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Confused about where we are today? A favorite exercise is to go back to first principles to consider how we got to where we are. (That is a favorite way to find fresh insights). On the equity side, you have to go back a century or so. Equities were considered speculative endeavors, best suited for gamblers and punters. The exceptions? A handful of “Widows & Orphan” stocks, like Ma Bell, some railroads, utilities and the rare bank that was not suffering regular runs.
Altos reports that active single-family inventory was down 0.9% week-over-week. Inventory bottomed in mid-February this year, as opposed to mid-April in 2023, and inventory is now up 3.8% from the February bottom. Note: the decline this week was due to the Easter holiday, and seasonally, inventory usually increases following Easter. Click on graph for larger image.
Adopting an adaptive approach to retirement planning acknowledges the dynamic nature of spending patterns and emphasizes flexibility in financial strategies.
Also on the site Better investors make fewer decisions. (abnormalreturns.com) Top clicks this week Two stocks accounted for a third of the Russell 2000's 5.2% return in Q1. (wsj.com) How major asset classes performed in March 2024. (capitalspectator.com) How to choose among total stock market ETFs. (humbledollar.com) Hyundai and Kia are crushing it in the U.S.
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.
Between book leave and COVID I have been pretty quiet lately. Since it’s been a few months, I thought we could take a quick look at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s State Coincident Indicators out for both January and February 2024.1 As the charts above show, the economy on a state-by-state basis has markedly improved from Q4 2023’s softening.
Here are a few measures of inflation: The first graph is the one Fed Chair Powell had mentioned when services less rent of shelter was up around 8% year-over-year. This declined, but has turned up recently, and is now up 4.8% YoY. Click on graph for larger image. This graph shows the YoY price change for Services and Services less rent of shelter through March 2024.
Markets These 15 stocks destroyed the most value in the past decade. (morningstar.com) Is the worst over for the UK stock market? (ft.com) Strategy All-time highs shouldn't prevent you from investing in the stock market. (theirrelevantinvestor.com) What perma-bears get wrong about this stock market. (theatlantic.com) Financial media Robinhood-backed ($HOOD) Sherwood News has launched.
Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that a recent study has found that many small- and mid-sized advisory firms that use "supported independence" platforms for their technology and back-office needs, have the potential to see greater growth in the years ahead given the efficiencies gained (and potential cost savings compared to creating a tech stack and hiring their own staff 'a la carte'), and give aspiring firm
The DOL reported : In the week ending April 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 211,000 , a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 221,000 to 222,000. The 4-week moving average was 214,250, a decrease of 250 from the previous week's revised average.
As businesses increasingly adopt automation, finance leaders must navigate the delicate balance between technology and human expertise. This webinar explores the critical role of human oversight in accounts payable (AP) automation and how a people-centric approach can drive better financial performance. Join us for an insightful discussion on how integrating human expertise into automated workflows enhances decision-making, reduces fraud risks, strengthens vendor relationships, and accelerates R
Strategy Prospective bond returns are buoying the prospects for a 60/40 portfolio. (axios.com) How indexing came to dominate the investment business. (ritholtz.com) 15 investing principles including 'I believe managing one’s behavior is more important than managing one’s investments.' (betterletter.substack.com) Companies BP ($BP) is the cheapest stock among the giants.
Financial advicers are intimately familiar with the phrase, "Past results are not indicative of future performance." Every document that considers the facts around any particular asset class will invariably include that disclaimer, but constructing a portfolio consisting of a mix of equities, fixed income, and other assets requires investors and advicers to make some fundamental assumptions around long-term expected returns and correlations between assets. 3 common assumptions that have driven a
From the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Rail Time Indicators. Graphs and excerpts reprinted with permission. Total originated carloads on U.S. railroads fell 3.5% (31,101 carloads) in March 2024 from March 2023, their third straight monthly decline. Total carloads averaged 216,716 per week in March 2024, the fewest for any March in our records that begin in January 1988.
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.
Strategy It's way too easy to mislead someone with charts. (awealthofcommonsense.com) Once you start humble bragging, it's time to rein things in. (radreads.co) Companies Taiwan Semi ($TSM) is doubling down on its U.S. production plans. (arstechnica.com) The path to a new and improved Paramount Global ($PARA) is complex. (finance.yahoo.com) Global With a rate hike in the books, is Japan's economy finally normalizing?
