The Total Return(which includes price returns and dividend reinvested) of some of the major indices are shown in the chart below. The US market was the best performer as shown by the S&P 500 in red color. Click to enlarge Source: The future of the FTSE 100, FT Alphaville UK’s FTSE 100 was the second best …
Continue reading ‘Total Returns of Selected Global Indices 1998 Thru 2018: Chart’ »
US firms are increasingly spending more of their earnings on stock buybacks than dividend payments to shareholders. One of the main reason for this is that the tax rate on capital gains is lower than that of dividends for investors. Hence investors are content with companies buying their own stock than returning cash to them …
Continue reading ‘US Stock Buybacks. vs. Dividends: Which One is Bigger?’ »
Oil prices are in a downward spiral in recent weeks. Yesterday Brent fell 7.1% for January delivery and closed at $65.47 yesterday. Just a few weeks ago pundits were predicting oil may reach over $100 a barrel soon. Since then prices have dramatically plunged. The reasons attributed to the collapse in prices are many. Some …
Continue reading ‘The Top 20 Global Integrated Oil and Gas Companies 2018’ »
Australia is known as the lucky country. It is rich in natural resources, has a small population and has a stable democratic government. The country hasn’t had a recent in recent years. In addition, Australia have never had bank collapses like in other developed countries such as the US in recent memory. The lucky country …
Before the Global Financial Crisis(GFC) of 2008-09, FIRE used to mean Financial Services, Insurance and Real Estate(FIRE) to define the US economy. FIRE sectors used to the hottest to be in. Then the FIRE burned out economy. Nowdays millennials have redefined FIRE to be Financial Independence Retire Early where people extreme measures to retire as …
Continue reading ‘Knowledge is Power: FIRE, US Stock Valuations, Retirement Edition’ »