Barron's: How Iran's Antics Could Boost Oil

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Growing populist unrest in Iran, a weakening U.S. dollar, and possible production cuts could prompt a rally in oil prices in the next few months.

Investors wanting to profit from the likely surge should consider buying February-dated oil futures contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Alternatively, try the United States Brent Oil exchange-traded fund (ticker: BNO), which tracks the price of oil futures and is up more than 27% this year. Read more here.

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Forbes: How Economics Chiefs Set Up A Secret Policy Group Under Jimmy Carter, New Book Says

By SIMON CONSTABLE

U.S. President Jimmy Carter drove his economic advisors so crazy that they felt forced to set up a secret policy committee. That's just one of the bizarre stories from a new book that details the experiences of White House economics gurus over the past 50 years. Read more here.

Forbes: Investors Flee U.S. Stocks Even As Market Soars

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It looks like investors are fleeing U.S. stocks.

For at least five weeks straight, they pulled almost $27 billion from mutual funds and exchange-traded funds that specialize in domestic U.S. securities.

The action, which looks like some are bailing on the future of America’s economy, comes just as stock indexes are breaking records with banal frequency. Read more here.

Photo by Charles Towne , 

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Forbes: CEOs Sink Into Pit Of Gloom, Goldman Study Says

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Bosses in corporate America are losing faith in the future of the American economy.

How they feel about the economy has fallen to its lowest level since the financial crisis back in 2008-2009, according to a recent report from Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs. Read more here.

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Forbes: Burned Saudi Investors Face More Malaise Ahead As Economy Craters

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Saudi Arabia is on track for a year of extremes.

On the one hand, the country is set to sell off a small stake in its state-owned oil company Aramco at a possible valuation of up to $1.7 trillion. That could make the IPO the largest ever if the proceeds hit more than $25 billion.

That may be the highlight of 2019 in Saudi, as most other economic signals look dire. Read more here.

Bob Waters, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Korn Ferry: Merlot from Malmö

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Sure, you may enjoy bottles from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa Valley, and Rioja. But some innovators are banking that the next great wines may come from Sjaelland and Malmö.

A series of unusually hot summers has led some entrepreneurs to make wine in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, locales where the climate historically has been far too cold to grow vines of sufficient quality to make decent wine. Up from only a handful 15 years ago, around 150 commercial wineries across Scandinavia are breaking the mold of what it means to run a vineyard in Europe, demonstrating how the region’s leaders can innovate while playing to their strengths. Read more here.

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Briefings Magazine: Layoffs -- The New Normal

By SIMON CONSTABLE

“Here’s your next project: you’ll be eliminating 10,000 jobs in Europe,” my boss said, handing me a fat folder replete with financial data. Less than a year since graduating business school, I’d be leading the charge in this downsizing. In my role as a financial analyst, I’d have to deal with lawyers, accountants, actuaries, and many other functionaries at my employer, a multinational industrial company. Soon enough, my final report would go to the CEO and his team, presenting a plan costing hundreds of millions of dollars. And all along, my gut reaction never changed: ugh. Read more here.

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