FIG Topics of Interest

10/16/17

“My best guess is that these soft readings will not persist, and with the ongoing strengthening of labor markets, I expect inflation to move higher next year,” Yellen said Sunday at the Group of Thirty’s Annual International Banking Seminar in Washington.
While the Fed chair said she expects a pickup, she and her colleagues “recognize that this year’s low inflation could reflect something more persistent than is reflected in our baseline projections.”

 

10/13/17

House Republicans agree with President Donald Trump that they want to cut taxes for the middle class, but who fits that definition is where the consensus stops. 
For some GOP members of Congress, a middle income household tops out at $100,000 a year. For others, a family making $400,000 still deserves a break.

10/12/17

Goldman Sachs said Monday that there is a 65 percent chance of an agreement on tax reform coming together next year. That would benefit stocks, the firm said. 

10/11/17

"The dynamics associated with the pursuit of assets in secondary and tertiary markets have to do with the fact that a tremendous amount of equity and debt is looking for yield," said David Blatt, CEO of CapStack Partners, a New York-based investment bank and advisor focused on real estate and other asset classes. "While price in primary markets is a factor in terms of getting value for your dollars, yield is a stronger driver for many of these buyers." 

10/06/17

The Trump administration is set to release its blueprint for overhauling regulation of U.S. markets, an expansive list of priorities that touches on the stock, bond and derivatives trading that fuels Walls Street profits.

10/04/17

President Donald Trump’s tax plan would let U.S. companies take bigger, faster deductions on capital investments, a step some experts said would deplete Washington’s policy arsenal by using up a tax break normally reserved for fighting recessions.

10/03/17

A general strike in Catalonia on Tuesday will likely bring much of the wealthy Spanish region to a standstill, a move bound to ratchet up tensions with the Spanish government following a fractious independence vote at the weekend.

10/02/17

“We have always said that we would use all the force of the law and all the mechanisms that the constitution and laws grant to the government,” Rafael Catala told broadcaster TVE in an interview. While images of police violence provoked alarmed reactions from some European government officials, Catala praised the security force for their “measured” response.

09/29/17

The real estate community has been on edge over rumors the tax plan advanced by Congressional leaders would do away with some of the industry's favored tax treatments. Different reports noted that discussions included possibly eliminating 1031 tax-free exchanges and reducing the deduction for interest on debt and reducing the tax rate for pass-through business income. 

09/28/17

Only about one in 10 new cars sold in the U.S. is a midsize sedan, a sharp decline for the best-selling vehicle segment in 20 of the last 27 years, according to data from car-shopping website Edmunds. Models like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord -- both of which were redesigned this year to counteract the slump -- have slipped to the fifth most popular segment, behind compact SUVs, large trucks, midsize SUVs and compact cars. The trend is unlikely to reverse even if gas prices rise, as nearly a quarter of midsize sedan owners are choosing small SUVs when trading in their wheels. “Once someone gets used to the higher ride, extra space and creature comforts they can get in an SUV, it’s almost a fool’s errand to convince them to go back to a sedan,” said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds executive director of industry analysis.