financializer news A weblog highlighting financial topics making news in the international media.

bull: The title triggered me a little bit, according to Market Watch. I saw this bull market coming from a mile away, and you should have seen it too, he wrote in a post on Monday. That's just a snippet from a Bloomberg article published over the weekend titled, The bull market almost no one saw coming, and the whole notion just doesn't sit well with Jani Ziedins of the Cracked Market blog. I'm not psychic or anything of the sort, but to me, this decade long bull market was fairly obvious to anyone who spent time looking at long-term historical charts. While everyone was giving up hope 10 years ago after the financial crisis, I saw tons of opportunity, Ziedins said. He pointed to this one, in particular Caption outside of wrapper for normal article images As you can see, over the past century, there have been several lost decades in which stocks struggled mightily to climb back to old highs, the most recent being the post-bubble period from 2000 to 2013. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

gold trading: Wien didn't provide further clarity on his gold estimates or the precise direction of gold trading in 2020, according to Market Watch. However, his comments came as the precious commodity was on pace to enjoy one of its strongest daily gains since late November and its highest finish since early last month, rising past a psychologically significant level above 1,500 an ounce. It has a chance to be an interesting investment.' Byron Wien That is how the veteran investor, whom U.S. News & World Report report described as a modern-day cult figure on Wall Street and one of the most influential investors, described the outlook for the yellow metal in the coming 12-month stretch, during a CNBC interview, ahead of the release of his well-read list of market surprises. Gold for February delivery GCG20, -0.13% was most recently trading up 14.20, or 1%, at 1,503.10 an ounce on the Comex exchange. That is a relatively healthy run-up for the metal considering that stocks, which tend to move in the opposite direction of gold, have been trading near all-time highs. Gold has gained 17.3% so far this year, based on the most active contract, according to Fact Set data. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

forms part: Arts.21 listens in on the young musicians at a workshop in South Africa, according to Deutsche Welle. In this multi-cultural nation, group singing is a popular way of making music and forms part of the country's identity. In 2019, the musical encounter is taking place in Johannesburg, where the German vocal ensemble Sjaella from Leipzig meets the a-cappella group Just Six. During the apartheid era, choral music became a voice of protest against discrimination and oppression. The highlight is a joint concert at the Beethovenfest in Bonn, accompanied by the German National Youth Orchestra - a concert as colorful and multifaceted as life itself in the Rainbow Nation. African vocal music meets traditional European song. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

casino operations: But Akimoto's political funds reports between 2016 and 2018 had no mention of such money, which could amount to a violation of the law, the sources said. ; The consultancy was founded in 2011 by one of Akimoto's former secretaries, according to The Japan Times. The lawmaker himself served as an adviser at one point while his wife also served as an auditor, the sources said. Under such an arrangement, secretaries' salaries need to be booked as donations from supporters. Tokyo prosecutors are focusing on the three years to 2018 to uncover dubious flows of money involving Akimoto and cement his bribery charges, the sources said. Sources said earlier the Chinese company may have approached him in a bid to turn itself around through casino operations in Japan. He is suspected of taking bribes from a Chinese company wishing to break into the casino business in Japan. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

casino resorts: However, it needs to re-examine whether a system has been established to rule out any collusion in selecting the operators to run the casino projects, according to The Japan Times. Akimoto, who resigned from the LDP immediately after his arrest on Wednesday, was known as a key proponent of opening integrated resorts featuring casinos along with hotels, convention centers, entertainment and shopping complexes. The government says its policy of promoting casino resorts in this country based on the 2018 law that paved the way for such establishments as yet another exemption from the nation's gambling ban will not be affected by the arrest of Tsukasa Akimoto. Between 2017 and 2018 when he is alleged to have received 3 million in cash and 700,000 in other benefits from the Chinese firm 500 Ltd. Investigators reportedly suspect that he received the bribes from the Chinese company knowing that the money and benefits were meant to garner his favorable treatment in the firm's bid for a casino resort project in the village of Rusutsu, Hokkaido. Akimoto was a senior deputy minister in the Cabinet Office in charge of the casino resort business while concurrently serving as deputy chief of the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry. ; Prior to his arrest, Akimoto denied accepting inducements. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

