky as Early as 2004 (W)

Corporate finance & accounting
Unicorns: What Are They Really Worth? (BR)
The Latest Path to Silicon Valley Riches: Stake Sales (W)
Community Health Systems in Talks to Extend Nearly $2 Billion in Debt (W)
New Accounting Rule to Revamp Companies’ Financials (W)
Timelier provisions may make banks’ profits and lending choppier (E)

Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Soars Past $8,000 as Technology Shift Concern Vanishes (B)

Offbeat
The rich get richer, and millennials miss out (E)

wiar 11-18-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 18 (Saturday)

Markets
Wall Street Will Be Riding the Boom From Tax Plan, Mnuchin Says (B)
EM jitters cast shadow over investment horizons (FT)

Central banks
Fed’s Williams calls for global rethink of monetary policy (R)

US
U.S. Home Starts Reach Highest Level in a Year, Permits Rise (B)

Europe
German Coalition Talks Fail to Bridge Gaps as Deadline Passes (W)
Merkel’s efforts to form coalition government falter (FT)
France Gambles on Jobless Benefits for Those Who Quit (W)

China
Despite Big Push From Beijing, Electric Cars Struggle in China (W)

US tax reform
Senate Tax Debate Devolves Into Angry Shouting Match (N)
Tax reform roadblocks emerge in Senate (PO)
Tax Talks Advance Without an Analysis of Economic Impact (W)
The Tax Proposals That Are Most Likely to Pass in Washington (W)
Who Really Gets a Tax Increase if the Individual Mandate Goes Away? (N)

US politics
Senators’ Calls for Ethics Probes Puts Focus on Secretive Panel (W)
Can Democrats Win the House? Early Clues Emerge (W)
Why Trump won’t touch the Moore harassment scandal (PO)

Geopolitics
New U.S. Plan: Don’t Let North Korean Missiles Fly Very Far (N)
Trump Is Warned of the Political Pain Nafta’s Death Would Bring (B)

Industries & companies
Autos: VW to invest more than €34bn in electric and self-driving cars (FT)
Consumer: Rosenfeld, CEO who changed the snacks aisle, leaves Mondelez (FT)
FANGs: Quantifying the Amazon Effect at Whole Foods (B)
Media: BuzzFeed Falls Short of Targets (W)
Retail: Wal-Mart’s Web Clout Drives Shares to Record (W)
Tech: Apple Hits Pause on HomePod, Adding to List of Delays (W)

Corporate finance
Murdoch Empire in Play as Suitors Line Up for 21st Century Fox Assets (W)
Meredith Has Submitted a Bid for Time Inc. of $17 to $20 a Share (W)
Stitch Fix Shares Climb After Disappointing IPO (W)

Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Is the New Crisis Currency (B)
Hollywood Hitmaker Plans to Fund Next Blockbuster With Crypto (B)
Opinion: The reasons Americans give for buying bitcoin show they have no idea what they’re doing (MW)

Offbeat
Aging, the longevity economy and what it means to you (U)
Four Years on Campus Might Be One Too Many (B)

wiar 11-17-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 17 (Friday)

Markets
Small-caps rally with House vote on tax bill (C)
An Index Reshuffle Could Rip the FANGs Out of Your ETFs (B)
Treasury’s New Approach to Debt: Go Short (W)

Central banks
Fed’s Williams: Time For Central Bankers to Weigh New Policy Toolkit (W)
Fed’s Brainard: Consumers Need Control of Their Financial Data (W)

China
China’s central bank injects $47bn into financial system (FT)

US politics
House Passes Tax Bill in First Step Toward Historic Overhaul (B)
The GOP tax plan just passed the House, but the Senate’s bill is officially ‘in trouble’ (BI)
If Trump’s new tax plan passes and you make $500,000 a year, you’re about to get screwed (BI)
Sen. Al Franken Faces Allegations of Sexual Misconduct (W)
Trump Wants Alabama Voters to Decide Moore’s Fate, Sanders Says (B)

Geopolitics
Unification North Korea Wants Won’t Happen, South Says (W)

Industries & companies
FANGs: Amazon is transforming Whole Foods into a tech store (BI)
Media: BuzzFeed Set to Miss Revenue Target, Signaling Turbulence in Media (W)
Pharma: The FDA is strengthening its warnings about heart attack and stroke risks associated with common pain drugs (BI)
Retail: Wal-Mart Posts Strongest U.S. Sales in Nearly a Decade (W)

Corporate finance
Caesars Entertainment to Buy Indiana Casinos in $1.7 Billion Deal (W)
Comcast Approached 21st Century Fox About an Acquisition (W)
Comcast and Verizon Are Interested in Fox’s Film, TV Assets (B)
Barnes & Noble Shares Surge on Report Activist Is Seeking a Buyout (B)

