Johnson & Johnson (JNJ – Analyst Report), the bellwether of healthcare companies, has a strong presence in the pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer care markets across the world. This New Jersey-based company is well known for its baby-care products and brands like Tylenol in addition to drugs like Remicade and Concerta. However, like many of its peers, JNJ…
And yet another IPO disaster to add to a very, very long list of sizzling-hot offerings over the past year. Their burgers and shakes are a lot better than their returns to public investors.
The latest economic news from China shows that, in dollar terms, imports collapsed 20.4% in September from a year earlier to $145.2bn. This is one of the sharpest declines ever, and it is far beyond what was expected. This has had a further impact upon the raw commodity sector and metals. This latest drop in Chinese…
Gold remains our best means of economic measurement. It is not a perfect, but it is our best. Due to its monetary properties, gold can be used to measure wealth across generations. Just like we have the sun and moon to discern the times and seasons, I believe, we have gold to discern changes in…
The median household is the statistical center of the Middle Class. In terms of income, this class has not fared well in recent decades. Let’s take a closer look at a troubling aspect of the Census Bureau’s latest annual household income data, issued last month. We’ve already studied some key metrics in the annual release:…
Hooker Furniture (HOFT – Snapshot Report) is cashing in on the strong housing market as consumers buy new furniture for their new houses. This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) is expected to see double digit earnings growth this year. Founded in 1924 in Martinsville, Virginia, Hooker continues to make furniture under the brands Hooker Furniture Collection, Sam Moore…
With VIX collapsing 10 days straight (for the first time since October 2010), one might be forgiven for thinking “everything is awesome.” However, as always, the real news is in the nuance that the mainstream often misses. As VIX has plunged (complacency about ‘normal’ risk), Skew (which measures extreme tail risk) has exploded to its highest ever… …
Pentair (PNR) was founded in 1966. The company is an opportunistic industrial equipment manufacturer based in Ireland. Pentair’s focus has shifted substantially over the last ~50 years. Through the 1960’s and 1970’s, the company was involved mainly in the paper industry. In the 1980’s, Pentair acquired Porter-Cable and became involved in the manufacturing of tools….
US retail sales are expected to increase 0.1% in tomorrow’s September report vs. the previous month, according to The Capital Spectator’s average point forecast for several econometric estimates. The average prediction reflects a slight deceleration in growth after the previous month’s sluggish 0.2% rise. The CapitalSpectator.com’s average forecast for September is at the low end…
The latest issue of the NFIB Small Business Economic Trends is out today. The update for September came in at 96.1, only a 0.2 point increase from the previous month. The index remains at the 29th percentile in this series. Nevertheless, today’s number came in above the Investing.com forecast for a 0.3 point decline to 95.6. Here is the…
