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This was a new record for imports in January, eclipsing the previous recent (Jan 2022) by 17%! Container traffic gives us an idea about the volume of goods being exported and imported - and usually some hints about the trade report since LA area ports handle about 40% of the nation's container port traffic. The following graphs are for inbound and outbound traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in TEUs (TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container).
Companies It feels like Apple ($AAPL) is 'stuck in a rut.' (spyglass.org) This company has thoroughly scrubbed any mention of diversity, inclusion or DEI from its SEC filings. (linkedin.com) Fund management If anybody is going to bridge the private-public markets gap it will be Blackrock ($BLK). (bloomberg.com) Even when used as prescribed, leveraged ETFs are imperfect instruments.
Many financial advisors approach prospect meetings with a mindset of giving potential clients ample space to consider the relationship before making any commitments. Asking them to "think it over" after an initial meeting is a common strategy designed to help clients feel comfortable and avoid the perception of being pressured into engaging in the relationship right away.
The DOL reported : In the week ending February 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 219,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 213,000 to 214,000. The 4-week moving average was 215,250, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average.
Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.
Books An excerpt from Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity by Yoni Appelbaum. (wsj.com) A Q&A with Jessica A. Brockmole, author of "Pink Cars and Pocketbooks: How American Women Bought Their Way into the Drivers Seat." (annehelen.substack.com) A Q&A with Dr. Adam Ratner, author of "Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Children's Health.
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: California Home Sales Down 1.9% YoY in January; 4th Look at Local Housing Markets A brief excerpt: Here a few more local markets prior to the NAR release tomorrow. The NAR is scheduled to release January Existing Home sales on Friday, February 21st at 10:00 AM. The consensus is for 4.10 million SAAR, down from 4.24 million in December.
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: California Home Sales Down 1.9% YoY in January; 4th Look at Local Housing Markets A brief excerpt: Here a few more local markets prior to the NAR release tomorrow. The NAR is scheduled to release January Existing Home sales on Friday, February 21st at 10:00 AM. The consensus is for 4.10 million SAAR, down from 4.24 million in December.
The fintech aims to embed alts investment management into its standard brokerage infrastructure, with a product launch scheduled for the first half of this year.
Some random thoughts on navigating a challenging period in life: Simple matters more when things get hard. Simple beats complex for a variety of reasons. It also makes life easier when life gets harder. You don’t want your financial life to be complicated when life gets messy. Simplifying your investment process, the number of accounts you have, your holdings, your personal finances, you bill payments, etc. makes it.
Two years ago, the concentration of the U.S. stock market in its largest companies looked high compared to recent history. Today, some might say market concentration appears really high. At the end of 2024, the 10 largest companies in the S&P 500 Index made up 37.3% of the index by market capitalization. This means that just 2% of the 500 largest U.S. companies represent nearly 40% of the weight.
As businesses increasingly adopt automation, finance leaders must navigate the delicate balance between technology and human expertise. This webinar explores the critical role of human oversight in accounts payable (AP) automation and how a people-centric approach can drive better financial performance. Join us for an insightful discussion on how integrating human expertise into automated workflows enhances decision-making, reduces fraud risks, strengthens vendor relationships, and accelerates R
Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. Friday: At 10:00 AM ET, Existing Home Sales for January from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The consensus is for 4.17 million SAAR, down from 4.24 million. Also at 10:00 AM, University of Michigan's Consumer sentiment index (Final for February).
James Arthur McDonald was arrested in June 2024 after more than two years on the run from law enforcement. The Justice Department accused him of defrauding clients of at least $2.7 million.
The guys at RCM Alternatives had a blog post that was right out of our playbook here in terms of looking at alternative strategy funds as substitutes for plainer vanilla stock and bond exposures. They listed out quite a few funds that I've never heard of so looking at them was fun. Today we'll dig in and see if any of the funds should go on our radar.
Based off SkyStem's popular e-Book, the book of secrets to the month-end close will be revealed in this one-hour webinar. Learn leading practices when it comes to building a strong and sustainable month-end close that has room to grow and evolve. Learn about the power of precise estimates, why reconciliations are critical to closing the books, how and when to automate, and how the chart of accounts play into your close process.
