Dividend yields vary by country. Some countries such as those in developed Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc. are traditionally high dividend payers. Most emerging markets are stingy in terms of rewarding shareholders with dividends. Countries like Japan and South Korea are also not great for dividends. The following chart shows the dividend yields by country …

Continue reading ‘The Dividend Yields of the World’s Largest Economies: Chart’ »

The performance of various asset classes vary in any given year. For example, bonds earned higher returns than stocks during the dark periods of Global Financial Crisis(GFC) in 2008 and 2009. Similar to the diversification benefits across countries, it is also important to diversify across many asset classes such as small caps, mid caps, large …

Continue reading ‘Schwab Asset Class Quilt 2018’ »

Interesting infographic on how climate change is affecting Europe. Click to enlarge Source: EEA

Small cap banks in the US provide a vital function to the economy. They offer loans to about 44% of farms, 50% of small businesses and 15% of all residential mortgages. When the Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law in 2010 in response to the Global Financial Crisis(GFC) small banks were hurt more than their …

Continue reading ‘U.S. Small Bank Failures in the Past 15 Years: Chart’ »

The current bull market started from the trough of the Global Financial Crisis(GFC) in early 2009. Despite being called a bull market it does not feel like a typical bull market. In fact, experts have dubbed this bull as the “most hated bull market in history”. The chart below compares the returns of the current …

Continue reading ‘The Current vs. Past Bull Market Returns: Chart’ »