WSJ: An ETF Is Driven by Electric-Car Batteries

By SIMON CONSTABLE

With the prospects for a mass market in electric cars improving, the batteries that power them may provide an opportunity for investors.

Governments around the world are implementing regulations aimed at phasing out gasoline-powered vehicles, brightening the outlook for significant growth in the electric-car market, says Jay Jacobs, director of research at exchange-traded funds provider Global X Management Co. in New York. Read more here.

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WSJ: If You’re Trading Options on ETFs, Read This First

By SIMON CONSTABLE

More individual investors are trading options on exchange-traded funds. The trend worries some financial experts, who say inexperienced traders may not fully understand the risks.

Interest in ETF options comes amid growth in the number of ETFs and the amount of money invested in them. According to Options Clearing Corp., a clearinghouse that guarantees trades, ETF options accounted for 41% of the total volume of all options traded in 2016, up from 35% in 2014. Read more here.

Photo by Nick Chong on Unsplash

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.