10-24-2016, 01:08 AM
Why, then, do you see projections of a large debt increase? The answer lies not in a known factor — an aging population — but in assumed growth in health care costs and rising interest rates. And the truth is that we don’t know that these are going to happen. In fact, health costs have grown much more slowly since 2010 than previously projected, and interest rates have been much lower. As the chart above shows, taking these favorable surprises into account has already drastically reduced long-run debt projections. These days the long-run outlook looks vastly less scary than people used to imagine.
Debt, Diversion, Distraction - The New York Times
Business Insider obtained a copy of the note. In it, Bridgewater estimates the impact of the ECB reducing bond purchases. "The question of what the ECB monetary policy past March will look like is growing in importance as we move closer to that date," the note said. "Though Mario Draghi understandably side-stepped the question, it is the growing elephant in the room." Bridgewater estimates that a reduction of the ECB's bond purchases to zero over a year would reduce gross domestic product growth by about 1%. A taper would be the same as raising interest rates by about 1.25%, according to the note. The ECB would usually only raise interest rates when it's trying to contain a fiery economy and inflation. If the ECB tapers its bond buying, the euro would gain by between 5% to 10%, and inflation would fall by about 0.3% from about 1% today, the note said. "These figures are approximate," the note said. "Nonetheless, it's clear that it would lead to big, bad outcomes."
Ray Dalio note on outcomes if ECB doesn't extend QE - Business Insider
Rule number one: Never short a company you can imagine on the cover of a great publication. While the influence of magazines and big newspapers may be waning, the point is to never bet against a best-of-breed company. Rule number two: Ask, can the company be taken over? If it can, then it's not a good short. Rule number three: Never short a stock because it seems overvalued. You'll never be as adept at calling the top as you think you are and some stocks, like Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) , have valuations that defy gravity. Rule number four: Never short with common stock when puts are available. For those not familiar with the options market, Cramer referred to his 2009 book, Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World. Rule number five: Never short a stock if everyone else is shorting it, too. Those other guys will break ranks and leave you holding the bag every time.
Jim Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: Here's How You Make Money Despite the Fed - Pg.2 - TheStreet
Nexium comes in many forms, including a less potent over-the-counter version. That costs between $25 and $50. There's also a prescription version with twice the strength. If you're getting that one through Medicare Part D, the government's program for prescription drugs, it could cost as much as $700. To try to understand why, we talked to pharmacists, and they all pointed to the same thing: It's the pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. PBMs are companies that manage insurance plans for the government, employers, and other payers. They're middlemen. For the insurance companies and employers, they help manage prescription claims. They do this in part by creating lists of drugs that will or won't be paid for and then use their scale to negotiate lower costs.
Pharmacists blame PBMs for high cost of Nexium - Business Insider
Coal prices have soared this summer, after new mining restrictions curbed production in China, the world’s biggest producer and consumer. Benchmark prices for thermal coal in Asia, Europe and the U.S. have climbed by more than a third since April, while the price of coal used in steelmaking is up 20% from its 2016 nadir in May. The rally is a stark reversal for the coal market, which has been in a protracted slide for much of the past five years.