Cryptocurrency
Prepare to bet against bitcoin

Offbeat
Deception and Ruses Fill the Toolkit of Investigators Used by Weinstein (N)
Leonardo da Vinci Painting Sells for $450.3 Million, Shattering Auction Highs (N)

wiar 11-16-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 16 (Thursday)

Markets
Global stocks unsettled by commodities sell-off (FT)
Markets Love Tax Cut Hype, Not the Reality (B)
Contagion worries rise after junk bond sell-off (FT)
Aiding Oil’s Rebound: U.S. Wildcatters Show Restraint (W)

Central banks
Rising retail sales, weekly wages and inflation point to positive cycle for Fed (R)
Fed’s Evans Says His Anxiety Over Low Inflation Is Growing (W)

US
U.S. Consumer Prices Edged Up in October (W)

Europe
A Specter Is Haunting Europe’s Recovery: Zombie Companies (W)
Italy’s Far Right Flexes Campaign Muscle (W)

China
Asia’s Tech Giants Are Making Analysts Play Catch-Up (W)
China Is Back to Building Oil Inventories (B)

US politics
House could pass tax reform if Senate adds health mandate repeal: Ryan (R)
Two U.S. Senate Republicans critical of party’s tax plan (R)
GOP Sen. Johnson Opposes Tax Plan, Undermining Effort (W)
Senate GOP Adds Tax Twist (W)

Geopolitics & terrorism
U.S. Has Leverage Over Nafta, Ross Says (W)

Industries & companies
Areospace: Airbus clinches $49.5bn single aisle aircraft deal (FT)
Financials: Under Trump, Banking Watchdog Trades Its Bite for a Tamer Stance (N)
Industrials: Submarine Maker Struggles to Find Workers (W)
Retail: Target slides on holiday shopping season worries (FT)
Shipping: U.S. delivery companies dig deep to hire holiday season help (R)
Tech: The ‘Big Five’ Could Destroy the Tech Ecosystem (B)

Corporate finance
Why a DOJ vs. AT&T-Time Warner Case Could Be a Close Call (W)
What Is Uber Really Worth? (W)
Mattel Drops on Report That It Rebuffed Approach From Hasbro (B)

Technology
How the Robot Revolution Could Create 21 Million Jobs (W)

Offbeat
Army Failed to Send Up to 20% of Convictions to Lists (W)
Weinstein Co. Sells ‘Paddington 2’ Rights as It Explores Options (W)

wiar 11-15-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 15 (Wednesday)

Markets
‘Irrational Exuberance’ May Rule the Roost in Stock Markets (B)
A Late-Cycle Market Doesn’t Mean Sell Now, Morgan Stanley Says (B)
High-Yield Canary Isn’t Singing About Markets Doom (W)
Euro jumps after strong German growth data (FT)
No end in sight for passive boom, says investing pioneer (FT)

Central banks
Dallas Fed chief ‘actively considering’ December rate rise (FT)
White House Weighs El-Erian for Fed Vice Chairman (W)
Top Central Bankers Defend Stimulus Efforts (W)
Central bankers warn of limits to guidance (FT)

US
U.S. Producer Prices Rose in October (W)
Manufacturing Rides Rising Tide (W)
U.S. Household Debt Reaches New Record (W)

Japan
Japan Extends Growth Streak to Seven Consecutive Quarters (W)

China
China Throws Lifeline to Developers Hitting Record Wall of Debt (B)

US politics
Obamacare Noses Into the Tax Debate, Bringing Along Baggage (B)
Senate Tax Plan to Seek Repeal of ACA Individual Mandate (W)
Critics Hit GOP Tax Plan for Small Businesses, Partnerships (W)
Tax Bills Keep ‘1031 Exchange’ and Add Other Commercial Property Perks (W)
Cohn: ‘We’ve Got to Get Taxes Done This Year’ (W)
McConnell Considers Replacing Moore, Who Says #DitchMitch (B)
Sessions Says He Forgot About Russia Meeting But Didn’t Lie (B)

Geopolitics
Trump’s Trade Barbs Push Asian Nations Closer to China’s Orbit (B)
Forecasts for the New World Order of 2030 (B)

Industries & companies
Consumer: What a Combined Hasbro-Mattel Could Mean for Toys (W)
Energy: BMW Dumps Coal in Pledge for 100% Renewable Power (B)
FANGs: Google Pays to Put Search Back on Firefox Browser in U.S. (B)
FANGs: Cities Compete to Host Amazon (W)
Industrials: GE Shares Have a Second Bad Day (W)
Industrials: GE’s Market Cap Surpassed By Boeing for First Time Ever (W)
Retail: The Cause and Consequences of the Retail Apocalypse
Tech: Foxconn’s Profit Down 39% Amid iPhone Production Woes (W)

wiar 11-14-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 14 (Tuesday)

