Impeachment, impeachment, impeachment ... it's all over the news ... and investor reaction so far? A big yawn.
Politics are important and stir up more emotion than most topics but, for now, investors seem to be of the belief that much of this will be decided along party lines. This could, in fact, get a bit more interesting as additional news comes to light ... but for now this all just seems like a reality TV show. And a pretty boring one at that. It was interesting to see in this morning's news that JP Morgan advised to start shifting investments from U.S. stocks over to those in the Euro-area. Over the last few years, U.S. investments trounced those from overseas (with - looking back 5 years from the end of August -the U.S. S&P500 returning 61.8% vs. 9.8% for the EAFE index ... if my math is right). I guess they are just looking for a bit of "reversion to the mean" as Europe dusts itself off from some pretty trying times. I just returned from Las Vegas and during my trip there I went on a tour of an "eSports Arena." Frankly, I was blown away. There were top-of-the-line computers, monitors and even "gaming chairs" throughout the facility ... but it was the back-room setups (for announcers, coaches and others)... and the Broadway-quality lighting throughout the playing area that really impressed me. I was in a 30,000 ft2 facility ... a new one in Philadelphia is twice as large. Based on what I saw, I can't wait to see it. The last article included below tells a bit more about this world of eSports ... something people my age seem to understand little about ... but rapidly being adopted by those a bit younger. I have the opinion that ... at the very least ... it is worth looking at this with an open mind. Still, I am trying to get my head around this ... as it is, admittedly, an entirely new world for me (who wasn't even good at Pac Man). My final point of today (and the first article below) deals with consumer spending and the ease at which we are now able to buy things at the click of a button. It used to be that you would want something and, because there was a delay before actually agreeing to buy the darned thing, you could change your mind. Not any longer. Want something on Amazon? Click this button. There ... done. No buyer's remorse until it arrives at your home (and you wonder why you bought the item in the first place). Purchases without little thought can lead to financial struggles, if this economy ever does slow down. But not today. It seems that the money printers in Washington realize that an economic slowdown is something that we just can't seem to afford. And we will borrow like mad to make sure this never happens again.
Now you can get almost anything just by the simple push of a button. But is this a good thing? Maybe not, if you plan on saving anything (CNBC)
... but what might a young adult want to save up for? Um ... maybe a house ... as the millennial love of city living might be shifting back toward the suburbs (CNBC)
I have had a few people approach me about podcasts ... doing one or, at least, listening to a few. It seems popularity has increased and I wonder if I should be more attentive (BBC)
It was over 50 years ago that man stepped onto the surface of the moon. Now there are plans in place to go to Mars ... and soon! (NPR)
Do you know one of the biggest contributors to global warming? Cement! But one company seeks to reduce the release of CO2 by "capturing" it (CNBC)
As you age, do you feel you don't have the same energy as you did when you were younger? Of course ... but there are many hints on ways to slow down the aging process (DailyMail)
... but, regardless of what you might hear, marijuana probably doesn't improve your health. While CBD may offer (unproven) benefits recognize that some claims are probably hype (CNN)