US stocks have performed well in the past few years relative to other developed and emerging stocks. Emerging market stocks have been especially poor performers for many years until now. While the S&P 500 is up by about 7% so far this year, emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia have soared by 42% and 30% …
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One of the main themes that is dominating business news nowadays is interest rates. More specifically the question on everyone’s mind is when will the Federal Reserve increase the fed funds rate from the ultra-low rates now. The talking heads, pundits, fed watchers and other experts debate this issue on a daily basis in the media, …
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The presidential election in November will decide the winner of the highest office in the land. The US President is often depicted as the single most powerful human being on the planet. He is often considered to have God-like powers to do almost anything he desires. Hollywood and the media has created a myth that …
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Defensive stocks such as utilities and consumer staples are in a downward trend since the beginning of second half. These stocks were top performers from the start of the year as investors bid them up seeking yield and stable growth. Utilities and consumer staples are down about 10% and 6% respectively from their peak earlier this …
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The percentage of population living below the poverty threshold levels across OECD member countries are shown in the chart below: Click to enlarge Source: Society at a Glance 2016, OECD The U.S. ranks second in this list with only Israel having higher percentage. The current poverty threshold level in the US is $24,300 for a family …
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