Risk Rewarded Blog
The latest investment strategies and insights from Markman Capital Insight. Helping investors get the most reward from every ounce of risk.
Tumult in Greece and China may put the Fed on hold
Normally the release of minutes of the Federal Reserve's rate-setting committee are the lead headline, but they had to settle for third place Wednesday. Takeaways however were dovish. A lot of the focus was on Fed concerns about developments in Greece and China, where conditions have taken a turn for the worse in the few weeks since the meeting.While...
Honda will recharge electric vehicle sales
Say what you will about "green cred" -- the social brownie points awarded in certain areas of the country for driving a battery-powered Nissan Leaf or Toyota Prius plug-in -- but electric vehicles outside the Tesla Model S have a dowdy image. I mean, you can't imagine James Bond pulling up to a casino in a Chevy Volt.In an industry that is built on...
Greece aside, Capitalism forges onward
In a reminder that the world doesn't revolve around Federal Reserve dot plots or the machination of Greek bailout negotiations in Brussels, there has been a surge of merger news as companies quietly go on doing the good work of capitalism: Expanding, buying, selling, and trying everything possible to boost profits and maximize shareholder wealth.Homebuilders...
Don’t worry about the dull economy; invest for tomorrow, not today
The labor force participation rate hit a new low of 62.6% in June, down from 62.9% previously. That was the lowest level since 1977, which is disheartening and frustrating.I was a sophomore in college in 1977, so I can't offer any first-hand insights on the job market of that era. I did emerge from graduate school three years later in 1980 into the...
This Ex-Fed insider expects rapid rate hikes
Everybody in the world of finance has an opinion about when the Federal Reserve will start raising rates, and how swiftly rates will rise after that. But not all opinions are equally valuable. Indeed, there are very few that we should really heed.One person whose opinion deserves to be at the forefront of our thinking is a former Fed insider named Athanasios...
How to anticipate and react to a Greek debt default
The big issue for those of us who do not live in Greece is whether we should care at all. The answer is not that easy. The question is not whether an exit would negatively impact the earnings of the multinational companies that we own as investors but whether it would be emblematic of a larger global finance infirmity.TIS Group analysts point out that...
Ambarella, one of our favorite ideas, is up 140% in 2015 -- now what?
Ambarella (AMBA), the video chip maker behind the GoPro (GPRO) extreme-sports cameras, commercial HD video compression and IP-connected security cameras has been on a tear. The growth of the surveillance and flamboyance state is fueling its sensational success, with earnings up 184% in the past quarter on a 73.5% growth in revenues.This...
Why regional banks should continue to lead
Banks, entertainment and medical care have been rolling higher recently and these groups are a great combination for leadership. By the way the banks are particularly strong and there is a good chance they will keep it up. Just keep in mind that regional banks respond positively to higher interest rates because they get to charge more for mortgages...