09/08/2021
Today

BlackRock vs. Soros on China: Who Is More Credible?

Nicholas Sargen, The Hill

One view is that China's regulatory clampdown could signal the end of the country's economic miracle. A leading proponent is George Soros.

No, September Isn't a 'Bad Month' for Stocks

Market Minder, Fisher Investments

No month or calendar-based period is. Seasonality doesn't move markets.

Utilizing Short Selling As a Vital Tool for ESG Investing

Cliff Asness, AQRCapital

It would be an understatement to say there is confusion in the industry about the use of shorting in an ESG context. When it comes to calculating a portfolio's ESG score, we have heard arguments ranging from "ignore the shorts" to "net them against longs," and, my favorite as it's creatively insane, "pretend the shorts are actually longs." This note explains why it is critical that shorts be properly accounted for, so that investors can use shorting to reduce carbon exposure, to get to net zero or to achieve other ESG goals.

There's Nothing the U.S. Can Do to Affect World Temps

Editorial, Issues & Insights

Every domestic policy intended to cut greenhouse gas emissions is a useless exercise.

Warming Solutions Must Be Long-Term, Humble and Careful

Aaron Brown, RCM

This Labor Day weekend saw a batch of headlines like, "More than 230 journals warn 1.5°C of global warming could be 'catastrophic' for health," (https://www.wsj.com/articles/action-on-climate-change-is-urged-by-medical-journals-in-unprecedented-plea-11630886402). This kind of extreme overstatement has become so routine that none of the news outlets I read expressed any kind of surprise or skepticism. To be clear, I'm not denying that warming is a serious long-term problem, with catastrophic scenarios possible. But the idea that 1.5°C is some kind of threshold that will predictably lead to...

Will a Cessation of Jobless Benefits Cause a Faceplant?

Ryan Cooper, The Week

America just got rid of pandemic benefits while the pandemic is still raging

Routinely Inaccurate August Jobless Report Offers Optimism

Joe Calhoun, AP

The economic slowdown we've been writing about for months officially arrived last Friday in the form of a particularly weak employment report. The number of new jobs created last month - or at least the WAG the BLS makes at such things on a monthly basis - was a mere 235,000 or roughly

Why the U.S. Has 8.4M Unemployed w10M Jobs

Heather Long, The Washington Post

The economy is undergoing massive changes. There's a big mismatch at the moment between the jobs available and what workers want.

Why Price Increases Globally May Be Good Sign

Jeanna Smialek, New York Times

Inflation has surged across advanced economies. The shared experience underlines that price gains come from temporary drivers — for now.

Lawyering Meant to Save You Money Is Good Kind

Rob Smith, RealClearMarkets

I always think it is bad form to ask someone "what do you do" upon first meeting them. I usually make something up and tell them I am a toll booth operator or a Walmart greeter. However, when the inquirer is well mannered and well meaning, I have a difficult time answering this question. I wish I had a snappy response. I wish I had a cool 60 second elevator speech, but I don't. The most accurate answer is I am a Holistic Advisor, but that sounds like I am some new age guru hippy encouraging people to eat organic food. Usually, I just give a quick response, and say I am a lawyer. But, I hate...

Texas Licensing Reform Combats Cancel Culture

Tom Joyce, Washington Examiner

Who are the real victims of cancel culture in America?

Some Economists Believe TX Law Economically Harmful

Anneken Tappe, CNN

As abortion rights advocates scramble to fight a Texas law that effectively bans abortion in the state, economists are drawing attention to the financial hardships — and subsequent economic downsides — that can occur when women's reproductive rights are restricted.

ETFs and Taxes: What You Need to Know

Emily Doak, Charles Schwab

Different ETF structures have different tax implications. Be informed and avoid unpleasant surprises come 2022 tax time.

Pricing Power Amid Higher Costs

Richard Moody, Regions Bank

Cities With Highest Mortgage Approval Rates

Jon Jones, Smartest Dollar

Mortgage loan approval rates vary according to several factors including location. Researchers ranked metros by mortgage loan approval rates in 2020.

A Bet That Jobs Report Spoils Tapering Announcement

Pat O'Hare, Briefing.com

Can Investors Avoid Rising Supply Chain Risks?

Jeffrey Kleintop, Charles Schwab

Supply chain issues are worsening, increasing the risk to sales, production, and inflation. European stocks may offer an opportunity to avoid these risks.

