This is an extremely closely watched indicator, and the fact that numbers are released weekly (every Thursday at 08:30 New York time) means that investors have always got an important data release to look forward to each week, even if not much else is going on. The release gives us the number of new claims … Continue reading How to interpret… US initial jobless claims
Author: tothepound
Can technology alone solve the challenge of climate change?
The Paris Climate Accords set a target of limiting global warming to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and preferably to below 1.5°C. Currently, the world is on a trajectory for warming of 3.6°C by 2100, with further warming beyond that date. At this rate, 1.5°C of warming will happen by 2030. We’re on an unsustainable … Continue reading Can technology alone solve the challenge of climate change?
On Russia and natural gas
The melting of the Arctic has a silver lining for Russia. It allows them better access to natural gas deposits under the ice. Combined with their increasingly sophisticated ice-breaking ships, the natural gas extraction season has been lengthening for Russia’s gas produces. That creates a double whammy for the climate - on one hand, the … Continue reading On Russia and natural gas
How does Bitcoin compare to other asset classes over the last 10 years?
Please make sure you read our other articles on bitcoin before jumping to conclusions about the results in this chart. There’s not really much we can say about this chart, except that bitcoin has been a seriously high-octane asset during its rookie decade. The high returns look extremely attractive, but don’t miss those two horrifying … Continue reading How does Bitcoin compare to other asset classes over the last 10 years?
How investors should think about sustainability
This is a multifaceted topic, and we can’t possibly express everything we feel about sustainable investment in a single article. But we want to lay some groundwork for investors by making two statements and explaining ourselves in a chart. Sustainability as a concept is both a return generator and a risk management tool. To date, … Continue reading How investors should think about sustainability
Total US output is still some way below pre-pandemic levels
US inflation is picking up and reaching close to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. However, a simple look at the total amount of output (GDP) from the US economy reveals that – despite mechanically strong growth rates – we’re still a long way from pre-pandemic levels of output. That makes any action by the Federal … Continue reading Total US output is still some way below pre-pandemic levels
Should I invest in bitcoin?
We’re fans of bitcoin because we’re fans of disruptive technology. In fact, we’re fans of technology. No other economic activity can have quite the same world-changing effects as advancements in technology. That’s why – if you saw our portfolio – you’d find (long-term) holdings in Microsoft, Amazon and – dare we say it – Tesla, … Continue reading Should I invest in bitcoin?
An increase in US savings bodes well for the recovery
In stark contrast with the great financial crisis of 2008, US households have saved a lot of money during the pandemic. This is true not just in total dollar terms, but also as a percentage of disposable income. This is obviously not particularly surprising, given restrictions on movement and the closure of the businesses where … Continue reading An increase in US savings bodes well for the recovery
How to interpret… US consumer confidence
The US Conference Board Consumer Confidence index measures how consumers feel about jobs, the economy, and spending. In the US, consumer spending accounts for 50-70% of total GDP, making the consumer a hugely important driver of the economy. However, consumer confidence does not equal consumer spending, and it’s the latter that really matters. Since the … Continue reading How to interpret… US consumer confidence
How does an unsustainable investment become a bad investment?
Investors are increasingly incorporating sustainability-related information into their assessments of the attractiveness of investments. But how exactly do sustainability-related risks (and benefits) manifest in the prices of assets we invest in?At To the pound we think there are two ways that this happens. The market punishes a company or a country for having bad sustainability … Continue reading How does an unsustainable investment become a bad investment?
To the pound 