Wall Street Journal (December 20)
“The next great leap in AI is behind schedule and crazy expensive.” The problem is exemplified by OpenAI’s new project. The Orion “artificial-intelligence project is behind schedule and running up huge bills. It isn’t clear when—or if—it’ll work. There may not be enough data in the world to make it smart enough.”
MSN (December 20)
“The smooth economy that Donald Trump was poised to inherit suddenly looks a bit rockier — with critics saying the president-elect is contributing to the uncertainty.” After 10 days of losses, the DJSI “essentially ended Thursday flat” and the Federal Reserve “has become cautious about further interest rate cuts planned for next year” amid persistent inflation.
Tags: Cautious, DJSI, Economy, Fed, Flat, Interest rate cuts, Losses, Persistent inflation, President-elect, Rockier, Smooth, Trump, Uncertainty
Reuters (December 18)
“If only M&A solved everything. Japan’s Nissan Motor and Honda Motor certainly need help.” A merger, possibly involving Mitsubishi Motors as well, could potentially achieve cost cuts, “but as Stellantis’s woes show, tie-ups alone don’t create great manufacturers.”
Tags: Cost cuts, Honda, Japan, M&A, Manufacturers, Merger, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Stellantis, Tie-ups, Woes
Barron’s (December 16)
“Investors betting on future interest rate moves expect the Fed to cut rates a quarter-point, ending 2024 with a federal-funds rate in the range of 4.25%-4.5%.” That not something bond investors like. They are increasingly “shunning long-term Treasuries,” with the yield on 10-year Treasuries moving beyond the “20-day moving average of 4.293% on Thursday,” before “topping 4.4% during intraday trading on Friday.”
Tags: 10-year Treasuries, 4, 4.293%, Bond investors, Fed, Federal-funds rate, Future, Interest rate, Intraday trading, Investors, Shunning, Yield
Institutional Investor (December 16)
“A cross examination of forecasts from asset managers shows that artificial intelligence will be front and center for investors…. Putting geopolitics and economic forecasting to one side for a second,” AI is the “one thematic priority that sticks out.” Artificial intelligence is “being touted as a structural game changer for all industries the likes of which we haven’t seen since the invention of the internet, massively improving efficiency and productivity for those that are able to effectively harness it.”
Tags: AI, Asset managers, Cross examination, Economic forecasting, Efficiency, Forecasts, Game changer, Geopolitics, Internet, Investors, Productivity
Wall Street Journal (December 14)
“Falling prices in China” are causing havoc “as factories struggle to cope with overcapacity and weak demand.” This is increasing pressure “on Beijing to take more forceful action to prevent a downward spiral of deflation that becomes self-reinforcing, potentially landing China in a longer-term recession.”
Tags: China, Deflation, Downward spiral, Factories, Falling prices, Havoc, Overcapacity, Recession, Self-reinforcing, Struggle, Weak demand
New York Times (December 13)
Venture capital (VC) stands at a cross roads as firms adopt opposing paths. The “industry that funds and fosters American innovation” is undergoing “a profound debate” about its future. Some funds are remaining true to the lean, traditional VC model of infusing capital and not much else. Others are adopting a “bigger-is-better” approach in the belief that “even more money is needed to solve society’s thorniest problems with innovation. Small funds, they scoff, can back only small ideas.”
Tags: Bigger-is-better, Capital, Debate, Future, Innovation, Lean, Money, Society, Thorniest problems, Traditional, U.S., Venture-capital
Mint (December 12)
“Commercial real estate investment volume in Japan jumped 21% year-on-year to ¥2.6 trillion in the first half, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.,” placing Tokyo ahead of New York and London as “the most active global city.” Largely recovering from the pandemic, Tokyo office vacancies in November fell to a four-year low of 4.16%.
Tags: ¥2.6 trillion, 21%, Commercial real estate, First-half, Investment volume, Japan, Jones Lang LaSalle, London, New York, November, Office vacancies, Pandemic, Tokyo
The Economist (December 11)
“Since America elected Donald Trump as president on November 5th, the value of its listed firms has increased by $4.2trn, more than the entire worth of London’s stockmarket. The S&P 500 is up by nearly 30% this year. At 23 times its forward earnings, the index has rarely been so highly rated by investors.”
Tags: $4.2trn, 23x, Forward earnings, Index, Investors, Listed firms, London, President, S&P 500, Stockmarket, Trump, U.S., Value
Bloomberg (December 11)
“The Nasdaq 100 climbed 1.9% to a new record as the Magnificent Seven once again find themselves in pole position. Wall Street’s optimism surrounding the industry and its AI dreams has seemingly proven enduring.”
Tags: AI, Climbed, Dreams, Magnificent Seven, Nasdaq 100, Optimism, Record, Wall Street