Markets
European stocks unsettled by weak earnings (FT)
One of the World’s Biggest Funds Is Slashing Its Exposure to Stocks (B)
Maybe Strangely Low Stock Volatility Isn’t So Strange After All (B)

Currencies & commodities
Loonie Signals FX-Market Reversal as Link With Crude Is Revived (B)
IEA Sees U.S. Shale Surge as Biggest Oil and Gas Boom in History (B)
Nothing to See Here as Gold Held in Tightest Range in Four Years (B)

US
Consumer Sentiment Dips in Early November (W)

Japan
BOJ’s Kuroda Says Easy-Money Policies to Persist to Ensure Higher Inflation (W)

China
China recovery pushes gas emissions to global record (FT)

US politics
Republicans Work to Make Tax Bill Meet Senate Rules (W)
Mnuchin Says 20% Corporate Tax Rate Is Not Negotiable (W)
House GOP Has Votes to Pass Bill, Brady Says (B)
Number of Systemically Important Banks to Decline Under Senate Deal (W)
More Republicans Say Roy Moore Should Leave Senate Race (W)

Geopolitics & trade
Global Trade Booms, but Headwinds Blow (W)
Trump, Duterte Strike Up a Friendship, Sidestep Thorny Issues (W)

Industries & companies
Autos: Used-Car Prices Hold Up, Defying Expectations (W)
Financials: Deal Reached to Ease Post-Crisis Bank Rules (W)
Industrials: GE Cuts Dividend, Slashes Profit Goals Amid Restructuring (W)
Pharma: FDA Approves World’s First Digital Drug (W)

Corporate finance
Roark Capital Makes Offer to Buy Buffalo Wild Wings (W)
Mattel and GGP shine on Merger Monday for Wall Street (FT)
Brookfield wants to buy mall owner GGP for $14.8 billion as the retail apocalypse intensifies (BI)

Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Crashes and Then Surges in Wild Weekend Action (B)

Offbeat
Nearly Half of U.S. Adults Have High Blood Pressure Under New Guidelines (W)
Van Gogh’s Insane Asylum View Sells for $81.3 Million at Auction (B)

wiar 11-13-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 13 (Monday)

Markets
Declines in Stocks, Junk Bonds Reveal Cracks in Rally (W)
Banks Yield to the Yield Curve (BR)
Why ETFs Are Shorted (BR)

Central banks
How the Powell Fed Will Be Tested (BR)

Europe
Germany sets deadline for coalition talks (FT)
Rajoy issues election challenge to Catalan separatists (FT)

China
Chinese Grab TVs and Yachts on Alibaba’s $25 Billion ‘Singles Day’ (W)

Emerging
Saudi King Will Not Relinquish Throne, Senior Official Says (B)

US politics
Treasury Secretary Says Tax Bill on Track for Completion Next Month (W)
Where GOP Bills Make the Tax Code Simpler, and Where They Don’t (W)
House Won’t Accept Repeal of Local Tax Break, Brady Says (B)
Private equity fights back on US tax reforms (FT)
Bankers No Longer Villains to Trump Administration (W)

Geopolitics
After Trump’s Bonhomie in Beijing, a Trade Face-Off Brews (W)
Trump Offers to Play South China Sea Peacemaker (B)
Trump ‘Can Be Played,’ Ex-Intelligence Chiefs Say (B)
America’s global influence has dwindled under Donald Trump (E)
Final Deal Eludes Nations Seeking to Salvage TPP Pact (W)

Industries & companies
Autos: Will Traditional Auto Makers Steal the Future From Tesla? (BR)
Consumer: Don’t Gamble on Consumer-Staples Stocks (BR)
Retail: Now Featured on Wal-Mart’s Website: Higher Prices (W)
Telecom: Targeting Those Telecom Payout Yields (BR)

Corporate finance
Uber-SoftBank Deal Worth Up to $10 Billion Is Close to Approval (B)
Hasbro Sets Its Sights on Mattel (W)
Snag in Media Merger Stirs Tensions Over Trump-CNN Feud (W)
After Arrests, Investors Wary of Aramco Deal (BR)

Cybersecurity
Surveillance Cameras Made by China Are Hanging All Over the U.S. (W)

Technology
Without Humans, Artificial Intelligence Is Pretty Stupid (W)

Cryptocurrency
The meaning in the madness of initial coin offerings (E)