Avert your eyes! My Sunday morning look at incompetency, corruption and policy failures: • The Real Crisis in Humanities Isn’t Happening at College Our problem is in the real world—not the ivory tower—and so is the solution. ( The Honest-Broker ) • Transparent Vice: How Vice’s execs burned down its newsroom : Once promised to become the brash young voice of news, it became a den of wild expenses, shady deals, and greed turned it into ‘a f **g clown show.’ ( The Verge ) • The Future of Am
From Dodge Data Analytics: Dodge Momentum Index Fell 9% in March The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, fell 8.6% in March to 164.0 (2000=100) from the revised February reading of 179.5. Over the month, commercial planning fell 3.2% and institutional planning dropped 17.2%. “In 2023, commercial planning decreased while institutional planning notably improved, sitting 29% above year-ago levels in February 2024.
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?
Books An excerpt from "The Weight of Nature: How a Changing Climate Changes Our Brains" by Clayton Page Aldern. (grist.org) A Q&A with Steven Kurutz author of "American Flannel: How a Band of Entrepreneurs Are Bringing the Art and Business of Making Clothes Back Home." (insidehook.com) Annie Duke talks with Michael Norton, author of "From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions.
A reader sent me the following chart asking for my thoughts: I honestly don’t know who the creator of this chart is. I don’t know the intention of it either but the fact that the title contains the word collapse makes it sound scary. Knowing that housing prices in the U.S. are at all-time highs makes this chart seem suspect, but the data checks out.
At the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter this week: • Moody's: Apartment Vacancy Rate Unchanged in Q1; Office Vacancy Rate at Record High • Freddie Mac House Price Index Increased in February; Up 5.9% Year-over-year • ICE Mortgage Monitor: The Impact of "Golden-Handcuffs" on Mortgage Payments • Asking Rents Mostly Unchanged Year-over-year • Immigration and Household Formation This is usually published 4 to 6 times a week and provides more in-depth analysis of the housing market.
Michael Tiedemann talks about taking two companies public via SPAC, raising capital and what he and his partners are building at AlTi Tiedemann Global.
Managing spend is more than a cost cutting exercise – it's a pathway to smarter decisions that unlock efficiency and drive growth. By understanding and refining the spending process, financial leaders can empower their organizations to achieve more with less. Explore the art of balancing financial control with operational growth. From uncovering hidden inefficiencies to designing workflows that scale your business, we’ll share strategies to align your organization’s spending with its strategic g
Strategy How you implement a commodities allocation matters. (morningstar.com) Two things you probably don't need to worry about, including index concentration. (awealthofcommonsense.com) Closed-end funds have always been problematic. Now include the Destiny Tech 100 ($DXYZ) fund. (axios.com) IPOs Climate tech has an IPO problem. (semafor.com) Investors have waited a long time for the IPO window to reopen.
According to Redfin, we just hit another new all-time high in the median monthly payment (based on current home prices and mortgage rates): The median payment for a new purchase has doubled since 2021. Mortgage rates were back up to 7.4% this week. Nationwide housing prices are still are all-time highs and up around 50% since the end of 2019. There has been this feeling of something has to give for a while now but nothi.
From the BLS : The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, the same increase as in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.5 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for shelter rose in March , as did the index for gasoline.
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.
Markets Investors are coming to terms with higher short-term interest rates. (nytimes.com) All the narrative rolling around the markets including 'Sticky inflation.' (ft.com) Crypto A spot Bitcoin ETF has provided crypto skeptics cover to get into the business. (barrons.com) The rise in Bitcoin has caused some long term holders to sell. (coindesk.com) Finance Financial institutions are increasingly relying on the public cloud operators.
A reader asks: Instead of diversifying is it ever worth advising clients to build mental toughness? This would be similar to how we teach youth athletes to grow through losses and failures. Learning to take short term investing losses knowing over long term they will get larger gains in stocks. This is an excellent question because money is more about behavior than numbers.
From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 0.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 5, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.
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.
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