“Everything was perfectly healthy and normal here in Denial Land.” —Jim Butcher, “Cold Days” A friend of mine recently came back from a two-and-a-half-week work tour of Europe, where she was trying to raise funds for her private equity fund. I compared her report to my recent two-day trip to New York City (I love New York, but let’s face it – her life is much cooler than mine). In Europe, masks are practically a thing of the past. You go and do what you want, when you want. In NYC, you must show proof of vaccination to get into entertainment…
Insights & Advice
Tag: COVID-19 cases
I love the nightlife
“Please don’t talk about … all the trouble we’ve been through. Ah, please don’t talk about all of the plans we had for fixin’ this broken romance.” —Alicia Bridges Once upon a time, we enjoyed the conversation and company of others. Sometimes it feels as if we’ve gotten used to avoiding the public. For some, it now seems as if that’s their preference. After what feels like a lifetime of sheltering in place, perhaps we’re ready to mend that broken romance and find love again. Pole dancing classes are up 56 percent year-over-year, according to the Yelp Economic Average report for the third…
Olympic price tag breaks records
After the Olympic games conclude on August 8th 2021, Japan will still be tallying the final cost of hosting the games. Indications are that the final price tag could be more than $20 billion. Was it worth it? The most recent polling data suggest the answer is a resounding “no,” at least as far as the Japanese are concerned. Over 83% of the people polled, who live in Japan, believe the Olympics should not have taken place this week. To the Japanese, it is not just the expense of the games, but the holding of this event while the country…
Fed signals an ‘all clear’ for equities, but the markets don’t care
Investors were bolstered by the Fed’s message this week. Low interest rates and monetary stimulus will remain pillars of the nation’s economic recovery for as long as it takes. Investors were comforted, but not enough to materially move stocks higher. It was indicative that despite bullish news on a variety of fronts, investors ignored the good and focused on the negatives. First quarter earnings results, for example, have been better than good, but not enough to satisfy the bulls. Apple smashed earnings estimates, sending its stock price higher in after-hours trade, but the next day it finished down. It has…
Stocks hit with possible tax hike
It was a losing week for stocks. Most of the blame can be pinned on a proposal by the Biden Administration to double the capital gains tax on investments. It is not official yet, but investors are counting on an announcement next week. Before you hit the sell button on all those huge capital gains you have accumulated over the last few years, know the facts. Right now, there aren’t any. What we do know is that Joe Biden ran his winning presidential campaign on increasing taxes on the rich and on corporations. He plans to do just that, so…