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A climate of fear is your friend

A climate of fear is your friend

April 12, 2018

“A climate of fear is your friend when investing; a euphoric world is your enemy.” – Warren Buffett (2013 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders)

Tesla in November 2023 : Story twists and turns, with value consequences! November 1, 2023
I was planning to start this post by telling you that Tesla was back in the news, but that would be misleading, since Tesla never leaves the news. Some of that attention comes from the company's products and innovations, but much of it comes from having Elon Musk as a CEO, a man who makes […]
Good Intentions, Perverse Outcomes: The Impact of Impact Investing! October 12, 2023
I have made no secret of my disdain for ESG, an over-hyped and over-sold acronym, that has been a gravy train for a whole host of players, including fund managers, consultants and academics. In response, I have been told that the problem is not with the idea of ESG, but in its measurement […]
Invisible, yet Invaluable: Valuing Intangibles in the Birkenstock IPO! October 6, 2023
A few days ago, I valued Instacart ahead of its initial public offering, and noted that the reception that the stock gets will be a good barometer of where risk capital stands in the market, right now. After a buzzy open, when the stock jumped from its offering price of $30 a share to $42, […]
Market Bipolarity: Exuberance versus Exhaustion! October 4, 2023
As we enter the last quarter of 2023, it has been a roller coaster of a year. We started the year with significant uncertainty about whether the surge in inflation seen in 2022 would persist as well as about whether the economy was headed into a recession. In the first half of the year, we […]
Putting the (Insta)cart before the (Grocery) horse: A COVID Favorite's Reality Check! September 19, 2023
After years of rumors of an imminent IPO, Instacart has finally filed for a public offering of it’s shares, aspiring to raise about $600 million from markets, at a pricing of about $9-$10 billion for its equity. Coming in the week after ARM, an AI chip designer, also filed to go public, but with an […]
A Business Upended: Streaming disrupts the Entertainment Business! September 11, 2023
It has been an unsettling summer for anyone with a stake in the movie, television and broadcasting businesses. The strike by screen actors and writers which started in July is now into almost into its third month, with no end in sight, putting at risk the pipeline of movies and shows that were expected to […]
Toys for Billionaires: Sports Franchises as Trophy Assets! August 25, 2023
I have always loved sports, playing tennis and cricket when I was growing up, before transitioning to fan status, cheering for my favored teams from the sidelines. I also like finance, perhaps not as much as sports, but there are winners and losers in the investment game as well. Thus, it should come as no […]
In Search of Safe Havens: The Trust Deficit and Risk-free Investments! August 15, 2023
In every introductory finance class, you begin with the notion of a risk-free investment, and the rate on that investment becomes the base on which you build, to get to expected returns on risky assets and investments. In fact, the standard practice that most analysts and investors follow to estimate the risk free rate is […]
The Price of Risk: With Equity Risk Premiums, Caveat Emptor! August 5, 2023
If you have been reading my posts, you know that I have an obsession with equity risk premiums, which I believe lie at the center of almost every substantive debate in markets and investing. As part of that obsession, since September 2008, I have estimated an equity risk premium for the S&P 500 […]

Toys 'R' Us brand may be brought back to life October 3, 2018
Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands.
JCPenney names Jill Soltau as its new CEO October 2, 2018
Read full story for latest details.
S&P downgrades debt-riddled GE and GE Capital October 2, 2018
New General Electric boss Larry Culp just got a fresh reminder of the debt-riddled balance sheet he's inheriting.
Goldman Sachs slants research to help Democrats, top White House adviser says October 2, 2018
Kevin Hassett, President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, suggested Goldman Sachs may be slanting its economic research to help Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.
Meet GE's new boss: Can Larry Culp right the ship? October 1, 2018
General Electric is turning to a outsider to clean up a mess that took decades to create.
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford, from the cornfield to the C-suite October 1, 2018
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files.
GE unexpectedly removes its CEO October 1, 2018
Read full story for latest details.
The next big test for Elon Musk arrives this week September 30, 2018
Read full story for latest details.
The S&P 500 achieves best quarter since 2013 September 28, 2018
The longest bull market in history is back on track.

Keppel’s acquisition of Aermont to deliver growth and diversification benefits: analysts December 1, 2023
MACQUARIE Equity Research and UOB Kay Hian (UOBKH) are positive on Keppel’s proposed acquisition of European real estate manager Aermont Capital for up to 931.9 million euros (S$1.4 billion).
Goldman Sachs now expects ECB’s first rate cut in Q2 2024 December 1, 2023
GOLDMAN Sachs on Friday said it now expects the European Central Bank (ECB) to deliver its first interest rate cut in the second quarter of 2024, compared to an earlier forecast of a cut in the third quarter of next year.
Gold poised for third weekly gain as cooler data cements Fed cut bets December 1, 2023
GOLD prices looked set to mark a third straight weekly rise on Friday, after data showing cooling inflation cemented bets for a rate cut in the US, with traders now looking forward to comments from Federal Reserve’s Chair Powell later in the day.
OCBC seeking at least S$19.7 million, mortgaged Sentosa Cove villa from money laundering accused Su Baolin December 1, 2023
OCBC has filed a claim in Singapore’s High Court seeking at least S$19.7 million from money laundering accused Su Baolin, as well as possession of his mortgaged Sentosa Cove villa.
Asia: Markets struggle even as US data fuels rate cut talk December 1, 2023
ASIAN markets drifted on Friday following a mixed day on Wall Street, with data showing a continued fall in US inflation unable to relight the buying that characterised much of November.

Premarket: 7 things to know before the bell
Read full story for latest details.
Why it's time for investors to go on defense
Howard Marks, co-chairman of Oaktree Capital, explains why investors should start treading lightly.
Barnes & Noble stock soars 20% as it explores a sale
Barnes & Noble jumped more than 20% after it said it would review a sale of the troubled company.
Aston Martin falls 5% in London IPO
Aston Martin is joining the ranks of listed automakers with an IPO that values the British company at more than $5 billion.
Honda teams up with GM on self-driving cars
Read full story for latest details.
Toys 'R' Us brand may be brought back to life
Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands.
Tencent Music plans to go public on US exchange
It dominates the music streaming market in China through its QQ Music, KuGou and Kuwo platforms.
JCPenney names Jill Soltau as its new CEO
Read full story for latest details.
Amazon announces $15 minimum wage for all US employees
Read full story for latest details.
S&P downgrades debt-riddled GE and GE Capital
New General Electric boss Larry Culp just got a fresh reminder of the debt-riddled balance sheet he's inheriting.