Property shares and real estate investment trusts (REITs) outside the US grabbed the top spot among the major asset classes for the five-trading days through June 2, based on a set of representative exchange-traded products. The gain marks the fifth straight weekly advance for these shares.
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Monthly Archives: June 2017
Book Bits | 3 June 2017
By Rick Wartzman
Review via Publishers Weekly
Wartzman, a senior advisor at the Drucker Institute, documents the deterioration of company-employee loyalty at some of America’s corporate giants in this insightful economic history. Identifying the “great American dream” as having a “good job”—a dream that’s increasingly precarious—he notes driving for Uber as a perfect example of many jobs in the U.S. today that involve no real, long-term commitment between employer and employee. He cites dismal statistics about many Americans being unprepared for retirement due to low pay, poor pension benefits, and increased medical costs, all while corporate earnings climb to historic highs. In order to understand how this came to pass, he examines four companies—General Electric, General Motors, Kodak, and Coca-Cola—over the past 70 years. He identifies a combination of factors as responsible for weakening the corporate social compact: globalization, company-wide spates of downsizing, ineffective unions, and more. Perhaps most significant is the elevation of shareholders over employees.
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US Payrolls Rise Less Than Forecast In May But 1-yr Gain Ticks Up
Employment at US companies increased 147,000 in May (in seasonally adjusted terms), according to this morning’s update from the Labor Department. The rise is below expectations, based on Econoday.com’s consensus forecast for a 173,500 jump in payrolls. The advance also represents a downshift from April’s 173,000 increase. But the softer monthly comparison was offset by a slightly stronger year-over-year change. On balance, today’s release suggests that the labor market remains on track for moderate if unspectacular growth in the near term.
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Risk Premia Forecasts: Major Asset Classes | 2 June 2017
The projected risk premium for the Global Market Index (GMI) ticked higher in May. GMI, an unmanaged market-value weighted mix of the major asset classes, is expected to earn an annualized 5.4% (over the “risk-free” rate) in the long run – 20 basis points above last month’s estimate.
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Major Asset Classes | May 2017 | Performance Review
Foreign markets led most of the major asset classes higher in May. The top performer: foreign high-yield bonds. Markit’s Global ex-US High Yield Index popped 3.8% last month (in unhedged US dollar terms), posting its biggest monthly gain in more than a year. The only losers in May: US real estate investment trusts (MSCI REIT) and commodities (Bloomberg Commodity), which fell 0.6% and 1.3%, respectively.
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