High free cash flow yield stocks can represent a compelling investment opportunity, as these companies generate substantial cash compared to their market capitalization. This strong cash generation efficiency demonstrates their operational excellence and ability to effectively convert sales into actual cash after covering essential business costs like capital expenditures and working capital requirements.
Chris Griffith and Henry Wheelwright, rising stars in the wirehouse world, share their growth story and motivations to leave Morgan Stanley and launch their own independent firm on the Goldman Sachs custody platform.
In the week ending February 15th, initial jobless claims were at a seasonally adjusted level of 219,000. This represents an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's figure. The latest reading was higher than the 214,000 forecast.
Like being inches from the end zone, many advisors are frustratingly close to their next level of success. You work hard. You put in the hours. But if your closing rate is stuck or your pipeline feels like a revolving door… something has to change. Most advisors are just one small shift away from dramatically increasing their revenue. The difference?
What is Lorem Ipsum? Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.
Fun chart from Jeff Weniger “People are usually surprised when I show them how Japan has grown its dividends at a 6.9% annual clip over the last 20 years, outpacing the 6.7% growth pace of the S&P 500. Japan trades for 13.5x forward earnings, or a 37% discount to the S&P’s P/E of 21.3.” The post Japan’s Growth appeared first on Meb Faber Research - Stock Market and Investing Blog.
In January, nominal home values rose for the 22nd consecutive month, reaching a new all-time high, according to the Zillow Home Value Index. However, after adjusting for inflation, real home values declined for the ninth straight month, hitting their lowest level since May 2021.
Is your finance team bogged down by endless data requests and disorganized spreadsheets during the month-end close? It’s time to consider a better option – automate with ART! SkyStem’s solution works alongside your ERP to transform the close and account reconciliation process and speed up month-end work. Explore SkyStem’s ART - the award-winning account reconciliation automation platform - and receive a $100 Amazon gift card as a thank you for your time.
Join us on Wednesday, March 12, at 12 PM Eastern for Journal Live, where we examine the risks and complexities of premium-financed life insurance arrangements. While funding index universal life policy premiums through third-party loans has gained popularity, many financial professionals may not fully understand the associated risks.
The latest Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index showed continued expansion though activity declined. In February, the index fell to 18.1 from 44.3 in January, the largest monthly drop since 2020. The latest reading was lower than the forecast of 19.4.
What this means: On a weekly basis, Realtor.com reports the year-over-year change in active inventory and new listings. On a monthly basis, they report total inventory. For January, Realtor.com reported inventory was up 24.6% YoY, but still down 24.8% compared to the 2017 to 2019 same month levels. Now - on a weekly basis - inventory is up 27.6% YoY.
Walmart Inc. forecast lower-than-expected profit for the full year, suggesting that the uncertain economic environment is hitting even the world’s largest retailer.
Fraud is a battle that every organization must face – it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Every organization is a potential target for fraud, and the finance department is often the bullseye. From cleverly disguised emails to fraudulent payment requests, the tactics of cybercriminals are advancing rapidly. Drawing insights from real-world cases and industry expertise, we’ll explore the vulnerabilities in your processes and how to fortify them effectively.
By Miliana Marten, AEPP One of my clients, age 52, was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo surgery. This was shocking news for her and all of her friends, and she found the best doctor for the surgery. At that time, friends and relatives came to the hospital to visit her and give her comfort, bringing fruits and snacks and praying for her.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that any move to boost the share of longer-term Treasuries in government debt issuance is some ways off, given current hurdles that include elevated inflation and the Federal Reserve’s quantitative tightening program.
Its a given that we should be worried about a breach of our cyber defenses, the disruption and even shutdown of our computer systems with the hacker demanding a ransom, or the theft of our data and intellectual property. But how much does it matter?
Meta Platforms Inc.’s recent record-breaking, 20-day rally propelled the share price to a level where investors may start calling on the company to split its stock for the first time since going public in 2013.
It's the time of year to give our close process some TLC. Join us in this one hour webinar where we discuss how to adopt leading practices and infuse technology into the month-end close process to improve our experience and increase our productivity during month-end and quarter-end close. Learning Objectives: This course's objective is to understand how the month-end close can be improved with automation and adoption of leading practices.
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