Offbeat
Ray Dalio’s Principles for Success (BR)
United Airlines Halts Flights to New Delhi on Poor Air Quality (B)

wiar 11-11-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 11 (Saturday)

Markets
Why Investors Should Get Nervous About Tax Cuts (W)
Oil Above $80 Before Christmas? Some Options Traders Think So (B)

US
U.S. Consumer Sentiment Unexpectedly Falls From 13-Year High (B)
Traffic Is Piling Up—and So Are Its Costs (W)
US homebuilders hang hopes on tax credit in reforms (FT)

China
Alibaba Singles’ Day Sales Hit $8.6 Billion in First Hour (B)
Bigger Than Black Friday, Alibaba’s ‘Singles Day’ Faces Fatigue in China (W)
China to Give Foreigners More Access to Financial Sector (W)

US politics
GOP’s Dueling Tax Overhauls Struggle to Pass a Key Red-Ink Test (B)
Tax Overhaul Is Planned for 2018, Leaving Just a Few Weeks to Prepare (W)
Politics Complicate Tax Vote for GOP (W)
GOP Senators: Moore Should Quit If Sexual-Misconduct Claims Are True (W)

Geopolitics
Trump took the gloves off on trade (BI)
China Gave Trump a Win on Trade and He Didn’t Even Know It (B)

Industries & companies
Industrials: GE Dividend in Focus as Investors Await New Strategy (W)
Media: Disney stock tumbles after missing earnings expectations (BI)
Retail: J.C. Penney Lowered Its Goals, Then Beat Them (W)
Retail: Winners and losers emerge in US department store war (FT)
Tech: Square Eclipses Twitter, With Market Value Topping $15 Billion (B)

Technology
How to Survive a Robot Apocalypse: Just Close the Door (W)

Offbeat
Zuckerberg says he worked out why US is so divided (FT)
How a West Coast Trading Network Spawned a New York Pension Fund Scandal (W)

wiar 11-10-17

MFwebsite2020researchWhat I Am Reading

Nov 10 (Friday)

Markets
Stocks Drop on Concerns Over GOP Tax Overhaul (W)
High-Yield Funds Go Bananas as Junk-Bond Rout Worsens (B)

Central banks
In an Effort to Cut Costs, Some Banks Are Ditching the Fed (W)
Gradual rate hikes in the US are the best option, says Fed’s Mester (C)

US
Why Is U.S. Wage Growth So Low? It’s All About the Top 80% (B)
The Link Between Productivity and Pay Is Very Much Alive, Summers Paper Finds (W)

Japan
Japan’s Biggest Banks Confront Harsh Reality With Cost Overhaul (B)

China
China’s New Effort to Tame Its Financial System May Disappoint (N)
Goldman Sachs CEO: China’s economy will surpass the US, and by one measure it already has (C)

US politics
Senate Tax Plan Has Delayed Corporate Cut, More Brackets (W)
Everything You Need to Know About the Senate GOP Tax Proposal (B)
Senate Republicans Will Diverge From House in Sweeping Tax Rewrite (N)
Blame Game Over Rising Health-Insurance Premiums Begins (W)
Gary Cohn: A year ago, I was advising companies to move out of the US (C)
[House] GOP tax cut plan would add $1.7 trillion to the deficit, CBO projects (C)

Geopolitics
Why Relying on China to Stop North Korea May Not Work (N)
In China, Trump Employs Tough Talk, Flattery With Xi (W)
The $250 Billion in U.S.-China Trade Deals May Not Tally (W)
Russia Says It Will Retaliate Against U.S. Media Next Week (B)
Pacific Rim countries move closer to TPP without US (FT)

Industries & companies
FANGs: Amazon Puts Whole Foods, Delivery Units Under Bezos Lieutenant (W)
Media: Disney Profit Disappoints With Cable TV Woes, Hurricanes Taking a Toll (B)
Retail: Department Stores’ Mixed Results Signal Competitive Holiday Season (W)

Cybersecurity
Equifax CEO to Congress: Not Sure We Are Encrypting Data (W)

Corporate finance
AT&T CEO: We Are Prepared to Litigate to Defend Time Warner Deal (W)
Snap’s Rise and Fall: How a Big, Splashy IPO Prompted the Doubters to Keep Mum (W)
Tencent Continues to Snap Up Stakes in U.S. Startups (W)

Technology
Artificial Intelligence Fuels Chip-Making Arms Race (W)

Cryptocurrency
SEC Chief Fires Warning Shot Against Coin Offerings (W)

Offbeat
Billionaire Ray Dalio: For the ‘bottom 60 percent’ of the country, it’s a ‘miserable economy’ (C)