TheStreet: Higher Taxes Aren't Stubbing Out Teen Smoking Anymore

By SIMON CONSTABLE

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Apparently it takes a lot to keep Altria's Marlboro Man down or even Reynolds American's  Joe Camel.

Higher taxes on cigarettes aren't helping stub out teen smoking like they once used to. Once again it's the so-called millennials, born between 1980 and 2000, who are bucking demographic trends and changing the way the world works.

Read more here.

Forbes: Top Signs Your Coworker Is An Empty Suit

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Is your coworker an empty suit? And how would you know if they were?

There is nothing wrong with dressing well for the office, but the problem comes when it’s all style and no substance. Expensive suits from Hugo Boss or Armani are no substitute for business acumen. Women and men are each just as guilty in this. Such people could be found in any company from the largest like Apple and Microsoft to small entrepreneurial offices. Nowhere is immune from this scourge, unless you work alone.

Here are some tell tale signs you are working with an empty suit.

Read more here.

TheStreet: U.S. Deals Reach $1.2 Trillion in 2015, and You Can Cash in on Them

By SIMON CONSTABLE

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The business of companies gobbling each other up or merging is roaring.

It's not just good news for Wall Street's dealmakers at Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS), it's good news for stock market investors as well. Even better news: There are reasons to think the mergers and acquisitions trend will continue.

Deal volume among U.S. companies totaled approximately $1.2 trillion dollars this year through early July, according to the latest figures from Dealogic, which tracks the data. That's up 36% from the first seven months of last year, even though July isn't yet half over.

Read more here.

The Street: Why JPMorgan Is The Best Place For Analyst Recommendations

By SIMON CONSTABLE

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Who do you call when you need a stock recommendation? If you want to make money, then the best bet may be JPMorgan Chase (JPM).

Why? It has the research department with the highest number of star analysts, and stars' recommendations produce bigger stock gains than the rest of the herd. Not far behind in the count is Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC).

On average, stars from all firms produce monthly average excess returns (or alpha) of up to 1.58%, according to a recent study. In the simplest terms, alpha is the amount of value added by an analyst relative to a benchmark such as the S&P 500.

Read more here.

WSJ: What Are Risk-Adjusted Returns?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

When you hear financial experts talk about risk-adjusted returns, what do they mean? It may sound complicated, but the concept is simple.

It means that when comparing investment returns like those from mutual funds, it can be misleading to just look at the headline figures. For instance, at first glance it might seem that a fund that gained 12% last year is better than one at 9%. In reality, it depends on how much risk was involved in generating those profits. The more risk, the less the returns are worth. Read more here.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

WSJ: Time For A Bond Fund Checkup

BY SIMON CONSTABLE

Given the expected rise in interest rates, does your portfolio still need a healthy allocation of bonds? Probably yes, according to the experts.

Many agree that the security and diversification bonds offer shouldn’t be spurned just because the direction of rates could be changing. But, depending on the investor, now may be a good time to adjust the size of that allocation and its contents, with regard to lengths of maturities and levels of risk.

“Fixed income is always a good foundation for a portfolio,” says Eddy Elfenbein, Washington, D.C., author of the Crossing Wall Street blog and newsletter. “Security and safety.… Each month and quarter there is a regular check from the coupons.” Read more here. 

Forbes: What Your Boss Really Means By "No One Is Getting A Raise."

By SIMON CONSTABLE

We are now half way through the calendar year, and for many that means mid-year performance reviews. Or even worse, for some with odd fiscal years, it can be time for talks about money.

Both inside and outside of those meetings what you have been told can be confusing. You need to understand what your boss really means, not just what is said. Believe me, I’ve spent enough time in corporate America, and enough time in human resource jobs, to know the difference. 

Let me take you through some of the more common half-truths, what they really mean, what it says about your boss, and what to do. Read more here.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash