The Times of London (July 16)
“Even as US vessels launched hundreds of missiles at Iranian military targets in the past few days, Trump still seemed reluctant to unleash the type of all-out war necessary to bring the enemy to heel. As was the case during the initial five weeks of conflict this spring, the president seems rigidly focused on a low-risk, stand-off warfare, minimising the risks of close-up combat.” With the tactics of Trump’s campaign “explicitly designed to avoid high-intensity battle,” his “objectives are rooted more in hope than in strategy.”
Tags: Campaign, Conflict, Cose-up combat, Enemy, High-intensity battle, Hope, Iran, Low-risk, Military targets, Missiles, Objectives, Reluctant, Stand-off, Tactics, Trump, U.S., Vessels, Warfare
Car Scoops (April 19)
“The auto industry is at a crossroads with EVs, and this is becoming increasingly evident. Nearly every automobile manufacturer has been forced into some level of self-reflection as far as electric cars are concerned. Some are forging ahead in hope, while others are slowing down and reassessing their plans as market demand fluctuates and prices rise.”
Tags: Auto industry, Crossroads, Evident, EVs, Forging ahead, Hope, Manufacturer, Market demand, Plans, Prices, Reassessing, Self-reflection, Slowing down
Reuters (February 9)
“Sanae Takaichi has curb-stomped the competition. Her Liberal Democratic Party took 316 out of 465 seats…delivering the arch-conservative prime minister her country’s first post-war single-party supermajority.” While “investors may hope the ruling party’s historic comeback relieves pressure to cooperate with a fiscally profligate opposition,” that is unlikely. Her desire to revive “the heavily indebted $4 trillion economy” and return to fiscal stimulus will prove costly. Her “desire for a regular army makes expensive militarisation look more certain.” All of these “stated ambitions” augur “more turmoil for markets.”
Tags: Army, Conservative, Curb-stomped, Economy, Expensive, Fiscal stimulus, Hope, Indebted, Investors, Japan, LDP, Militarisation, Prime minister, Supermajority, Takaichi, Turmoil
Fortune (November 17)
“For investors who’ve enjoyed the S&P 500 Index’s more than 50% jump since the start of 2023, the best hope for keeping the market rolling into 2025 and beyond may be Trump’s fear of doing anything to damage a rally.” Many of Trump’s campaign promises weren’t exactly “investor-friendly,” with some considered market anathema. Still, “Wall Street doesn’t believe Trump will tolerate a declining stock market, even if it’s caused by one of his own proposals.”
Tags: 2023, 2025, 50% jump, Anathema, Campaign promises, Damage, Fear, Hope, Investors, Rally, S&P 500, Stock market, Trump, Wall Street
Institutional Investor (December 19)
Investors and CEOs using their power to change the world around them provides the best hope for restoring value-creating potential to relationships between public companies and asset owners. But it may not be good enough. Investors and companies that seek to remain in public markets and derive value from their relationships will need ways to find each other in the masses of intermediaries between them, special tools for using this approach, and plans for navigating the inevitable collisions with short-term activists.”
Tags: Asset owners, CEOs, Hope, Intermediaries, Investors, Markets, Navigating, Potential, Power, Public companies, Relationships, Restoring, Value, Value-creating
The Economist (July 22)
“Economists are not known for their optimism, but today their good cheer is palpable. Not long ago it seemed that an American recession was inevitable.” Now, expectations are heady that this can be averted, but “the surge of hope is… unusual because the world economy is slowing down.” While “falling inflation is good news,” it remains “too early to hail a ‘soft landing.’”
Tags: Averted, Economists, Expectations, Hope, Inevitable, Inflation, Optimism, Recession, Slowing, Surge, U.S., World economy
Washington Post (November 9)
“After nine days of grand pronouncements, pledges and plans, scientists delivered a rude awakening to a COP26 summit that has been called ‘the last, best hope’ for climate action: Earth is on track to warm about 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees Fahrenheit), eclipsing the world’s shared climate goal by a full degree.”
Tags: 2.5 degrees, Climate action, COP26, Earth, Hope, Plans, Pledges, Pronouncements, Rude awakening, Scientists, Summit
Los Angeles Times (April 12)
“The COVID-19 death toll in California has surpassed 60,000, an alarming statistic that comes even as conditions in the state continue to improve.” Though grim, California’s per capita death toll is lower “than that of the other most populous states” and there is cause for hope. Deaths are now down to 104 – 120 per day and the state will open vaccinations up to everyone 16 or older from April 14.
Tags: Alarming, California, COVID-19, Deaths, Grim, Hope, Populous, Statistic, Vaccinations
New York Times (February 8)
“Grim as things sound, there is great reason to hope right now. More vaccines are coming, and case counts and death counts are finally leveling off.” There is, however, also reason for great haste. “The nation remains locked in a desperate contest, between its own ability to vaccinate people as quickly as possible and the virus’s ability to mutate and spread ever faster. Right now, the virus still has the lead.”
New York Times (December 18)
“Rising Covid-19 cases are taking a steep toll on economic activity, battering the labor market even as new vaccines offer a ray of hope for next year.” After dropping earlier in autumn, jobless claims “have moved higher, and they remain at levels that dwarf the pace of past recessions.” New restrictions are hammering “the hospitality industry, lodging, airlines and other service businesses…. Until mass inoculations begin next year, the economy will remain under pressure.”
Tags: Airlines, Battering, COVID-19, Economic activity, Hope, Hospitality, Jobless claims, Labor market, Lodging, Recessions, Restrictions, Toll, Vaccines