i rise: I do so to counter the growing consensus that the standard asset allocation of 60% equities and 40% bonds is dead, according to Market Watch. Just last week, CNBC anchor Becky Quick added her voice to this chorus, saying that you're never going to make enough money if you have 40% of your money in bonds. I rise, your Honor, in defense of the 60/40 portfolio. Earlier this fall, Bank of America declared the end of the 60/40 portfolio. Consider its performance since 1926, according to calculations I made using data from Morningstar Annualized returns 1926-2018Standard deviation of yearly returns100% S&P 500 with dividends 10.0%19.7%60% S&P 500 / 40% long-term Treasuries8.8%12.5%60% S&P 500 / 40% intermediate-term Treasuries8.5%12.0% In other words, while immunizing investors from nearly 40% of the volatility or risk of an all-equity portfolio SPX, 0.00% the 60/40 portfolio forfeited either 1.2 or 1.5 annualized percentage points depending on whether the 40% bond portfolio was invested in long-term or intermediate-term Treasuries . That's not a bad trade-off, and the 60/40 portfolio far outperforms the all-equity portfolio on a risk-adjusted basis. To be sure, no one is denying that the 60/40 portfolio has a stellar long-term track record. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

epstein: They say a principal focus of the FBI's investigation is Maxwell, a longtime associate of Epstein, and other people who facilitated Epstein's allegedly illegal behaviour, according to Nine News Australia. The FBI is investigating British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and several other people linked to US financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation. 60 Minutes Maxwell has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing. To improve your experience update it hereLIVE UPDATESAustralia's bushfire crisis News WorldFBI investigating British socialite and others who 'facilitated' Jeffrey Epstein sources By AAP7 23pm Dec 28, 2019Tweet Facebook Mail The FBI is investigating British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and several other people linked to US financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation. Her lawyers Jeffrey Pagliuca and Ty Gee did not respond to a request for comment. One of the sources said the probe remains at an early stage. The FBI also is following up on many leads received from women who contacted a hotline the agency set up at its New York field office in the wake of Epstein's arrest in July, the sources said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

once-dominant force: A decade ago, the prime ministers of Britain, Spain, Greece and even Hungary were from the centre-left, according to The Independent. Many went on to swiftly lose power, but then socialist governments emerged in France and Italy. The decline has been long and agonizing for a once-dominant force, but in 2019 falling popularity reached new depths and raised questions over whether reinvention can lead to a revival. Now the political brand looks like an anachronism. That cannot be said of the traditional left. Populism has tested the ability of mainstream parties to adapt and some on the centre-right are regaining their footing. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

italian authorities: The administrative grab was ordered because the name prosecco which is registered as a protected designation of origin PDO was used illegitimately on the packaging according to authorities, according to The Independent. THIS IS TEMP CODE TO RESOLVE TEADS ISSUES ON SAFARAI - ISSUE-387 - START THIS WAS ORIGINALLY IN THE FOOTER EJS FILE THIS IS TEMP CODE TO RESOLVE TEADS ISSUES ON SAFARAI - ISSUE-387 - END Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines Download now Pringles had not received approval from the prosecco consortium to use the protected name. Less than a year later the festive snack drew the ire of the Italian authorities who seized about 250 tubes of the limited-edition Pringles from a supermarket chain in the northern Veneto region, attracting attention in the UK where prosecco is hugely popular. Read more The worst and best of times in food in 2019 Teresa Bellanova, Italy's minister of agriculture, vowed to combat this kind of identity theft . Meanwhile, Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region one of the two main Prosecco-producing regions in northern Italy took to Facebook to voice his grievances, stating that such acts would no longer be tolerated We need to protect our excellences from fraud, abuse and anything Italian-sounding', as it primarily damages honest producers who promote quality and the territory. The Pringles furore resembles a 2012 case against German discount chain Aldi, which eventually made its way to the EU Court of Justice. Prosecco, champagne and EU law Yet what the Italian authorities may have failed to take into account is how EU law regulates the use of protected geographical names in food and drink products. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

