U.S. News: India Stocks Remain a Great Long-Term Play

By SIMON CONSTABLE

On track to unseat China and become the world's most populous country, India's economy has some growing pains. But there are still great opportunities there for investors looking to expand their portfolios into an emerging market. Read more here.

Taj Mahal, India

Photo by Sylwia Bartyzel on Unsplash

P.J. Media: More Catalonias to Come: Spain a Symptom of EU Economic Structure

By SIMON CONSTABLE

They’ve done it! Catalonia declared independence from Spain today.

To the casual observer, the move may look like a strictly Spanish squabble. Indeed, much media focus will now be on whether Spain’s government in Madrid, which has now promised direct rule over the province, will start acting like a latter-day General Franco, the country’s fascist dictator from 1939 through 1975.

In short, will tanks roll in, or just the police?

Symptoms of Economic Illness

Unfortunately, the dispute between Barcelona and Madrid isn’t just a Spanish affair. It is a symptom of the European Union’s inflexible economic structure. Read more here.

P.J. Media: 2017: The Year Obamacare Truly Became the Vampire Law

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you aren’t sitting down right now, it may be wise to do so. Your wallet could be about to get cleaned out.

Premiums for the most popular Obamacare health insurance plans will jump by a whopping 34 percent next year. Read more here.

Middle East Eye: Double-whammy of Middle East geopolitics may add fuel to oil-price rally

By SIMON CONSTABLE

A double-whammy of Middle East geopolitics threatens to propel oil prices higher.

The first whammy is the growing military conflict between Iraqi forces and the Kurds that may interrupt energy supplies.

A second punch revolves around increasing tensions between the Trump administration and the Islamic Republic of Iran. It may lead to the reintroduction of harsh US sanctions, including a ban on buying Iranian crude oil. Read more here.

StreetFight: Brand-building Expert Norty Cohen to Marketers: Consumer Engagement Is Key

By Simon Constable

Some local marketers have the wrong end of the stick. That’s the message from veteran brand expert, Norty Cohen CEO of St. Louis-based ad and creative agency Moosylvania. The company produces an annual report on the Top 100 global brands.

What he learned from that research has now been made into a book on the matter of how to market in what amounts to a brand new world for brands. Its titled “The Participation Game: How The Top 100 Brands Build Loyalty In A Skeptical World,” and was published last month by Ideapress Publishing. Read more here.

P.J. Media: Another Reason for Investors to Fear Unions

By SIMON CONSTABLE

When it comes to jobs growth, legal protections for organized labor may be something of a curse particularly when there is a union election.

That’s bad news for any company with a union that also wants an influx of cash to help grow. Read more here.

U.S. News: If Precious Metals Rally, Then Pick Silver

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Precious metals could be just the right thing to put a shine in your portfolio. But which metal should you pick – gold, or its scrappy sidekick, silver?

There's a case to be made for silver over gold, at least for people looking to hold the commodity for at least a year or two. Read more here.

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Forbes: Why The Market Has Surged Under Trump

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Some people aren't going to like this, but the market seems to love President Trump.

Since election day last year through last Friday, the SPDR S&P 500 exchange-traded fund, which tracks the S&P 500, is up more than 17%, not including dividends. By most standard measures, that's a phenomenal return. It is also multiple times the gains shown in the same period a year earlier.

The overarching thing about the market is that it is amoral. It cares about little except future profits, dividends, and cash flows. Other stuff, not so much. When it comes to the money matters, there are specific reasons that investors feel more confident about stocks now. Here are some:

P.J. Media: A Race to the Bottom in Britain as Parties Offer Plans for Housing Crisis

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Fall is political party conference season in Britain. This year, it's also the scene of a race to the bottom for dismal economic policies.

All the major parties have offered up some economic ideas that are worse than useless, but winning by a mile is the ultra-left Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn. Read more here.

Forbes: Could Hurricane Ophelia Cause A U.S. Market Crash?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Mother nature could have a nasty surprise in store for investors.

A market crash just like we saw in 1987 could be triggered this weekend if Hurricane Ophelia hits the British Isles.

If it happens, it will be just in time for the 30th anniversary of the crash of 1987. Read more here.

U.S. News: Should You Ride the Electric Car Trend?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Is the buzz over electric vehicles worthwhile for investors looking to get in on the ground floor of the emerging technology?

As with all industries in their infancy, there are risks and rewards. 

The world is on deathwatch for gasoline vehicles. Increasingly, governments are approving regulations that would faze out the use of gasoline-powered vehicles. Norway wants to stop the sale of fossil-fueled vehicles by 2025. France and India want to nix gasoline engines in new cars by 2040 and 2030, respectively according to Global X Funds. It's likely that governments around the world will jump on the bandwagon. Read more here.

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Forbes: Bank of England -- Not Just Any Old Central Bank

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It is a curious thing that while the Federal Reserve (Fed) garners much hatred in the U.S., the same is not true of the Bank of England (BoE.) Both are, of course, two of the most important central banks in the world. But maybe the sour view of the Fed comes from American animus toward all central banks.

Whatever the reason the Bank of England holds a special place in the psyche of Britons. That fondness is no doubt enhanced by the majestic building in which it sits at the heart of London's financial district.

Its story is detailed in Till Time's Last Sand; A History of the Bank of England 1694-2013 by David Kynaston, and is set to publish in the U.S. in November. In Britain, it was out in September under the same title. Read more here.

Forbes: The Tumult In U.K.'s Ruling Party Shows What Leadership Is All About

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Forget the corporate claptrap.

When it comes to leadership, there's only one thing that matters. The example of British Prime Minister Theresa May shows this in spades. Read more here.

WSJ: What Is the Household Economic Stress Index?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The PNC U.S. Household Economic Stress Index is something that smart investors might want to watch. As the name suggests, it is a measure of how stressed U.S. consumers are on an aggregate basis.

“It’s a variation on the misery index,” says Stuart G. Hoffman, senior economic adviser at PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh. Read more here.

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WSJ: Four Reasons You Might Want to Avoid the Lowest-Cost ETFs

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It has become something of a given that when investors are trying to choose between two fairly similar funds, they should pick the one with the lowest expense ratio. While that may be good advice when it comes to many types of funds, it isn’t always the case with exchange-traded funds and notes.

Here are four cases where the lowest-cost ETF might not be the best choice: 

P.J. Media: Free College Has a Price, as the UK Has Proven

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen up, Bernie Sanders.

Your suggestion of free public college could be disastrous for the very people you want to help.

Just look across the pond to the UK. It didn't work so well there. Read more here.

Forbes: Why Economic Growth Really Matters

By SIMON CONSTABLE

For many people who don't focus on the economy, the concept of economic growth can seem a little abstract.

That's a problem because it really does matter.

Take, for instance, the recently published memoir A Land Girl's Tale by Mona McLeod which details life in rural Scotland during WWII.

It shows in stark detail how far the world has come. Or if you like, it shows how poor we were then relative to our living standards now. Read more here.

U.S. News: How Weakness in the Dollar Affects Wall Street

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The greenback took a swoon this year, and it's affecting your investments. But that's good news for U.S. stocks. 

Since the end of last year, the value of the greenback dropped 20 percent. On Dec. 28, 2016, the trade-weighted dollar index versus the major currencies of the world was 96.9, but it steadily fell to 87.1 recently, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. And that's even with a small rally in the dollar last week. Read more here.

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