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• Sunday, 19 May 2013

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• Foreclosed Homes Group Investment Booming - 19 March 2013

In March 2012 it was reported that the Federal Housing Finance Agency was considering selling off foreclosed homes in bulk, with high-profile investors, private equity and hedge fund firms apparently keen to buy up these properties, some with the intention of cashing in on the growing market for rental accommodation by becoming landlords. Having lost their homes to foreclosures, many Americans are forced to pay rent for alternative housing and the FHFA's first offering of 2,500 foreclosed homes in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Phoenix drew a response from more than 4,000 investor groups that appeared undeterred by the possibility of being branded as vulture investors.

• Europe Resolution Boosts Investor Confidence - 27 October 2011

Tuesday saw a sharp drop in US stocks ahead of the EU summit to be held the following day. By Wednesday afternoon investors began gaining confidence that European authorities would agree upon a workable solution to Eurozone woes. Following an uneasy day on Wall Street, all major indexes ended the trading day higher with the S&P 500 moving up 13 points, the Dow Jones industrial average adding 162 points, and the Nasdaq composite climbing 12 points, being 1 percent, 1.4 percent and 0.5 percent respectively. Although details of the plan to bring Europe's debt crisis under control, and to assist its banking sector, still need clarification and fleshing out, the very fact that an agreement has been reached on how to move forward was enough to boost investor confidence to a degree.

• Third Quarter Earnings High on Wall Street Agenda - 17 October 2011

Following a two-day meeting in Paris, finance ministers from the G20 countries revealed that they will take whatever action deemed necessary to ensure sufficient capitalization of banks and to stabilize wavering global financial markets. This pledge from the world's most powerful and influential economies comes hot on the heels of pledges by France and Germany to work together to rescue Eurozone countries in crisis. In a statement by US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner he noted that delegates at the weekend meeting heard encouraging things from European authorities regarding a comprehensive strategy to deal with Europe’s financial crisis.

• ACA – A Platform for Angel Investment Groups - 8 September 2011

Although it is not known for sure who coined the phrase, with some ascribing it to Greek philosopher Plato, it is a universal truth that "necessity is the mother of invention" and difficult situations often inspire innovative solutions. With the job market in the United States showing no convincing evidence of improving, entrepreneurs with vision are taking the initiative to put ideas into action, not only providing an income for themselves and their families, but often generating job opportunities for others. Having an innovative idea is one thing, but getting it going takes capital, and this is where Angel Investors come to the rescue.

• New Addition to Dow Family - 27 June 2011

Widely respected as the provider of valuable information for stock market players of all levels, Dow Jones Indexes are reportedly making a new addition to its already well rounded family. The new Dow Jones Global Commodity Equity 100 Index will monitor and measure the performance of companies focused on the development and production of renewable and scarce commodities in sectors including energy, water, agriculture, metals and precious metals. Four sub-indexes relating to the Dow Jones Global Commodity Equity 100 Index will also be launched - the Dow Jones Global Equity Agriculture Index; Dow Jones Global Equity Scarcity Index; the Dow Jones Global Equity Energy Index; and the Dow Jones Islamic Market Global Equity Commodity Index. The Equity Scarcity Index is devoted to natural resources that have no way of being replenished, with the Islamic Equity Commodity Index measures companies meet Shari'ah criteria.

• Publicly Traded Utilities Increase M&A Activity - 20 June 2011

While utilities are generally considered to be essential services for which demand should increase as the population grows, making publicly traded utilities a reasonably safe option in an investment portfolio, recent reports have revealed that this is not the case with the demand for electricity. It seems that alternative power sources such as rooftop solar panels, and technology such as low-power processors and manufacturing businesses, has caused electricity demand to all but level off. The annual increase in electricity usage during the 1990s was around 2.4 percent, whereas during the current decade the annual increase in usage has been approximately 0.5 percent. Moreover, a recent study by the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions revealed nine out of ten businesses and up to 70 percent of consumers polled have set reachable goals to decrease their electricity costs.

• Beige Book Offers Valuable Economic Insight - 27 January 2011

Referred to simply as the 'Beige Book', the Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions is published eight times a year by the US Federal Reserve Board prior to Federal Open Market Committee meetings. Compiled on a rotational basis by each of the twelve Federal Reserve Banks, the Beige Book presents information on the current economic climate in each Federal Reserve district, analyzed by economic sector and is considered by many stock market investors to be a valuable tool in making investment decisions.