Forbes: Europe's Jobless Rate Drops, But It's Still Way Higher Than The U.K.'s

By SIMON CONSTABLE

To read some reports, you'd think Europe's single currency area was at the height of an economic boom.

While the European Union's single currency area now has its lowest unemployment rate in over a decade, that indicator is still a lot higher than the jobless rate in the U.K. And other metrics suggest that the former won't catch up with the latter anytime soon and the divide could even get wider. Read more here.

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Forbes: Mass Protests Planned In Venezuela Wednesday, Amid Tightening U.S Sanctions

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Things are bad in socialist Venezuela, and they could be about to get even worse.

Massive planned demonstrations this week combined with the possibility of even tighter U.S. sanctions on the country could push the beleaguered state even deeper into its economic malaise.

The country is already suffering the rare and nasty phenomenon of hyperinflation which is quickly destroying the economy. Read more here.

TheStreet: Eli Lilly Reports Better-Than-Expected Earnings but Shares Decline

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Giant pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings and said it expects full-year earnings to grow by up to 5%, but still investors were disappointed sending the stock lower in premarket trading. Read more here.

TheStreet: Gardner Denver Confirms It Will Combine With Ingersoll-Rand Division

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Pump manufacturer Gardner Denver confirmed Tuesday it will combine its business with part of Ingersoll-Rand, which also makes pumps, to create a new company worth $15 billion. Read more here.

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TheStreet: WageWorks Jumps After Receiving Unsolicited Bid From HealthEquity

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Employee benefits administrator HealthEquity has made an unsolicited offer to acquire WageWorks, a company active in the same business. Read more here.

Forbes: Rising Energy Prices Aren't Helping Many Oil-Rich Middle East Nations

By SIMON CONSTABLE

A robust oil market is bringing home the dollars for some key energy-rich nations in the Middle East.

And in some ways, OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) is to blame because of its decision to restrict oil output of its member countries.Read more here.

Forbes: Don't Believe The Hype Surrounding Saudi Arabia's Aramco Bond Deal

By SIMON CONSTABLE

This month's bond sale by Saudi Arabia's oil firm Aramco has taken the investing world by storm.

However, you shouldn't buy into the hype. That's because when you look beyond the headlines, the real reason for the sale is not as it may first seem, according to a recent report.Read more here.

Forbes: Scotland's Ruling Party Makes Questionable Decision: Ditch British Pound "As Soon As Practicable"

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

The bad policy ideas just keep on coming from Scotland' ruling party.

Saturday, the Scottish National Party, which controls Scotland's independent parliament, voted to ditch the British pound "as soon as practicable" when or if the country gains full independence.

The vote appears to be motivated by little more than animosity toward many things English, a recurrent theme for the SNP. It could signal a turn towards Venezuelan-style economics. Read more here.

Fake Scottish pound note

Photo by Alf van Beem, 

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

TheStreet: Why France's Total Is a Much Better Oil Play Than Exxon Mobil

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Investors wanting an oil play should buy France's Total SA over Exxon Mobil. 

Total is a steal when compared to its well-known rival Exxon. Read more here.

TheStreet: Restaurant Brands International Misses Earnings Expectations

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

Higher taxes took a bite out of first-quarter earnings for Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of restaurant brands Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons. Read more here.

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TheStreet: Gardner Denver to Merge with a Division of Ingersoll-Rand - Report

By SIMON CONSTABLE

A deal announcing the merger of North Carolina-based pump manufacturer Gardner Denver Holdings with part of Ingersoll-Rand could come as soon as this week, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Read more here.

TheStreet: Anadarko to Begin Deal Negotiations With Occidental Petroleum - Report

By SIMON CONSTABLE

There's rarely a dull moment in the oil patch these days.

Anadarko Petroleum has decided to begin talks to sell itself to Occidental Petroleum. Read more here.

WSJ Guide to Econ Indicators Dubbed "Most Transformative"

RBC: The rise of ESG: Investing opportunities in emerging markets

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Investment professionals are proving that responsible and ethical investing in emerging markets (EM) can go hand-in-hand with superior returns. At the same time, doing so may protect the environment and produce economic growth that is sustainable over the long term.