premium app: THIS IS TEMP CODE TO RESOLVE TEADS ISSUES ON SAFARAI - ISSUE-387 - START THIS WAS ORIGINALLY IN THE FOOTER EJS FILE THIS IS TEMP CODE TO RESOLVE TEADS ISSUES ON SAFARAI - ISSUE-387 - END Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines Download now The pressure group's report pointed to London Overground as evidence that more local contracts should be used for city-based train services allowing rail to mesh with and respond to local objectives and needs . The CBT recommended a new, publicly funded arm's length body to manage all aspects of rail planning in its Future of Rail report, according to The Independent. Created with Sketch. It comes as Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, called for operator Arriva to be stripped of its Northern franchise, claiming the privatisation of trains has not worked and needs a shakeup . The latest report by the Campaign for Better Transport CBT has recommended a radical overhaul of the franchise system so more urban commuter services outside of London are devolved. World's best train journeys Show all 10 Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

test satellite: The endeavor marks a significant leap forward since the carrier rocket's maiden mission in 2016 and through a failed attempt in 2017, according to Global Times China. Friday's flawless blast off was a confidence booster for the rocket's reliability and officially marked China's entrance into a new era of aviation technology. Standing at an impressive 57 meters tall and with a diameter of 5 meters, the rocket will send a test satellite into planned orbit. Chinese astronauts have nicknamed the rocket The Fat Five. Space exploration hinges on rocket thrust capabilities. The rocket can haul a 25-ton payload to low Earth orbit, 1.5 times more than the main Long March series. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

vice coo: He will rejoin the board and replace Jun Seki, the vice chief operating officer, subject to approval at an extraordinary shareholders meeting in February. ; But Sakamoto, currently in charge of Nissan's production operations, will not become vice COO for the time being and the post will remain vacant, a Nissan spokesman said, according to The Japan Times. Sakamoto previously headed the company's research and development operations as vice president, while working at the Brazilian unit of Renault. Sakamoto was previously a director from 2014 to June of this year. The appointment comes after Nissan said this week it had accepted an offer by Seki to resign as vice COO less than a month after a new management team was launched. When Nissan announced Seki's departure on Wednesday, Nissan shares plunged 3.09 percent to 633.4 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It is widely believed Seki was in conflict with newly appointed CEO Makoto Uchida over how to deal with Nissan's largest shareholder, Renault SA of France, which had previously pushed for their merger. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

family: Still no evidence, according to CNN. Still no phone calls to his family despite multiple requests. On December 28, 2018, Russian authorities arrested Paul Whelan, US embassy spokesperson Rebecca Ross wrote on Twitter. 365 days. Still no independent medical care. Let Paul go home THIS year! Whelan -- a former US Marine who is also a citizen of the UK, Canada and Ireland -- was detained at a Moscow hotel last year by Russian authorities who alleged he was involved in an intelligence operation. Enough is enough. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

harold paz: The views expressed in this commentary are his own, according to CNN. View more opinion on CNN. Harold Paz is the CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president and chancellor for Health Affairs at Ohio State. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

idlib: Here's a review of what's been happening in Idlib and five other sieges and humanitarian crises that have shaped events in Syria since 2011, according to The Guardian. Idlib province Assad's forces, backed by Russia and Iran, have reclaimed nearly all parts of rebel-held Syria The last stronghold is Idlib province, home to 3 million people and largely controlled, until now, by the al-Qaeda-linked rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. It is tragedy on top of tragedy So many Syrians have been killed, injured, displaced and disappeared that it can be hard to keep track of the timeline. The Syrian Army's artillery and Russian missiles raining down around Idlib have sent people fleeing in what aid groups say could become the worst humanitarian crisis yet in Syria's civil war, now in its ninth year. In recent weeks, Syrian forces have retaken several villages and now have their eye on a strategic highway and the nearby town of Maarat al-Numan, the largest in Idlib's southern countryside. People are desperate to find food, shelter and medical care all which they already were struggling to find Leading up to this escalation, Syrian forces had been targeting Idlib province for months, displacing around 500,000 civilians, many of whom had already been displaced from homes elsewhere in Syria. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

kitchen: By 12 I wanted to be a chef and left school at 16 to start my training, according to The Guardian. I worked as a kitchen porter to fund myself through college. From the age of nine I was behind the bar sorting bottles and getting stuck in whenever I could in the kitchen. It was a summer job in a Blackpool hotel where orange juice was powdered and beef served grey that convinced me cooking was not for me. The spirit of conviviality in the front of house and the buzz in the kitchen when produce arrived engaged me crates of mushrooms with names I couldn't pronounce and wild strawberries so fresh the chef would change the menu to fit them in. Instead I started a catering management diploma, and got a placement working as a commis waiter and runner at the Box Tree restaurant in Ilkley which had two Michelin stars. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

