Supercomputers in the Skies

by FS Drones are everywhere: they’re shooting film for the the movies we watch, delivering packages and medical supplies, even helping to plant seeds in areas devastated by forest fires. Tabb Firchau of Freefly Systems spoke to FS Insider on the explosive growth of the drone industry and how they are continually upgrading to do more. “If … Read more

Cash-Strapped Millennials Are Turning to Installment Plans to Pay for T-Shirts and Jeans

via Bloomberg: Installment plans have helped shoppers afford large purchases since the late 19th century and are still available for pricey items like cars and smartphones. But to delay payment for a T-shirt and a couple pairs of jeans, you needed a credit card. Now several fintech startups are putting smaller purchases on installment, too. … Read more

Guess the main culprit of Oregon’s $623 million projected budget shortfall…

by DCG When the “Affordable” Care Act was passed, it expanded tax-payer funded health coverage through Medicaid. States that agreed to participate and expand eligibility would be reimbursed by the federal government at 100% of the costs with those reimbursement costs declining by 2020. As Nasdaq reported in 2016, states would take a hit to their budgets once … Read more

Jason Burack: Is General Electric (GE) Signaling That The Next Crisis In Corporate Bonds/Debt is Starting?

Wall St. For Main St., Released on 11/28/18 Jason talks about his research into GE and how there’s a much larger problem in corporate bonds and corporate debt than just General Electric (GE). 1) When Blue Chip Companies Pile on Debt, It’s Time to Worry https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/op… 2) Lawmakers consider multibillion-dollar bailout for troubled pensions, retirees https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtm…   … Read more

Volatility Isn’t Buying Stock Rally

by Dana Lyons Despite a more than 2% jump in the S&P 500, short-term volatility expectations unprecedentedly closed higher on the day. Yesterday saw traders (more likely, computers) push stocks sharply higher on the heels of an apparently more dovish Fed. In the case of the S&P 500 (SPX), we are talking about a gain of … Read more

The precious metals trifecta

From FXStreet: Going forward, there are – and will continue to be – three primary drivers of global physical gold (and silver) demand. During certain times in the past only one or two of these elements provided most of the momentum. However, as we move into 2019, and for possibly the next 5-10 years, all three will be … Read more

Was Yesterday’s Giant Stock Market Rally Just One Big Misunderstanding?

The market rallied Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said interest rates are “just below” the range of estimates for neutral. Some prominent Wall Street economists didn’t see a major difference from previous remarks. Powell’s remarks in October that the Fed was “a long way” from neutral helped spur a market sell-off on fears … Read more

US Spends $1.5B on Debt Interest Every Day

via Zerohedge: Several weeks ago, when looking at the US budget data for the recently concluded (Sept 30) Fiscal 2018, we noted that the most troubling observation in the latest data (besides the growing deficit, rising spending and shrinking tax revenues) was that the government paid $523 billion in total interest in fiscal 2018, the highest on record. Alas, this … Read more