Over the past year bonds hit hard by COVID-19 have rallied and rewarded investors who took a gamble. One prime example is cruise company Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) which pawned ships to borrow around $4 billion from investors asking an 11.5% interest rate. Interestingly, the yield on the binds has dropped below 4% as bonds increase
COVID-19
The US real estate sector is heating up amid accelerated economic recovery fuelled by an aggressive vaccination campaign. Strong demand for new homes at the back of declining inventories point to a market-ready to take off. Likewise, deals and activities in the sector are increasingly edging higher to the extent of Compass Inc. plotting a
On Monday, global equities inched higher, with safe-haven assets such as US Treasuries rallying as investors weighed the increasing COVID-19 cases in Europe against the break in the recent bond yields run-up sparked by global inflation fears. Replacement of Turkish Central bank governor unsettles equity markets It was an unsettled day for equity markets, with
A drone video captured by an FPV drone flying at a historic alley in Minneapolis has caught the attention of netizens and garnered thousands of views on social media platforms. The clip, which is 90 seconds long, is titled “Right Up Our Alley,” was captured in a single short although after almost 12 attempts. Drone
Apollo Global Management Inc.–owned Shutterfly Inc. is in discussions to go public via a merger with a Special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), according to sources familiar with the matter. The move comes two years after Apollo took the Redwood City-based online photo products company private. Shutterfly plans to go public through SPAC Shutterfly joins a list
Mall values in the US have dropped by almost 60% following appraisals in 2020, which is a sign of more struggles for retail properties despite the economy emerging from COVID-19 enforced lockdowns. Retail property values depressed In 2020 around 118 retail properties anchored with commercial mortgage securities debt erased $4 billion in value following reappraisals.
This is the viral moment when a Texas lawyer turned up to argue a forfeiture case but struggled to remove a filler of a kitten on the Zoom call. Rod Ponton is the county attorney who sent shockwaves on social networks for struggling to turn off the filler during a hearing in the Texas 394th
Exchange-Traded Funds have for the better part for the past year been a bright spot in the vast equity markets. As investors sought to shrug off the effects of elevated volatility in the equity markets, most of them turned to ETFs. Fast forward, the once resilient segment of the equity market is starting to show
It’s no longer a question of how high the market can move but how low it could drop amid growing talk of an imminent correction. Bets of the stock market pulling lower from current highs have been gaining momentum as analysts and investors remain wary of elevated valuation levels. Market Correction A 30% correction could
The pandemic has taken a significant toll on the once robust and burgeoning New York economy. The state is already reeling from the effects of business shutdowns and mass exit that has taken a significant toll on revenue streams. Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature are already wrestling with a widening budget gap at
Real estate is a theme that has held firm amid the shocks triggered by COVID-19. A spike in home prices in some markets has come at the back of strong demand. Likewise, markets such as New York are once again bottoming out, as demand for office space improves. The sector also continues to see an
Samsung has confirmed that going forward, it may no longer include charging plugs and earphones in the box, as has been the case in the past. While the move might have caught some customers by surprise, it is likely to affect all the upcoming Galaxy S21 devices. In Box Changes According to the company’s executive
Bonds remain under pressure as talk of more stimulus package to revitalize a struggling U.S economy continues to gather pace. The yield curve is steepening as investors await big borrowing under the Democrat’s regime, who now control both houses. Rising Yields The U.S 10-year debt is up by more than ten basis points for the
U.S real estate is poised for drastic changes as more people get the Coronavirus vaccine. Commercial real estate firm NAI Alliance is already predicting a surge in demand for retail, office space, and multi-family homes going forward. Real Estate Changes While the retail sector has felt the biggest brunt of the pandemic, most retail businesses
Record-low interest rates’ triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is the catalyst fuelling activities in the bond markets. U.S states, cities as well as schools, and other issuers have turned to municipal bonds in a bid to raise much-needed capital to navigate the challenging environment owing to COVID-19. Muni Bonds Surge Likewise, the amount of muni