washington state: Eva had a tremendous heart and liked to throw a rope to help people climb, John Jacobs, her godson and a representative for her estate, said in a statement, according to The Guardian. Gordon left nearly 10 million to community and technical colleges in western Washington state when she died in June 2018 at age 105. But her fortune, amassed over decades of investing what little money she could scrape from her paychecks, will enable students at 17 community colleges to fulfill the dream that she had to forgo. Each college's foundation will receive roughly 550,000 to help students pay for housing, transportation, books and other needs in a state where many community college students also have jobs and family grew up on an orchard and graduated high school at the top of her class, according to Jacobs's statement. With each paycheck, Jacobs told the Seattle Times, his godmother bought partial shares in oil companies, Seattle utility companies and other businesses. She then worked as a legal secretary and as a trading assistant for a Seattle investment firm. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

basis points: The 2-year note rate TMUBMUSD02Y, 0.00% fell 4.8 basis point to a three-week low of 1.587%, resulting in a 4 basis point decline this week, according to Market Watch. The 30-year bond yield TMUBMUSD30Y, 0.00% retreated 2.7 basis points to 2.309%, adding to a 3.6 basis point drop thsi week. What are Treasurys doing The 10-year Treasury note yield TMUBMUSD10Y, 0.00% slipped 3.2 basis point to 1.872%, contributing to a weeklong decline of 4.4 basis points. What's driving Treasurys In a day without U.S. economic data, investors will look forward to further details on how a phase one deal will be concluded with China. Thin trading volumes in the Christmas holiday week meant that a trio of debt auctions drew the attention of bond buyers. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that both he and President Xi Jinping would get together to sign the agreement, but it's not clear at which venue they would meet. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

commissions: Free trades would be an abrupt shift by Vanguard Group, according to The Independent. Only a few weeks ago, CEO Tim Buckley had waved off the idea of cutting commissions, a move every other discount broker made in October. The company is expected to announce soon that it is eliminating commissions to trade equities and options. We go for a different investor, he told Barron's in mid-November. It's a measure of how rapidly the industry is changing that its leader is playing catch-up on pricing. We've made the choice not to provide all the services for people who want to churn and burn their account. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

disney-owned abc: The company, which also owns hits from the Star Wars franchise and films such as Frozen 2, is gathering up its content to air on Disney which will launch in the UK on 31 March 2020, according to The Independent. THIS IS TEMP CODE TO RESOLVE TEADS ISSUES ON SAFARAI - ISSUE-387 - START THIS WAS ORIGINALLY IN THE FOOTER EJS FILE THIS IS TEMP CODE TO RESOLVE TEADS ISSUES ON SAFARAI - ISSUE-387 - END Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines Download now According to research conducted by Ampere, the number of seasons of TV shows made by Disney-owned ABC and available to Sky customers dropped from 99 to 45 between April and October 2019. Disney has pulled more than half of its TV box sets from Sky, including Scandal and the Marvel shows. Disney, which expanded its content library by acquiring 21st Century Fox earlier this year, is reinventing its business model by investing billions in Disney as the new home for most of its content. The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney Show all 25 Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

market strategist: We're seeing money go into gold so that investors have something safe in case there is a sell-off, according to Market Watch. Gold for February delivery GCG20, 0.08% on Comex advanced 3.70, or 0.2%, at 1,518.10 an ounce, its highest level for the most-active contract since Sept. 24 when it closed at 1,540.20, according to Fact Set data. It's low bond yields, a seasonal aspect and people heading into the new year with record equity prices, said Bob Haberkorn, senior market strategist at RJO Futures in Chicago, in an interview with Market Watch, about the year-end gold rush. March silver SIH20, -0.86%, meanwhile, shed 4.7 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at 17.943 an ounce, a day after marking its highest settlement since Nov. 4, just below a psychologically important level at 18. Gold has passed the phase one trade deal test with flying colors. For the week, gold rose 2.45%, its sharpest weekly climb since early August, while silver gained nearly 4%, also its best week since August. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

