Fed Policymakers Agree Trump Fiscal Boost Poses Inflation Risk

Almost all Federal Reserve policymakers thought the economy could grow more quickly because of fiscal stimulus under the Trump administration and many were eyeing faster interest rate increases, minutes from the central bank’s December meeting showed. The minutes, released on Wednesday, showed how broadly views within the Fed are shifting in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s promises of tax cuts, infrastructure spending and deregulation.

Apple Confirms $1 Billion Investment in SoftBank Vision Fund

Apple Inc. confirmed Wednesday that it plans to invest $1 billion in SoftBank Group Corp.’s new technology fund to help finance technologies it could use in the future. Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said, “We believe their new fund will speed the development of technologies which may be strategically important to Apple.”

4 Things Costco’s CFO Wants Investors to Know

Instead of changing to meet the new reality, the warehouse club has doubled down on what makes it popular in the first place. The company has focused on its warehouses and offering value for its customers while remaining a destination shopping experience.

2017 Mortgage Rate Outlook: The Trump Effect

For the first time in almost a year, mortgage rates are above 4%. While still low by historic standards – the annual average rate on a 30-year mortgage in 1981 was 16.63%, according to Freddie Mac – most observers expect rates to keep climbing in 2017.

Tesla Shrugs Off Delivery Miss as Investors Focus on Model 3

The automaker produced record deliveries in 2016 but fell short of estimates. Bulls and bears alike are more focused on Tesla’s forthcoming more affordable sedan The market on Wednesday shrugged off Tesla Motors ‘ failure to meet its 2016 delivery goals, a fresh reminder that little in the near term matters as bulls and bears alike await the automaker’s Model 3 debut.

Brinker Skips 2017 ICR Conference

Brinker International no longer plans to present at ICR’s 2017 investment conference, an unusual move for the restaurant company. An ICR Conference regular, Brinker was listed among the 2017 conference’s presenters in a November.

Super Regional Banks Best Positioned Under Trump, Analyst Contends

Director of Bank and Equity Strategies at Vining Sparks Marty Mosby believes super regional banks to best positioned to take advantage of deregulation. The impressive moves higher in these stocks seems to be indicative of a more positive outlook regarding their futures under a Donald Trump presidency, which many believe will lead to a scaling back of regulation.

Historical Change and the Competitive Advantage of Firms: Explicating …

This study contributes to the re-emerging dialogue between business history and strategy by examining how historical reasoning can contribute to the dynamic capabilities framework currently employed by strategy scholars. It explores how three distinct models of historical change-evolutionary, dialectical, and constitutive-were incorporated into the theoretical tenets of the origins, context, and micro-foundations of the dynamic capabilities framework.

Manhattan Resale Home Prices Tumble the Most in Four Years

Manhattan resale home prices tumbled by the most in more than four years, a sign that sellers are lowering their expectations in a slowing market where buyers have the option to walk away. The median price of previously owned condominiums and co-ops fell 6.3 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier to $900,000, according to a report Wednesday from appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and brokerage Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

Deutsche Bank Crime Fighter Said to Step Down After Six Months

Deutsche Bank AG’s global head of anti-financial crime and group money-laundering reporting officer, Peter Hazlewood, will step down only six months after assuming the post, a person familiar with the matter said. Hazlewood will probably stay with Deutsche Bank in a different role, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public.

Despite 50% Gain, Banks Yet to Win Over Europe Fund Managers

Banks may have beaten every industry group on the Stoxx Europe 600 Index since a July low in share prices, but European fund managers are still underweight. While money managers have turned less bearish and now own the most bank shares since mid-2015, lenders still make up a smaller proportion of portfolios than they do in equity benchmarks, according to HSBC Holdings Plc.

AT&T to Test 5G Wireless for Delivery of – DirecTV Now’ to Homes

AT&T Inc. has reached speeds of up to 14 gigabits a second in lab trials of 5G wireless technology, and plans to test the high-speed network by beaming its DirecTV Now video service to homes in Austin, Texas before midyear. Through a collaboration with a dozen partners including Intel Corp., Ericsson AB and Qualcomm Inc., AT&T plans to use experimental airwaves to test fifth-generation or 5G residential and business services as a potentially cheaper method than fiber-optic cable for high-capacity connections, said John Donovan, AT&T’s chief strategy officer.

Oil Prices Rise on Tighter Supply Outlook

Oil rose on Wednesday, with top exporter Saudi Arabia expected to increase prices for its crude as part of planned supply cuts, although a strong dollar and moderate economic growth prospects restricted gains. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were trading at $52.50 per barrel at 0747 GMT, up 17 cents from the last settlement.

Exxon Cashes Out Ex-CEO Tillerson

Exxon Mobil has awarded former Chief Executive Rex Tillerson a $180 million retirement package as the company moves to break financial ties with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state. If Mr. Tillerson is confirmed, Exxon will transfer the equivalent value of two million unvested shares that he was set to receive at his previously expected retirement in March into a trust, according to the company.

Beware of the gamblera s fallacy

Risk-averse investors look at history and note the longest stretch of positive returns for the S&P 500 Index ended in 1999-2000 with a thud, when the market corrected by 40% or so. In other words, the probability of every coin flip is always 50%, even if the previous eight coin tosses came up heads.

Deals Lawyer Said to Be a Contender to Lead SEC Under Trump

President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating Sullivan & Cromwell partner Jay Clayton to run the Securities and Exchange Commission, potentially positioning a top lawyer to banks and hedge funds to lead Wall Street’s main regulator, said a person with knowledge of the matter. Clayton, who met with Trump last month, has represented Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and investment firms ranging from Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC to Oaktree Capital Group LLC, according to Sullivan & Cromwell’s website.

Iran Qualifies CNPC to Total for Bidding on Energy Projects

Iran qualified 29 international oil companies to bid in tenders for crude and natural gas development projects as the Persian Gulf state seeks investment in energy. China National Petroleum Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA are among the companies that will be invited to bid in tenders, according to a list published Monday on the website of National Iranian Oil Co.

Power-to-People Link Seen Costing India $10 Billion a Year

India will spend $10 billion annually on new power transmission lines to satisfy growing demand in under-served areas, according to the country’s largest private power-grid operator. The country lacks sufficient transmission infrastructure to link its increasing generation capacity to areas of burgeoning consumption, said Pratik Agarwal, chief executive officer at Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd. The central government may spend about $6 billion annually, with the rest coming from the nation’s states, he said.

Swim or Sink Outlook Prompts Asia Shipping to Face Mergers

Faced with a prolonged trade slowdown and depressed freight rates, the region’s container lines are set for further consolidation after a year that’s seen the collapse of South Korea’s Hanjin Shipping Co., a mega merger among Japanese rivals and the sale of Singapore’s shipping flagship. With capacity in excess, firms will continue joining forces to cut costs and improve efficiency, according to the heads of A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S and Hyundai Merchant Marine Co.