Author: Charlotte

Click the following to learn more about Mood Swings: I write a lot of articles, but this one is extra special. You see, I finally get to reveal something I’m very excited to share with the world. About 28 years ago, I came up with an idea for a more accessible trading card game called Mood Swings. The idea behind it is simple. Trading card games are a lot of fun, but Magic, while amazing, can be complicated. Mood Swings is my attempt to make something simpler. Here’s how it works. When you buy a Mood Swings game, you get…

Read More

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) is seen as the best benchmark for the U.S. stock market. Several exchange-traded funds (ETFs) track the index, but the most popular is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO). Meanwhile, gold is considered the ultimate safe-haven asset. A few exchange-traded funds track the metal, but the most popular is the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (NYSEMKT: GLD). Warren Buffett recommended an S&P 500 index fund over the precious metal. “I don’t see gold as a store of value,” he said at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting in April 2005. “Forget about whether it’s worked well the…

Read More

North Square Investments is a multi-boutique asset management platform that comprises independent affiliated managers, each providing a unique, research-intensive mutual fund. Strategies offered by North Square-affiliated managers include sector-specific, niche and other specialty investment approaches. Portfolios may deviate from index performance levels based on market conditions and manager investment approaches. All these factors make North Square a great investment option. We have chosen two North Square mutual funds, North Square Spectrum Alpha Fund ((ORIGX Quick QuoteORIGX – Free Report) ) and North Square Strategic Income ((ADVNX Quick QuoteADVNX – Free Report) ), which investors should buy now for the long term. These…

Read More

Geopolitical tensions remain elevated as uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz keeps oil markets tight, with no clear resolution in sight. Despite this, global equities continue to show resilience. Central banks are holding rates steady, but the tone is shifting — particularly in Europe, where inflation concerns persist even as growth weakens. At the same time, AI optimism continues to dominate market sentiment. Strong earnings from industrials and tech-linked sectors highlight how AI-driven investment is feeding into the real economy. Meanwhile, Apple’s latest results show a different approach — strong cash returns and limited AI spending, but increased reliance on…

Read More

Alternative asset manager Blue Owl Capital, which has been at the center of a recent spike in redemption requests affecting operators of private credit BDCs and interval funds, reported strong first-quarter earnings and an overall rise in fundraising from its private wealth channel.Overall, Blue Owl said it raised $3 billion in equity through the private wealth channel during the quarter, predominantly in products focused on real assets, GP strategic capital, alternative credit and GP-led secondaries. It also reported net outflows of roughly $170 million from its private credit evergreen vehicles, OCIC (Owl Creek Investment Corporation) and OTIC (Owl Tree Investment…

Read More

​In Latin America, more and more people are buying stablecoins instead of Bitcoin. This reflects local economic problems, including inflation, weakening national currencies and limited access to banking services.According to Bitso’s report on crypto adoption in Latin America, 40% of all crypto asset purchases were dollar-backed stablecoins, including USDT and USDC. Bitcoin accounted for 18%. The report notes that this is the first time stablecoin purchases in the region have surpassed Bitcoin purchases.Bitso’s findings are based on data from nearly 10 million retail users of the crypto exchange. The company believes the trend reflects a broader process of “digital dollarization.” In…

Read More

Potential signalIf the silver market pulls back to $72.50, and the 10-year yield is falling, I am buying with a stop just under $70, and a target of $79.Silver has been pretty positive during the trading session here on Thursday as interest rates have fallen a bit and that of course is a very bullish effect on the markets as silver is a non-yielding asset so of course higher interest rates are pretty toxic for silver. That being said, I think you’ve got a situation where a lot of traders are just simply trying to figure out what to do…

Read More

HSBC Holdings and Standard Chartered have been granted the first stablecoin licenses by Hong Kong monetary authorities. The licenses come ahead of any actual stablecoin issuance, setting a regulated path for future products. The move follows warnings from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority about counterfeit stablecoins and tighter digital asset rules. LSE:HSBA is trading around £13.49, with the share price reflecting recent momentum, including a 10.4% return over the past month and 13.2% year to date. Over longer periods, returns have been about 72.0% over the past year, 187.2% over three years, and 301.3% over five years. Against that backdrop,…

Read More

Ask an Economist #30 It’s been a while since my last “Ask an Economist” article. I try to answer FEE Readers’ questions about economics regularly, so if you have a question, feel free to email me at [email protected]. This week’s question is from Vincente in Paraguay: From Paraguay, why does the government give so much importance to the macro economy when what is most needed is the micro economy, whether in training, laws or financially? I thought Vincente’s question was a really fruitful ground to discuss the micro/macro dichotomy, and hopefully along the way we’ll discover some reasons why the…

Read More