Investing in Stocks
Does Bitcoin Diversify a Big Tech Portfolio?
Bitcoin and Big Tech: Why Stock Correlations Can Mislead Owning Bitcoin alongside technology stocks can look like diversification. One holding represents a decentralized monetary network; the others represent businesses selling software, advertising, cloud services, and computing hardware. Their economic foundations…
S&P SmallCap 600 Swaps In MSG Rangers, Huron Across Two Dates
S&P Dow Jones Indices said on October 22, 2026, that MSG Rangers Inc. will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on October 27, 2026, and that Huron Consulting Group Inc. will join…
AI Productivity Gains: What Investors Should Watch
Artificial intelligence can help businesses produce more with the resources they already have. Whether those gains become higher wages, stronger profits, or lower prices depends on decisions that extend well beyond the technology itself. A global study by economist Swapnanil…
What CEO Crisis Leadership Can Tell Investors
A corporate crisis tests more than a balance sheet. It tests whether the people responsible for that balance sheet can make sound decisions when familiar assumptions stop working. Demand disappears, financing becomes expensive, and employees need direction before management has…
Can Electricity Use Predict Industrial Stock Returns?
A factory’s electricity bill can tell two very different stories. It may be rising because machines are producing more goods, or because the same production now costs more. For investors, confusing those explanations can mean mistaking growth for pressure on…
Why Stocks Near 52-Week Highs Can Mislead Investors
A stock approaches its highest price of the past year. The gap between buying and selling prices narrows, and more shares appear available for sale. Trading looks easier. Does that also mean the market is doing a better job of…
AI and Hiring Efficiency: What Investors Should Know
Artificial intelligence is often presented as a way to do more work with fewer employees. That framing overlooks another opportunity: helping businesses employ the right number of people as demand changes. Hiring too aggressively can inflate costs. Hiring too cautiously…
Digital Transformation Can Hurt Profits While Raising Valuations
Digital transformation is usually sold as a path toward greater efficiency, better decision-making, and eventually higher profits. The problem is that the financial benefits do not necessarily arrive when the bills do. A new study examining Chinese listed companies offers…
The Hidden Economics Behind Supply Chain Greenwashing
Why Supply Chain Climate Pledges Often Fail to Cut Emissions Corporate climate plans increasingly reach far beyond factories, offices, and vehicle fleets owned by the company making the pledge. For many large businesses, most emissions sit inside the supply chain,…
Is Platinum a Better Inflation Hedge Than Gold?
Gold is usually the first asset investors associate with inflation, currency weakness, and economic uncertainty. Its limited supply and long history as a store of value have made it the default precious metal for defensive portfolios. However, a new study…
Microsoft Raises Quarterly Dividend 8% to $0.98 Per Share
Microsoft Corp. announced on Sept. 15, 2026, that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of US$0.98 per share, reflecting a 7 cent or 8% increase over the previous quarter’s dividend. The dividend is payable Dec. 10, 2026, to…
Trademarks May Be Worth More Than Investors Realize
Patents receive much of the attention when investors evaluate corporate innovation. They are tangible evidence that a company has developed a new technology, process, or design. Yet patents only capture part of the modern innovation economy. A retailer introducing a…
Digital Banking Is Changing Which Businesses Get Credit
When banks invest in digital technology, the expected benefits usually involve faster transactions, lower operating costs, and more convenient customer service. However, the most economically important result may happen behind the interface. Digital systems can change which businesses qualify for…
Why the US Could Have Far Fewer Banks by 2055
The familiar bank branch is not about to vanish, but the system supporting it is becoming smaller, more concentrated, and increasingly digital. A new study1 examining nearly nine decades of US banking data estimates that, under its base scenario, the…
Technology Readiness Could Reshape Emerging Market Returns
Historically, the economic growth of emerging markets has been tied to foreign investments boosting the productivity of these countries by bringing factories, best business practices, and overall modernization. This has been a major force driving development in emerging markets and…
Jonathan Schramm