The success of investing through environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) is in the numbers. Over the last decade, the MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Leaders Index, which tracks companies with high performance in ESG metrics relative to their peers, outshone the broader MSCI Emerging Markets Index, with a 14.5 percent annualised returns versus 10.7 percent, according to data from indexing firm MSCI. Read more here.

Korn Ferry: Trading Pay Cuts for Financial Security

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It’s for their own good, so regulators say. Starting this month, the United Kingdom is requiring companies to set aside more retirement savings from the paychecks of some 10 million workers. But while the employees will hopefully get long-term benefit out of the change, experts say businesses may see some early fretting from workers. Read more here.

Lance Roberts Show: Dodgy Car Loans

By SIMON CONSTABLE



View here.

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TheStreet: Why Wooing Gen Z Investors Could Be the Key to Lifting Oil Stocks

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Beleaguered energy stocks might get a boost if only the industry could win over Gen Z.

That's the finding of a recent report from British bank Barclays which found that just 19% of 18-24 year-olds, a.k.a. the leading edge of so-called Generation Z, would consider buying energy stocks. Read more here.

Featured in "The Week"

Constable featured in U.S. news periodical The Week on April 20.

An investment fund that focuses specifically on companies that target Millennials has struggled to generate interest despite very strong returns, said Simon Constable at The Wall Street Journal. 

Read more here. 

TheStreet: J.B. Hunt Transport Services Tumbles After Disappointing Results

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Shares of trucking company J.B. Hunt Transportation Services were falling in premarket trading Tuesday after first-quarter earnings and revenue missed analysts' forecasts. Read more here.

TheStreet: Why Mining Stocks Are Likely to Continue Surging

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you aren't already betting on metals and mining stocks, you ought to consider doing so now.

A likely rebounding Chinese economy should help boost demand for metals and materials, which in turn should help further lift the mining stocks, such as those held in the iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers exchange-traded fund. Read more here.

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Korn Ferry: UK’s New Crackdown on Tech

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The United Kingdom’s political class may be hopelessly divided on separating from the European Union, but they are surprisingly in agreement on another controversial subject: regulating technology companies. Read more here.

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TheStreet: France's Publicis Groupe to Acquire Alliance Data Systems' Epsilon for $4.4B

By SIMON CONSTABLE

French advertising and public relations giant Publicis Groupe announced it has cut a deal to acquire the Epsilon unit of Alliance Data Systems for $4.4 billion.

Epsilon specializes in data analytics. Read more here.

TheStreet: China's Huawei Reportedly Open to Selling 5G Chips to Apple

By SIMON CONSTABLE

China's Huawei Technologies said it was open to the idea of selling cutting-edge 5G chips to Apple, according to a report from CNBC. 

Huawei, which is the world's largest manufacturer of networking gadgets, is a leader in 5G or so-called fifth generation smartphone technology. Read more here.

The Street: Caesars Entertainment Places Bet on New CEO - Report

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Casino operator Caesars Entertainment is preparing to name a new CEO, according to a report. Read more here.

TheStreet: Gilead Sciences Teams With Novo Nordisk for Trials of Liver Disease Drugs

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Biotech company Gilead Sciences  (GILD)  will team up with Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk  (NVO) in their efforts to help combat liver disease.

The two companies said they will collaborate on clinical trials for medications for treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Read more here.

TheStreet: J Crew Actively Pursuing IPO of Madewell Division

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Iconic apparel company J. Crew is actively considering selling off its women-focused brand Madewell through an initial public offering, according to a press release from the company.

The move, which could come as soon as the second half of the year, is aimed at shoring up J Crew's balance sheet. Read more here.

TheStreet: Tesla Goes Old School for Cheapest Model 3 - No More Online Sales

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

Iconic electric carmaker Tesla  (TSLA) is going old school. 

New orders for its cheapest Model 3 car will now need to get made either over the phone or in-person at one of the company's dealers, Tesla stated in a blog post late Thursday. Buying the vehicle online won't be an option. Read more here.

TheStreet: JetBlue to Start Service to London in 2021

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It's official!

You'll soon be able to take a JetBlue (JBLU) flight from New York or Boston to London.

Starting in 2021, the budget airline will begin its first ever service in the lucrative trans-Atlantic market, the company announced. Read more here.

TheStreet: YouTube Subscriptions Will Set You Back $600 a Year

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Ouch!

