Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Forbes: Coronavirus Could Send Stocks Down Another 10% Or More, History Shows

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The coronavirus, which is wreaking havoc in China, could slash another 10% or more off the value of stocks, history shows. Before the crisis is over, investor losses could be far worse. Read more here.

Korn Ferry: Finland’s Four-Day Workweek Frenzy

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It hasn’t taken long for the four-day workweek to go from a quirky idea to one that’s getting serious consideration from more corporations and national leaders globally.

The latest development: the discovery that Finland’s new 34-year-old prime minister had, before she took her current role, advocated for trimming a day off the workweek. That quickly led to speculation that Finland’s government would soon mandate the change. It won’t, says Johan Blomqvist, Korn Ferry’s general manager for Finland, but the idea of working full-time across four days rather than five has started a debate about work-related reforms in the country. “It is sparking some support,” says Blomqvist. Read more here.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Forbes: British Banks Spark Outrage In The UK

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Have bankers no shame?

In Britain, at least, it appears not. Eventually, that could hurt the entire industry.

Starting in April, the big banks want to charge overdraft borrowers a staggering 40% a year in interest. That means for every £1,000 ($1,300) they borrow, they must pay £400 in interest each year. Overdrafts are unsecured loans made typically for short periods of time in much the same way as credit card loans. Read more here.

Friday, January 24, 2020

Forbes: Why You Should Buy Microsoft Stock Despite The Data Breach News

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Wednesday’s news of a massive data breach at tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) might not seem like a good omen. After all, information on a quarter of a billion of the company’s customers got exposed online with no password protection. 

That’s certainly not good. 

But what might be beneficial is a potential opportunity for investors to make some money. At least that’s the theory based on an analysis of other public companies that got hit by hackers. Read more here.

Barron's: The Trade Deal Won’t Create a Bull Market for Soybeans. Here’s One Way to Play It.

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The phase-one trade deal between the U.S. and China announced in mid-January should create frequent opportunities for soybean traders to make money. What it won’t do is create a bull market for the grain.

“The strategy would be to buy on the breaks,” says Shawn Hackett, president of Hackett Financial Advisors. “You have to be opportunistic is the point.” Read more here.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Forbes: Stocks To Crash Unless Trump Reelected, Market Analyst Says

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Stock market euphoria could quickly turn to tears unless President Donald Trump gets re-elected. 

That’s the story according to new research published Wednesday by from London-based financial research firm Capital Economics. 

The report, titled “It could soon be time to downsize” warns that the recent stellar outperformance by the largest stocks in the market could quickly reverse unless Trump keeps his job in the White House after the November election. Read more here.