Japan went through an historic boom that peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Asset prices rose at an incredible pace, with the price of land absolutely rampant, increasing by as much as 5,000 per cent between 1956 and 1986. So distorted were land prices that...
Economy
NVIDIA Delivers Blowout Earnings – Is it Enough?
NVIDIA Delivers Blowout Earnings – Is it Enough? 31/8/2023 The anticipation was beyond high going into NVIDIA’s 2Q 2023 earnings result last week. Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has been the phrase on everyone’s lips in the investment community since the...
What Can Home Depot Tell Us About the U.S. Housing Industry?
What Can Home Depot Tell Us About the U.S. Housing Industry? 24/8/2023 As we discussed in the recent article Second-Level Thinking and US Homebuilders, we’re currently going through a very interesting time in the U.S. housing industry. Renovating and...
Technology Eats the World: Global Mobility Accelerates
Technology Eats the World: Global Mobility Accelerates 10/8/2023 Despite facing a raft of challenges including higher interest rates, inflationary pressures and a cooling global economy, the share prices of technology companies have shot higher this year....
U.S. Credit Rating Downgraded by Fitch
U.S. Credit Rating Downgraded by Fitch 10/8/2023 Fitch announced last week that it downgraded the United States’ long-term credit rating from the AAA (the highest possible rating) down to AA+ (the second highest rating). For those that are unfamiliar, Fitch is the...
Diversification: Can You Have Too Much?
Diversification: Can You Have Too Much? 13/7/2023 Diversification is no secret, it’s a well-known part of investing. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is a common phrase that we learn at a young age, and something that most people put into action, at least to...
What is a recession and what does it mean for investors?
What is a recession and what does it mean for investors? 6/7/2023 Fearing a recession is natural. Recessions are an economic reality. They typically start before anyone realises they’re happening and end before economists have enough data to know they’ve finished....
Second-Level Thinking and US Homebuilders
The Standard & Poor’s Homebuilders exchange-traded fund (ETF), XHB, has increased by more than 30% in 2023 and 40% over the last 12 months. A number of homebuilder stocks such as PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM) and renowned value investor David Einhorn’s Green Brick...
Bond Basics for Beginner Investors
The Financial Times (FT) recently reported that for the first time, the S&P 500, corporate investment-grade bonds and treasury bills are all offering the same yield of 5.3% for prospective investors. The leading financial newspaper provided a useful graphic...
Does Valuation Really Matter?
Crucial to successful investing is recognising the difference between price and value. In the 2008 Berkshire Hathaway letter to shareholders, legendary investor Warren Buffett wrote, “Long ago, Ben Graham taught me that price is what you pay; value is what you get.”...
3 Competing Views in Economics: A Perspective for Informed Decision-Making
3 Competing Views in Economics: A Perspective for Informed Decision-Making 25/5/2023 Economics, as a complex and dynamic field, is often a subject of debates and diverse opinions regarding the future state of the global economy. Presently, three dominant views command...
Raise the Debt Ceiling (Again)
Raise the Debt Ceiling (Again) 1/6/2023 As the 1 June deadline set by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen looms, a deal that prevents the U.S. from defaulting on its debt seems inevitable. President Joe Biden appears set to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors,...