“Most investors think of the international markets only as another place to seek out stocks. But overseas financial markets are a great option for income investing, as well. And here’s why.” — Martin Hutchinson
Blogger’s note: The U.S. markets are detrimental to your portfolio’s health, and that situation isn’t going to change [...]
“I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.” — Winston Churchill in 1939
Blogger’s note: Tom Bulford, editor of Penny Sleuth UK, may begin his article with a quote about [...]
“On a recent trip to Europe, Buffett made stops in Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Italy. But his first priority was to meet with leaders of the German mittelstand.” — Martin Hutchinson
by Martin Hutchinson
Baltimore – (TFN): Investors have been watching Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A, BRK.B) Chairman Warren Buffett’s moves for years to [...]
Tags: berkshire hathaway, brk.a, brk.b, foreign investment, Germany, italy, Martin Hutchinson, mittelstand, spain, switzerland, warren buffett
“Banks all over the world have spent much of the few years bingeing on cheap money, but Iceland’s taken the whole thing to quite an extreme. Its big players – the likes of Landsbanki and Kaupthing – have been on an extraordinary borrowing spree, sucking in vast quantities of cash to fund lending and acquisitions [...]
“If you do that on a consistent basis, you’ll soon discover that no matter what kind of ‘trick play’ the stock markets throw at you, you’ll be able to sidestep the tackle attempt.” — William Patalon
by William Patalon
Baltimore – (TFN): There’s an old Wall Street adage that tells us that [...]
“Why U.S. automakers can’t import smartly designed, well-made little cars that get 50 miles per gallon into the United States is absolutely beyond my comprehension. Particularly because they already make those cars.” — Keith Fitz-Gerald
Blogger’s note: Keith Fitz-Gerald is leading an investment tour through China right now. And through the magic of [...]
“That’s a huge amount of money. It’s so large that it’s tough to get a handle on just how much money it is. Let’s just say that if a company with a market capitalization of £12bn was added to the FTSE 100 this morning, it’d slot in somewhere around [...]
“This place is one big construction site. You cannot turn around without finding scaffolding, piles of materials, construction equipment and the like [no matter where you look] here.” — Keith Fitz-Gerald
by Mike Caggeso
Baltimore – (TFN): When Asia expert Keith Fitz-Gerald first returned to this country a week ago, he was [...]
“Mr. King has attached enough conditions to these loans to make the risk to the taxpayer much smaller than it might have been. He’s also helped to make life easier for banks with genuine liquidity problems. Problems with actual solvency are quite another matter however.” — John [...]
Tags: bailout, Bank of england, banking crisis, debt, foreign investment, governor, john Stepek, liquidity, mervyn king, morgage rates, solvency, uk
“All this would make you think Italy was a basket case, except for one fact.” — Martin Hutchinson
by Martin Hutchinson
Baltimore – (TFN): Italian elections have traditionally been confusing, with one weak center-left coalition government replacing another. But the election held on April 13-14 was unusual for Italy, as it produced a [...]
“When the United States, the leading importer of Latin American goods, struggled through a recession in 2002, six of Latin America’s most prominent currencies dropped by 20% or more. But the story for 2008 has been very different.” — Jason Simpkins
by Jason Simpkins
Baltimore – (TFN): Concerns about the U.S. economic slowdown [...]
“Africa is malnourished, politically impotent, overrun with disease, and teeming with warlords, so it’s no surprise the typical life expectancy is 20%-30% below the global average. Despite such a daunting outlook, Africa will be the most hotly contested battleground for the two of the world’s most influential powers over [...]
“Parabolic rises in food and energy prices have China’s inflation rate at a 12-year high. This underlines the currency’s importance for Beijing in curbing inflation and discouraging marginally priced exports.” — Sally Limantour
by Sally Limantour
Baltimore – (TFN): China’s currency, the renminbi (RMB), has risen over 4% this year. This [...]
“Every now and then, however, an election brings a change that is truly significant, either politically or economically. In Korea, this election has brought significant positive economic change.” — Martin Hutchinson
by Martin Hutchinson
Baltimore – (TFN): Amid all the gloom investors are feeling right now, South Korea has produced some sunny [...]
“With an economy that’s advancing at an average annual clip of better than 11%, $1.7 trillion in currency reserves, and an emerging middle class that will soon be the world’s largest, China represents the future to globally focused investors and businesses alike. But there’s always been a concern about just how [...]
“Russia is a developing economy building airports, rail lines and other vital infrastructure. In contrast, the United States relies heavily on cash-strapped consumers to squeeze growth from its service-dominated economy. Without real assets and increased production from those assets, U.S. growth potential can’t compare to Russia’s.” — [...]
Tags: capital, construction, federal budget surplus, foreign investment, gdp, manufacturing output, production, real assets, recession, russia, US economy
“If there is one emblem of Dubai’s fast growth, it’s the Burj, whose completed height of 2,684 feet is a symbol of the emirate’s transformation into the Middle East’s financial and tourism hub.” — Mike Caggeso
by Mike Caggeso, Money Morning
Baltimore – (TFN): When flocks of tourists gaze from the top [...]
"China is smart. It is focused on its domestic economy. And though its land mass is nearly as large as the U.S. and it is actually surrounded by the world’s bad guys, China spends about 10 times less each year on defense than the U.S. does." — [...]
"When it comes to Wall Street, the worse the markets around the world behave, the more you’re going to hear about potential ‘alternatives.’" — Keith Fitz-Gerald
by Keith Fitz-Gerald
Baltimore – (TFN): Here’s a warning to investors. There’s a new term you’re going to hear a lot about in the [...]
"Because of falling prices, (the Kuwait sovereign fund) has become increasingly interested in making investments in European and U.S. financial-services and real-estate companies." — William Patalone
Blogger’s Note: William Patalone of Investor’s Daily Edge has a scoop on the Visa IPO. It seems Kuwait’s sovereign fund would like to own part of on [...]