makeup products: Every time my friend watched such a show, she could not resist the temptation of buying those little things in the hope that she would be as beautiful as the cute livestreamer behind the beauty camera, according to Global Times China. My friend's obsession grew after she saw the news - Harbin Vocational College of Science and Technology, located in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has started training for becoming livestreamers. After hours of singing, dancing or giving makeup tutorials, these online celebrities would start to peddle makeup products or low-calorie snacks at very low prices. Online celebrities would come to class to teach students how to sell goods and make money during livestreaming. Many students who joined the coaching were attracted by the high income of a livestreamer, according to The Beijing News. After passing the exam, the students will have certificates issued by relevant departments. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

mkt cap: Remember, that traditional year-end rally for stocks that starts in the last 5 trading days in December and the first 2 in January . Apple AAPL, -0.04% logged its best one-day gain in weeks, and has gained 84% with just three trading days left in 2019, the iPhone maker is looking at its best annual return in 10 years, according to Market Watch. Here's a tweet that shows just how much weight some of these popular companies are swinging around FANGMAN mkt cap has hit fresh life-time high at 5.249tn, almost equal to combined GDP of France and UK, as Big Tech keeps rallying. The big names that we've run a little hot and cold on this year, such as Amazon AMZN, 0.06%, were out in front, pulling the Santa-rally sleigh to fresh records on Thursday. Holger Zschaepitz Schuldensuehner December 26, 2019 Onto our call of the day, which warns individual investors against getting sucked into this Santa Rally, lest they want to pay the piper come January. Without a doubt, most of the people buying today will come to regret that decision over the next few weeks as prices dip back under these levels, writes popular financial blogger Jani Ziedins of Cracked Market. This is the time to be taking profits, not adding new money. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

opposition party: The Pheu Thai Party, which won the largest number of seats at 136 but was unable to form a government under junta-drafted election rules that favored midsize parties, leads the opposition with six other parties, including the second-largest opposition party, Future Forward, led by the tycoon-turned-politician Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit, according to The Japan Times. Having secured majority support in parliament and with the help of junta-appointed senators who serve for five years, Prayut is looking to extend his rule beyond the current term through 2023. But the former army chief and coup leader must deal with various veteran politicians in the 19 parties that form the coalition government while navigating an uncertain political landscape involving the second-largest opposition party as it faces the possibility of a court-ordered dissolution. ; In the long-delayed March 24 election to restore civilian government, the Palang Pracharath Party, which chose Prayut as its prime ministerial candidate, came in second with 116 seats but managed to form the coalition government with 18 smaller parties. Do not get bored of me I will stay for quite a long time, he said in recent remarks. One of the key challenges he faces is the slim margin the ruling coalition holds over the opposition in the lower house. The country's 250 wholly appointed senators are empowered by the 2017 constitution to vote in choosing the prime minister, along with 500 elected members of the House of Representatives. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

uber: Amazon was the lead investor in a 575m 442m funding round, announced in May, which reportedly gave it a 16% stake in Deliveroo, according to The Guardian. Deliveroo has been seeking investment to boost its performance against other deep-pocketed rivals such as Uber Eats, owned by the taxi app company Uber, and Just Eat, the FTSE 100 delivery platform that is the subject of a bidding war. The Competition and Markets Authority announced the probe on Friday after Amazon and Deliveroo declined to offer concessions in response to the CMA's initial raising of concerns earlier this month. However, the CMA's decision to refer the transaction to a full investigation on Friday will cast doubt on whether the investment can go ahead. The CMA said the deal could leave customers, restaurants and grocers facing higher prices and lower-quality services. The regulator has the power to block the investment completely or demand specific remedies from the companies. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

points thursday: It rose 9.78 points the previous day, according to The Japan Times. Both indexes opened higher as Tokyo market participants applauded all-time closing highs of all three major U.S. stock indexes Thursday. The Nikkei average of 225 selected issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange fell 87.20 points, or 0.36 percent, to end at 23,837.72, after rising 142.05 points Thursday. ; By contrast, the Topix index of all TSE first-section issues closed up 1.98 points, or 0.11 percent, at 1,733.18. The rises in the U.S. indexes reflected expectations for progress in the U.S.-China trade talks and robust Christmas sales in the United States, brokers said. While the Topix index remained in positive territory, the Nikkei mostly fluctuated under the previous day's closing level for the rest of the session amid an absence of market players and a dearth of fresh trading incentives. But the Nikkei fell into negative territory soon, succumbing to the impact of stocks that went ex-dividend on Friday and selling to lock in profits, brokers said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.