A new poll shows Americans are overwhelmingly against Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies in corporations. American investors want corporations to prioritize profits over political and social agendas, the latest Echelon Insights poll produced for the Daily Wire reported . Investment companies use ESG scores to judge a company’s support for climate change, gender and sexual identity, treatment of workers, and a board of directors independent of its CEO. New poll between us at @EchelonInsights w/ @realDailyWire . Only 21% of investors (1,008) believe that ESG investing (environmental, social, and corporate governance) is a politically neutral endeavor. Guess which side its considered to service? @benshapiro @VivekGRamaswamy https://t.co/GMNU1zPeeB — Stephen Kent (@Stephen_Kent89) May 26, 2022 The poll found that 46% of American investors felt that companies should not take public political positions on current national topics. Fifty-six percent of … [Read more...] about POLL: Americans Overwhelmingly Reject Woke Investing Craze Sweeping Through Corporations
Greenwald value investing
The Best Inflation Hedge You Already Own
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Inflation is becoming a problem. Whether it becomes a long-term structural one or dissipates after the pandemic, no one knows. As the old saw goes, economic forecasts make tarot cards appear respectable. Jack Dorsey recently predicted hyperinflation , an exponential decrease in the value of paper money akin to what happened in the Weimar Republic in the 1920s—or Zimbabwe in 2007 . For that to occur, monetary policy would have to ignore the problem, failing to raise rates as the data required. A Fed that lacks political independence could make this mistake, but it’s a low-probability outcome. Even double-digit inflation—in a throwback to the seventies—is unlikely, but possible. After all, economic conditions, like bellbottoms, go in and out of fashion. The most likely scenario is some prolonged elevation to inflation (in the mid-single digits) as labor shortages and supply-chain problems continue to pressure prices. No … [Read more...] about The Best Inflation Hedge You Already Own
Bear Markets & Market Bottoms
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin 2022 has been a brutal year for investors. Presently, the S&P 500 is down over 16% Year-To-Date (YTD), the Dow is down 12% YTD, the NASDAQ is down an astounding 25% and the Russell 2000 small capitalization index is down 19%. The devastation has been widespread, with a high number of stocks down over 50%. Due to this, the Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 Growth (SPYG) and Russell 2000 (All and Growth) segments of the market have confirmed their bear market status. The O’Neil methodology tends to use -25% from highs as the threshold for a bear market. Taking the commonly used -20% from highs, the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 Value have also reached the threshold. Only S&P 500 Value and Dow Industrials have not. In our January 28, 2022 Forbes article, we noted that after two consecutive failed Follow-Through Days (FTDs)*, triggered by an undercut of prior established lows, historically (using the S&P 500 since … [Read more...] about Bear Markets & Market Bottoms
I Bonds Set To Deliver Historic 9.62% Interest Rate
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin What will deliver higher returns over the next 12 months, I bonds or bitcoin? A year ago such a question would have been silly. Today, not so much. Bitcoin BTC has struggled in 2022, down more than 10%. In contrast, I bonds are set to deliver an estimated 9.62% annualized return starting next month. Here’s what you need to know. I Bond Basics First introduced in 1998, I bonds are issued by the U.S. government. Investors purchase I bonds directly from the government via the TreasuryDirect.gov website . Unlike most other U.S. bonds, however, I bonds are designed to protect savers from the ravages of inflation. They accomplish this by adjusting the interest rate twice a year (May and November) based on changes in the CPI. Two factors determine the interest rate on an I bond: A Fixed Rate and an Inflation Rate. Combining these two rates gives us what is known as the Composite Rate. Today the Fixed Rate is … [Read more...] about I Bonds Set To Deliver Historic 9.62% Interest Rate
Do Annuities Make Sense For Anyone?
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin There seems to be a lot of confusion about whether annuities are good or bad. Some of it stems from viewing the product as complex and too time-consuming to study and understand. But I don’t see annuities being any more complicated than other financial products. For example, one type of annuity is simply like a pension, and there’s almost no one who thinks a pension is bad. Annuities are a type of insurance product. By purchasing one, you’re transferring risk to the insurance company just as you do with home, auto, or life insurance coverage. With annuity products, the insurer is assuming some, if not all, of the longevity or market risk and charging a fee doing so. Risk mitigation is common to all types of annuity products, yet they differ markedly in other ways. Variable Annuities When people talk about contract complexity and high fees, they’re usually referring to variable annuities. I find these products are … [Read more...] about Do Annuities Make Sense For Anyone?