YouTube subscriptions will now set you back $600 a year.

It's even worse if you subscribe through Apple. Read more here.

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TheStreet: Amazon, Microsoft Are Now Last Two in Race for $10B Pentagon Cloud Contract

By SIMON CONSTABLE

A battle royale for a multibillion-dollar government computing contract is now down to its final candidates.

Technology giants Amazon.com (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) are the two remaining companies competing to provide cloud computing services to the Pentagon, according to multiple press reports on Wednesday that cited Defense Department sources. Read more here.

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TheStreet: Netflix Makes Another Move on Hollywood, in Talks to Buy Egyptian Theatre

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

The giant movie streaming service is negotiating to buy an historic movie house on Hollywood Boulevard. Read more here.

TheStreet: JetBlue Set to Announce Trans-Atlantic Service

By SIMON CONSTABLE

An announcement of JetBlue's plans could come as soon as Wednesday, a report says. Read more here.

TheStreet: Uber Seeks Valuation of Up to $100 Billion in IPO - Report

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The ride-sharing giant is set to tap the markets with a $10 billion initial public offering, a report says. Read more here.

The Independent: Constable's Worked Quoted

By SIMON CONSTABLE

A Forbes article from October 2017, was referenced in an April 3 column for The Independent by leadership expert Rita Trehan. 

Great leaders are able to retain support, even in desperate times. “You are a leader if you have followers. It is that simple, and nothing else matters,” the writer and broadcaster Simon Constable wrote for Forbes. “Right now, Theresa May is a leader. She has the support of her parliamentary party.”  

In October 2017, he was correct, but that statement is now unquestionably false.

Read the full column here.

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John Batchelor Show: More Brexit Chaos -- The View from Scotland

By SIMON CONSTABLE

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TheStreet: Why Investors Are Piling Billions Back Into Commodities This Year

By SIMON CONSTABLE

They're back!

Investors piled billions of dollars into specialized commodities funds in the first quarter after going cold on the sector last year, according to new data.

The sudden switch in sentiment comes amid increased chances of a U.S.-China trade deal, expectations of rising inflation and the perceived need by some investors to diversify away from stocks, analysts say. Read more here.

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WSJ: A Millennials ETF Does Well, but Can’t Escape the Stigma

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Millennials are an attractive market for many companies. But a fund that focuses on companies that target millennials hasn’t attracted much interest from investors, despite impressive returns. Read more here.

CasetteVHS96, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

WSJ: What Is ‘Quantamental’ Investing?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Investors increasingly may hear the term “quantamental” being used by financial professionals.

It refers to an investment strategy that combines a fundamental approach to investing with a quantitative one, hence quantamental, which combines parts of both words. Read more here.

WSJ: Emerging-Markets ETFs Draw Cash

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

Investors in exchange-traded funds are more excited about emerging markets than ever.

Globally, ETFs specializing in emerging-markets stocks took in a record amount of net new cash in 2018: $63.1 billion, up from $57.7 billion in 2017, according to figures from financial-data company EPFR. That brought net inflows for the past three calendar years to $142 billion. Through March of this year, investors stuffed a further $15 billion into emerging-markets ETFs. Read more here.

Barron's: April Showers Could Boost Wheat’s Pricing Powers

By SIMON CONSTABLE

A new deluge of rain in the Midwest looks set to hit already waterlogged soil, possibly sending wheat prices soaring.

“A $5 target for now is a very realistic target,” says Shawn Hackett, president of Boca Raton–based advisory firm Hackett Financial Advisors. That’s based on the current saturated soil levels and rain forecasts for April, he says. Read more here.

TheStreet: After Crude Oil's Roaring Rip, It May Pay to Be Cautious For Now

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you haven't already placed a bullish bet on oil prices, now may not be the best time to start.

The risks would likely far outweigh the potential rewards, according to a little-watched indicator that rarely gets mentioned outside the trading rooms of Wall Street. Read more here.

Korn Ferry: Take The Day Off

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The United Arab Emirates believes that a few extra days off from work may make a world of difference.

The UAE government has standardized the number of public holidays that workers receive, regardless of whether their employer is in the public or private sector. The move is part of the country’s efforts to get its citizens to consider taking jobs in the private sector over traditionally preferred government work. Read more here.