“We haven’t fully dodged this bullet at all…Until we’re patched against the vulnerability itself, we’re still in harm’s way.” That’s what Ryan Kalember, senior vice president of cybersecurity company, ProofPoint Inc. (PFPT) said shortly after the first computer virus hit. Earlier in May, more than 200,000 companies in 150 countries were hit by a ransomware…
DetailsIn a decade, the retail industry will look nothing like it does now. That’s what Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha, had to say when asked about retail at the Berkshire Hathaway meeting in early May 2017. “The department store is online now,” he added. “I have no illusion that 10 years from now will…
DetailsThe Federal Reserve predicted that a disappointing first quarter would be “transitory”. And by many accounts, they were correct. After growing by an anemic 79,000 jobs (revised lower from 98,000) in March 2017, payrolls rebounded sharply in April 2017 by more than the expected 190,000. In fact, according to the government, the U.S. added an…
DetailsWe weren’t prepared. And in all likelihood, we won’t be prepared next time either. According to cybersecurity firm, Avast, on May 12, a massive cyberattack targeted computers in 99 countries with more than 75,000 attacks, making it one of the broadest and most damaging cyberattacks in history. In just hours, companies, hospitals, government agencies, and…
DetailsIn early April 2017, several cities went dark. In San Francisco, more than 90,000 residents lost power due to “equipment failure, the catastrophic failure of a circuit breaker,” explained Pacific Gas & Electric. In New York, a power outage in Brooklyn brought several subway lines to a halt when a Con Edison equipment failure knocked…
DetailsIt was only a matter of time. But eventually they saw it our way. In early April 2017, oil prices had just rebounded from a low of $47 to $53.76 on hopes that the OPEC and non-OPEC agreements would be extended, summer driving season would kick in much higher demand, and a knee-jerk reaction to…
DetailsLast Friday, the U.S. GDP tumbled to just 0.7%, down from 2.1% in the previous quarter and well below expectations of 1.0%. That’s the lowest quarterly growth in about three years. While we saw increases in business investment, exports and housing, it was mostly offset by a big slowdown in consumer spending – up just…
DetailsSmart investors have always been drawn to small-cap stocks. Once you uncover the underappreciated, inexpensive gems, your returns can be far more rewarding than a large cap stock. Plus, for the past 89 years, small caps have historically returned 12.2% a year, as compared to a 9.8% return for the S&P 500. And there’s good…
DetailsIt only took 17 years. On March 22, 2000, the NASDAQ Composite Index hit a high of 5,022 before pulling back to less 1,200. Since then – other than the meltdown of 2008 – it has never been as low. In fact, since that low of 1,200 in 2000, the index is up 414% at…
DetailsIt looks like small cap stocks are having another incredible year. Since mid-March 2017 lows, the Russell 2000 tacked on 5% of upside, while the S&P 500 gained just 3% — thanks in part to an incredible broader market rally and Donald Trump’s plans to slash the corporate tax rate to just 15%. They’ve become…
DetailsTesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, had quite the message for investors. If you don’t like the way he’s running the show, maybe you should just buy Ford. “This investor group should buy Ford,” he tweeted. “Their governance is amazing…” That was in response to a request from the California State Teachers Retirement System, Hermes Equity Ownership…
DetailsOil traders are getting excited as crude oil prices rebounded off a low of $47 to $53.76 on several events. For one, there are hopes for a potential extension of the OPEC and non-OPEC production deal, which could offset rebounding U.S. production. In fact, Russia just announced it’s weighing an extension. Two, Libya’s Sharara field…
Details