Category Archives: Economics

Greece Is Not The Only Country Facing Severe Economic Challenges…

Introduction The media is doing a more than adequate job of covering the futile dance between the Eurozone “leaders” and Greece. But Greece is not the only country facing fundamental economic challenges. This article identifies other countries in the most … Continue reading

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Should You Cancel Your Phone, TV and Internet Service Contracts?

Introduction Chaos is too strong a term. But communication technologies are rapidly changing and significant regulatory changes are coming. And while humans get locked into habits, a growing number of Americans are opting out of their TV and landline phone … Continue reading

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Xinyuan Real Estate: What the 4th Quarter Report Tell Us

Introduction We have all heard the positive sounding news: fourth quarter revenues of US$362 million, a 121% increase from third quarter of 2014; contract sales of $402 million, which is a 140% increase from the third quarter of 2014. These … Continue reading

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Xinyuan Real Estate: What to Look for Going Forward

Introduction Xinyuan (XIN) is a real estate company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has gotten far more attention than warranted by size because of its high “Yahoo Finance-type valuations.” And because XIN gets an “F” for public relations … Continue reading

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Argentina in the Post-Kirchner Era: There Is Hope

Introduction News from Argentina seemingly goes from bad to worse. But there is one piece of decidedly good news – Presidential elections in October, and President Kirchner is constitutionally ineligible to run for a third term. Once enormously popular her … Continue reading

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Tiger Woods and Investment Gurus Lose Their “Touch” Question: Do They Ever Get It Back?

Introduction Watching Tiger Woods get an 82, the worst score of his career at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on January 30th, I was reminded of other “greats” who have lost their touch. In particular, I thought of some of … Continue reading

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The Criminal Acts of Large Banks Are Substantial Fines/Penalties Enough?

Introduction In 1999, Sandy Weill, supported by a coterie of other bankers and lobbyists, got the US Congress to repeal Glass-Steagall. That Act had kept depository institutions safe since the ‘30s. With restrictions removed, US banks purchased packaged and traded … Continue reading

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Burgeoning Global Capital Flows Mean Traditional Stock Market and Currency Norms No Longer Apply

Introduction The law of supply and demand ultimately determines the prices of goods/services. And this holds for stock markets “prices” and currencies. Foreign demand for both US equities and dollars continues to grow. This growing demand has implications for commonly … Continue reading

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Global Communications and — The Net Neutrality Debate

Introduction We have recently heard a lot about “net neutrality” and what the FCC will do next. The issue is important. But to understand it, some background on how information was and now is transferred globally is in order. How … Continue reading

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Don’t Cry for Kirchner – and Two Defaults Compared: Argentina & Greece

Introduction Governance in Argentina leaves a lot to be desired. The country reels from crisis to crisis. This is nothing new. It has been going on for decades. According to Transparency International, citizens perceive considerable corruption (Argentina ranks 106th out … Continue reading

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