Boston Globe (January 10)
“Many investors had expected department stores to enjoy robust sales over the holidays in light of a U.S. economy buoyed by low unemployment, higher wages, strong consumer confidence and cheap gas.” Lackluster results from Macy’s and Kohl’s sent “retail stocks into a tailspin… calling into question whether such mall-based chains can compete in a changing landscape where shoppers are shifting more of their spending online.”
Tags: Consumer confidence, Holiday sales, Investors, Kohl’s, Lackluster, Macy’s, Malls, Online, Retail stocks, Shoppers, Tailspin, U.S., Unemployment, Wages
Institutional Investor (December 14)
“Institutional investors have long been skeptical that impact funds can deliver the returns they need to meet their investment objectives.’ But Impact Capital Investors a consortium of multiple investment firms is attempting to make the case with convincing evidence that investors “don’t have to trade high returns for so-called impact investing, or investing with social, environmental, and other objectives.”
Tags: ESG, Evidence, Impact funds, Investors, Objectives, Returns, Skeptical
The Economist (December 8)
“Already at risk of unraveling,” the unsteady truce between China and the U.S. has just become more precarious. “Even before news of Ms Meng’s arrest, global stocks see-sawed as investors wondered if hostilities might resume.” For China, at least her arrest “looks like a political salvo. Huawei is a pillar of the Chinese economy—and Ms Meng is the founder’s daughter. The fate of the trade talks could hinge on her encounter with the law.”
Tags: Arrest, China, Hostilities, Huawei, Investors, Meng, Risk, Stocks, Trade, Truce, U.S., Unraveling, Unsteady
The Economist (November 3)
It’s “sunrise in Tokyo… After three decades out of fashion, the country’s companies are ready for a revival.” At last, “Japan’s stock market is poised for a comeback.” Japan has had and still has its detractors, but “for the first time in years, Japanese companies are playing a tune that investors are able to whistle.”
Financial Times (October 21)
“Investors should expect decades of selling pressure on Japanese stocks from the most implacable bears in the market: the recently deceased…. The relentless sell-off, which threatens to intensify until the year 2040 as the huge, wealthy postwar baby boom generation expires, arises from an estimate that about 80 per cent of inherited shares are immediately sold by heirs.”
Tags: Baby boom, Bears, Deceased, Heirs, Inherited, Investors, Japan, Market, Selling pressure, Stocks
Reuters (October 17)
“Financial markets have some things in common with professional sport. Investors and fans are both desperate for winners and despondent about losing. They are passionate about little ups and downs, while outsiders often find the rules arcane and the enthusiasm weird. And for both, all the jumping and screaming has little effect on the rest of the economy.”
CNN (October 8)
“Wall Street’s top activist investors are raising lots of cash and gearing up for battle over the next year…. The group see more opportunity to disrupt the consumer discretionary sector, which includes retailers, than in any other industry.”
Tags: Activist, Cash, Consumer sector, Disrupt, Industry, Investors, Opportunity, Retailers, Wall Street
Wall Street Journal (October 3)
“Investors propelled bond yields to multiyear highs Wednesday as robust economic data and an easing of trade tensions across North America sparked fresh optimism about the global growth outlook. Wednesday’s bond rout sent the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note, a closely watched barometer of investors’ sentiment toward growth and inflation, to its highest level since July 2011.”
Tags: Bonds, Economic data, Growth, Highs, Inflation, Investors, Optimism, Sentiment, Trade tensions, Treasuries, U.S., Yields
IPE Real Assets (September/October Issue)
“Real estate is often said to be a long-term, buy-and-hold asset class for institutional investors. But the success of investments invariably comes down to getting the timing right.” Recently, “a handful of fund managers” have “sold to bigger parties, either fully or partially.” This raises the question whether the latest round of M&A is a signal. Though it is a “possible canary,” there are other reasons for M&A. The prevailing outlook amongst investors and managers is for “a supportive market environment in the short to medium term” and “an extended cycle, albeit a flat one in terms of capital value growth.”
Tags: Asset class, Buy-and-hold, Canary, Extended cycle, Fund managers, Institutional, Investors, M&A, Real estate, Timing, Value growth
The Economist (September 15)
“Debt stalks Africa once again. Over the past six years sub-Saharan governments have issued $81bn in dollar bonds to investors hungry for yield. Piled on top of this are murkier syndicated loans and bilateral debts, many to China and tied to big construction projects. Public debt has climbed above 50% of GDP in half the countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The risk of a crisis is growing.”
Tags: Africa, China, Construction projects, Crisis, Debt, Dollar bonds, GDP, Investors, Murky, Sub-Saharan, Syndicated loans, Yield
