Finance
New Credit Card Surcharge Rules Mean Big Changes for Small Businesses
For years, merchants have been contractually barred from adding a surcharge for credit and debit card customers, even though they must pay a fee for these purchases themselves. While credit... read more
Wine, Steak, and the State of the U.S. Stock Market
I was recently out to dinner with a friend who manages tens of millions of dollars in private equity. While the Dow and the S&P 500 are still within two... read more
Who Wins in an Artificially Monetized World?
If there is going to be genuine economic growth in mature economies, the leadership will have to come from the U.S. economy. The convulsions taking place in the Japanese capital... read more
Truth Behind 1Q 2013 Earnings and What’s Next for Stocks
This shouldn’t be a surprise to the readers of Profit Confidential. According to an analysis done last week by the Wall Street Journal, in the first quarter of 2013, corporate... read more
China: The New Breeding Grounds for Capitalism
China’s economy is slowing, but the rich in that country continue to get richer and are growing in number. I was reading the other day that Chinese investors are now... read more
Wanted: Market Seeking Catalyst in 2Q13 Earnings
This week marks the unofficial beginning of second-quarter earnings season as Oracle Corporation (ORCL) reports. Next week, it’s NIKE, Inc. (NKE). These two benchmark companies offer the first glimpse of... read more
Fed’s “Great Exit” a Sustainable Strategy?
For much of last week, the global markets were taking a beating on growing concerns that the central banks will start easing their economic stimulus. Before the markets opened Friday... read more
Gold Slides Lower—Time to Sell It All?
Gold has gained a significant amount of attention since the price plunged from trading just below $1,600 an ounce in mid-April to now hovering close to $1,400. It’s very common... read more
One Simple Measure for Investing in a Volatile Market
1Volatility has been edging higher since the end of 2012, but so far, the stock market has held up pretty well. Take a look at the chart below of the... read more
Mortgage Rates on the Rise; Repeat of Lead-Up to 2008?
One reaction that should not surprise long-term investors is that the market will move far quicker and further than most people expect. Even before the Federal Reserve has made any... read more
Global Rout in Markets Gathering Momentum?
So this is what it looks like when global investors take their eyes off the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing policy and focus on the real economy instead! As I’ve been... read more
Soaring Key Stock Indices Headed Downward; How May 22 Changed Everything
It turns out that May 22 was very critical for the key stock indices. But surprisingly enough, this wasn’t just the case for stock exchanges here in the U.S.—it was... read more