Dividends by the Numbers in August 2021

Ironman, Political Calculations

August 2021 was another strong month for dividend paying firms in the U.S. stock market.

Fed Policy Supports The Cyclical Rotation

Bryce Coward, Knowledge Leaders

Today at the annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated that the Fed is in no hurry to either taper asset purchases immediately or aggressively.

President Biden's Feeble Fiction About U.S. Joblessness

Editorial, New York Post

Just three days after declaring his disastrous Afghan operation that abandoned Americans and allies an "extraordinary success," President Joe Biden tried more gaslighting, insisting that the grim n…

How Biden Can Make Dems Party of Workers

Steven Greenhouse, New York Times

Posing at coal mines and factories, they may tell voters otherwise. But the policy tells a different story.

Labor Day 2021 Brings On Latest Repetition of Lies

Gary Galles, Issues & Insights

This should be a day celebrating hard work, not labor unions.

Anti-Capitalists Find New Way to Promote Socialism

Rainer Zitelmann, Examiner

Many anti-capitalists today no longer speak of abolishing capitalism. Instead, they call for its "containment," "correction," or "improvement." Intellectuals are constantly thinking up new concepts for "improving" the capitalist economic system or curbing its "evils."

Your Favorite Jeans Might Be Fueling Human Rights Crisis

Sofi Thanhauser, Vox

Cotton's connection to forced labor by Uyghurs in Xinjiang ought to have you rethinking fast fashion.

Some Useful Maneuvers As Retirement Day Nears

Christy Bieber, The Motley Fool

You can improve your financial security in retirement by using catch-up contributions and researching health insurance options and where you'll live.

A Look at the Kinds of Retirement Accounts Available

Rachel Hartman, U.S. News

Saving for retirement doesn't involve a one-size-fits-all plan. Since every situation is unique, it's important to look for the retirement account that best lines up with your personal job situation and future goals.

Will Biden Make a Historic Mistake at the Fed?

J. Bradford DeLong, PS

The past 30 years should have taught Democrats to put their own economic policy priorities before symbolic gestures of "bipartisanship." If US President Joe Biden does not replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell with Lael Brainard, he will almost certainly regret it.

What Hurricane Ida Says About America's Future

Daniel A. Gross, Vox

The history of hurricanes like Katrina and Ida says a lot about America's future.

6 Retail Stocks on Sale

Jakir Hossain, Morningstar

Retailers posted solid numbers this earnings season, but we think their stocks are, in general, overbought--with some exceptions.

How Urban Employers Adapt To Work From Home

Eduardo Porter, NY Times

Offices are unlikely to be as full after the pandemic as they were before. Service businesses and their employees will have to adapt.

Fisher Investments on Election-Year Uncertainty: This, Too, Shall Pass

Fisher Investments Editorial Staff, Fisher Investments

Ken Fisher on Nixing the VIX

Fisher Investments Editorial Staff, Fisher Investments

Will Uncle Sam Force Big Tech to Break Up?

Fisher Investments Editorial Staff, Fisher Investments

Shattering the Debt Ceiling Myth

Fisher Investments Editorial Staff, Fisher Investments

Investors Have Very Selective Memories

John Timmer, Ars Technica

Investors inflate their wins, forget about their losses.

Cathie Wood: Playing With Fire?

Paul R. La Monica, CNN Business

At a time when many investors are content to follow the crowd and buy top techs like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, Cathie Wood is looking for the next big innovators in buzzy fields like robotics, fintech and space exploration.

How to Give Away a Million Dollars

Peter Singer, Project Syndicate

The author has long argued that donating to save lives, restore sight, or enable a family to escape extreme poverty does more good than donating to a museum or opera. Now, having decided to keep none of the money accompanying the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture, he puts his argument to the test.

Why Did The Auto Industry Thrive In Detroit?

Stefan J. Link, ProMarket

Why did Detroit pioneer the industry that would shape the twentieth century like no other? An excerpt from Forging Global Fordism.

1792: America's First Financial Panic

Jamie Catherwood, Investor Amnesia

The panic series part 1.

Are Funds Still the Future? Intriguing Alternatives

John Rekenthaler, MStar

There's a challenge from customized investments.

2020 Was Almost Worse Than 2008

SoLightSolar, Southern Light Solar

In a crisis like the one that hit the world in March 2020, only one thing will restore confidence: limitless cash. An excerpt from Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World's Economy.
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