Business Columnists

Maybe President Trump should register as an investment advisor and start a new market timing service.

With the first half of 2025 in the books, it must come as a surprise to many that the S&P 500 and NASDAQ are each up 5% year-to-date(as of last Friday).

The U.S. is an oasis amidst global economic chaos. I expect the U.S. dollar to strengthen and for interest rates to steadily decline in a “flight to quality".

While Beijing and Washington maneuver, Chinese officials needs to attend to equally difficult economic problems at home.

Overall, investors have been reminded that geopolitical risks are almost always more bark than bite.

Some Chinese corporations and even small businesses and organizations are known to be influenced or directed by the Chinese Communist Party.

The Beige Book, plus the bulk of last week’s economic data, should convince the Fed that they must cut key interest rates when they meet next week.

Tiny interest rate cuts of the kind delivered by the People’s Bank of China fall far short of what the country needs.

Tough trade talks could lead Beijing to threaten de-dollarization or sell U.S. Treasury debt to gain concessions from Washington.

Beijing keeps housing prices artificially high to counter the impact of the trade war.

The uncertain tariff situation with the U.S. seems to have impelled Beijing to reach out to other regions of the world, most pointedly Latin America.

Though Beijing would like to see the yuan supplant the dollar as the world’s premier international currency, China’s currency faces a steep uphill battle.

Maybe President Trump should register as an investment advisor and start a new market timing service.

With the first half of 2025 in the books, it must come as a surprise to many that the S&P 500 and NASDAQ are each up 5% year-to-date(as of last Friday).

The U.S. is an oasis amidst global economic chaos. I expect the U.S. dollar to strengthen and for interest rates to steadily decline in a “flight to quality".

While Beijing and Washington maneuver, Chinese officials needs to attend to equally difficult economic problems at home.

Overall, investors have been reminded that geopolitical risks are almost always more bark than bite.

Some Chinese corporations and even small businesses and organizations are known to be influenced or directed by the Chinese Communist Party.

The Beige Book, plus the bulk of last week’s economic data, should convince the Fed that they must cut key interest rates when they meet next week.

Tiny interest rate cuts of the kind delivered by the People’s Bank of China fall far short of what the country needs.

Tough trade talks could lead Beijing to threaten de-dollarization or sell U.S. Treasury debt to gain concessions from Washington.

Beijing keeps housing prices artificially high to counter the impact of the trade war.

The uncertain tariff situation with the U.S. seems to have impelled Beijing to reach out to other regions of the world, most pointedly Latin America.

Though Beijing would like to see the yuan supplant the dollar as the world’s premier international currency, China’s currency faces a steep uphill battle.