Tensions between the U.S and China remain at elevated levels. Beijing is the latest to take a swipe at Washington over an impending move to delist three Chinese Telcos from the New York Stock Exchange. China has already called out the action, insisting it amounts to a breach of the market rules and is only
Billed as one of the most bizarre years, one thing stood out in 2020: Special Purpose Acquisition Companies SPACs. Better known as shell companies, SPACs took the market by storm as the need to raise capital inched a notch higher among private companies. While private companies have always had ample access to capital from venture
Stock Exchange-Traded Funds continue to edge higher, having received a bid on the U.S President Donald Trump signing to law the $900 billion coronavirus relief package. The signing of the bill all but alleviated the risk of the government shutdown, conversely fuelling hopes of continued economic recovery. Stock Exchange ETFs Rally The passage of the
Treasury bonds are once again showing signs of finishing the year on a high after a roller-coaster 2020. After initially plunging to record lows in the first quarter of the year, they have bounced back at the back of a wave of stimulus packages by policymakers. Bonds Rally The 10-year treasury yield was up by
Mergers and acquisition activity, across most sectors, has remained at suppressed levels in the aftermath of the COVID-19 situation. A good number of companies resorted to conserving capital amid concerns over the uncertainty triggered by the pandemic. Fast forward, things are looking up, and observers are optimistic of deal-making improving and could bounce back to
The number of COVID-19 cases following a second wave might be rising in Arizona and the US but Phoenix residents have had enough of Mask and stringent health guiders. Videos of anti-mask protesters in Phoenix’s Christown Spectrum mall have gone viral as residents complain about coronavirus health guidelines. Video of anti-mask protests inside Target store
It’s not the best time to own bonds, but time to shore up cash buffers. Those are sentiments echoed by the head of BlackRock’s $2 trillion fixed-income division Rick Rieder. The world of depressed interest rates means the risk-reward in the fixed income sector, especially bonds is not the best for income-focused investors. Cash Over
The U.S economy is facing its biggest contraction in more than a decade owing to COVID-19 disruptions. Amid widespread contraction in some sectors, real estate has remained resilient, unlike a decade ago when it was the catalysts behind the financial crisis. Commercial real estate has been a bright spot in the sector as companies move
Struggles in the $4 trillion Chinese domestic credit market are starting to creep up. Reports that a major Chinese clothing maker has failed to repay a $153 million bond signals everything is not well in one of the biggest bond and credit markets in the world. Chinese Bond Market Defaults Shandong Ruyi Technology is the
Talks of another stimulus package, to help cushion millions of people struggling amid the second wave of COVID-19, continues to gather steam in congress. The bipartisan push which has stalled in recent months is in a crucial stage, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin having presented a White House proposal to Congress. Whitehouse Stimulus Proposal President Donald
Record low housing inventories at the back of rising demand and higher house prices should strengthen the argument of renting come 2021. While the U.S real estate sector has remained resilient for the better part of the year, record low inventory levels continue to arouse concerns amid the pandemic. Subdued Home Inventories Housing data indicate
Investors are increasingly pilling into risky ETFs as the stock market rally shows no signs of slowing down. Capital inflows into leveraged and inverse ETFs have been on a roll ever since the stock market bottomed out from the March crash. The ETFs have raked close to $16.3 billion and on course to surpass the
This is the moment a senior running -back for Livonia Stevenson High School in Michigan became the talk of social networks, after a video of him lip-syncing Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston hit Eenie Meenie went viral. The moment captured shows Caden Woodall grinning from ear to ear while singing along to the song. Eenie
AstraZeneca plc. (NASDAQ:AZN) is closing in on a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine after suffering a major blow in September. The company was forced to halt the development of the much-needed vaccine after one of the participants in the trials developed a neurological condition. Fast forward, the drug maker says its candidate vaccine has the
The disconnect between the stock market and underlying fundamentals continues to arouse concerns. Stocks have continued to edge higher in total disregard of the economic turmoil owing to COVID-19 shocks. While the S&P 500 is up by more than 5% for the year, the rally does not paint a clear picture of the underlying developments,