How to build business momentum during challenging times
Today’s tight labor market, economic challenges, and customers’ ever-increasing expectations have changed the business landscape. To adapt, survive and have a chance to thrive, businesses must be increasingly agile. advertisement Companies need the people, processes and technology to support fast decision making, continued innovation and inevitable pivots. Let’s consider how your business can use process redesign, automation and people-first strategies to speed up workflows while delivering exceptional experiences for customers and employees alike. Customer service and personalization Customer service has become a business differentiator: a tool for building connections and reinforcing brand values. While this is more important than ever, it is also more complicated. Jeff Weiner, vice president, general manager at Conduent , a provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions that ignite efficiency, savings and revenue growth, explains that the … [Read more...] about How to build business momentum during challenging times
Help Your Employees Be Strategic Thinkers
Education is easy to make part of any business. That does not have to mean bringing in outside experts or sending employees away to expensive courses. Drawing on in-house resources can be just as rich. At Metal Mafia, we used to have sales seminars on a regular basis, at which different staffers would present on everything from the pros and cons of new products, to techniques for communicating better with customers. As we got busier, the seminars were scheduled less frequently, and finally, not scheduled at all. Two weeks ago, I asked my staff to tell me why a customer would want to spend money on a specific new product we now offer. I thought the answers could have been better, so I decided we all needed a refresher course in how to explain the value of our products in a meaningful way to our customers. I held an in-house tutorial this week, and the investment paid off. Here's what I think you'll find most useful. Let your staff know it's OK to ask questions. … [Read more...] about Help Your Employees Be Strategic Thinkers
Resistance Firms Ahead of Labor Report
Major Moves Trading was aimless during today's session as economic and earnings data came in below expectations. While there was plenty of bad news, some of the media's hand-wringing was a great example of post-hoc rationalization. This was particularly true in the energy sector. Each Wednesday, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) releases a report of oil inventories held by commercial firms in the U.S. Like most weekly reports, the data can be very "noisy," with wide swings from week to week. In a bullish oil market, we would like to see inventories fall because purchases and shipping are picking up. The weekly oil inventory report swung back hard today to show an increase of 7.1 million barrels versus a decrease of 8.6 million barrels last week. When the two data points are added together, we see a small net decrease over the past two weeks that is more likely to be an accurate reflection of the market. Most traders expected today's news after inventories were … [Read more...] about Resistance Firms Ahead of Labor Report
Brands Are Now Communicating To Consumers About Sustainability Through QR Codes – Here’s How
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin 92 million tons of clothes-related waste are discarded each year. To put that in perspective, that’s the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothing being sent to a landfill every second. The good news is this excessive waste has driven innovation in ways that not only benefit our planet but that also provide a more transparent and personalized way for brands to communicate with consumers. And a few trailblazing companies are leading the charge. Using Digital IDs for Authenticated Resale Resale is huge and the industry is getting bigger fast. Insulated from supply chain bottlenecks and benefitting from an increased focus on sustainability, the resale market is growing 11 times faster than traditional retail and expected to hit $77 billion in the next five years. So, what is the next evolution in resale? Vanessa Barboni Hallik, the CEO of Another Tomorrow, believes it is important to offer resale … [Read more...] about Brands Are Now Communicating To Consumers About Sustainability Through QR Codes – Here’s How
Alibaba’s sales beat estimates, eases fears of Covid’s economic fallout
- A + A (May 26): Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s quarterly revenue rose a better-than-expected 9%, reassuring investors trying to come to grips with the economic cost of sweeping lockdowns intended to eradicate Covid-19. But China’s e-commerce leader also refrained from offering its usual outlook for the year, underscoring the unpredictable impact of a Covid Zero policy that’s already cast the country’s supply chains into disarray and hammered consumer sentiment. Alibaba — a barometer for Chinese consumer sentiment because of its dominance of Asia’s largest retail arena — is grappling with intensifying competition and mounting economic uncertainty at home. This week, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang warned of dire consequences if officials didn’t move decisively to safeguard the economy. Alibaba will play its part in helping shore up the economy, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang told analysts on a post-earnings conference call. The company’s own revenues had slid by a … [Read more...] about Alibaba’s sales beat estimates, eases fears of Covid’s economic fallout