Archive

A Multiyear Journey From Small Biotech to Front-Page News

By Rob Spivey

Thursday, April 22, 2021

In the race to get vaccinated, the U.S. is in the lead… In the April 14 Altimetry Daily Authority, we mentioned how the U.S. is currently near the head of the global pack in getting its population vaccinated against the coronavirus. Now, as of this week, every American adult is eligible to receive the vaccine. […]

Here's the Winner From the 'Great Reshuffling'

By Joel Litman

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has shifted consumer spending to the home… In the wake of social distancing and lockdown restrictions, people have been forced to spend more time at home – whether working or entertaining themselves. It’s part of what we’ve termed the “At-Home Revolution”… And it has led to surging demand for home improvement and […]

A Closer Look at a Winner From an Infrastructure Boom

By Joel Litman

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

The massive infrastructure deal has the potential to revitalize the economy… The Biden administration has been putting together a comprehensive infrastructure plan for accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and stimulating greater economic growth. Now that the significant stimulus package has been passed, the administration is looking for other ways to put the U.S. […]

What a Strong Dollar and a Booming Economy Mean for Interest Rates

By Joel Litman

Monday, April 19, 2021

Over the past year, the usually murky foreign exchange (‘FX’) market had one clear trade… In this corner of investing, traders skilled at guessing broad economic trends look to trade sovereign nations’ currencies against each other. Similar to the commodities markets, the FX market is often made up of big institutions on one side looking […]

Garbage In, Garbage Out... and Goldman's Latest

By Joel Litman

Friday, April 16, 2021

English mathematician Charles Babbage is one of the true fathers of the modern-day computer… More than 150 years ago, he stunned audiences with inventions that created automated computations. When introducing his “Difference Engine” and its capabilities, Babbage commented that he had received a particularly puzzling question “more than once”… If you put into the machine […]

The Real Story Behind J&J's Vaccine Hiccup

By Rob Spivey

Thursday, April 15, 2021

For decades, Big Pharma firm Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has been famous for its focus on quality and putting customers first…  Most famously, in 1982, the company pulled all its Tylenol off U.S. shelves after someone poisoned several bottles of the headache and pain medication. J&J won big praise for working aggressively to limit the […]

With International Travel on Pause, the Markets Expect the Worst for This Major Air Carrier

By Rob Spivey

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Across the globe, the rate of coronavirus vaccination has varied widely… Epidemiologists talk about a target vaccination rate of around 75% to reach herd immunity for the disease. Today, more than 20% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. At the current pace, the U.S. will reach 70% to 80% vaccinated between late July and […]

The Last of the 'Baby Bells' Are Under Threat

By Rob Spivey

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

For nearly a century, the Bell Telephone Company and its successor AT&T (T) reigned supreme over the North American telecom industry… But by the 1970s, the U.S. government had enough. The Justice Department brought a lawsuit against AT&T for its monopolistic behavior, which culminated in the 1984 breakup of the company’s Bell System into seven […]

Folks Are Panicking Over Inflation, But Don't Hit the 'Sell' Button Yet

By Joel Litman

Monday, April 12, 2021

Folks Are Panicking Over Inflation, But Don’t Hit the ‘Sell’ Button Yet Historically, inflation has wreaked havoc on economies across the globe…  In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire brought back so much silver from the New World that the resulting inflation caused its economy to collapse.  Rampant inflation crippled the Weimar Republic in the […]

There's More to a Successful 'Rocket Scientist' Than Just Brains

By Joel Litman

Friday, April 9, 2021

In which jobs do we find some of the most intelligent folks in the world? Ask a random group of people this question, and you’re likely to hear the same professions repeated. Mechanical, chemical, and nuclear engineers… physicists… or rocket scientists. Even the term “rocket scientist” is a synonym for highly intelligent people in general, […]