investing

Hamilton Nolan · 06/26/15 09:00AM

China’s stock market, almost universally acknowledged to be one of the world’s foremost bubbles, dropped more than 7% today, which is enough to cause widespread speculation that the bubble is popping, but not enough to make Chinese stocks a good investment.

Rich Bastards Love Tobacco Stocks

Hamilton Nolan · 05/06/15 09:35AM

People who buy stocks in alcohol, tobacco, gambling, or (new!) marijuana companies are said to be investing in “vice”—traditionally a good way to earn premium returns in exchange for being a morally bad human. Who are these successful bastard investors?

The Most Successful Industry of the Past Century

Hamilton Nolan · 02/16/15 02:03PM

What do you think the most successful industry in America has been in the past 100 years? A hint: it's home to the most successful company of the past 50 years.

How JPMorgan Robbed a Church

Hamilton Nolan · 01/08/15 12:15PM

A church that gave its money to JPMorgan Chase to manage says that the bank robbed it blind. Here is a useful window into how legalized robbery on Wall Street works.

Bubble Watch: Junk Bonds Edition

Hamilton Nolan · 12/15/14 11:10AM

The American economy is booming, for the most part! That means that it is constantly a good time to worry about which part of the economy will collapse first. Today: shitty bonds?

Hamilton Nolan · 12/02/14 05:10PM

"Hedge funds are shutting at a rate not seen since the financial crisis, as many managers post disappointing returns and an elite group of firms dominate money raising," Bloomberg reports. "Hedge funds, on average, have returned just 2 percent in 2014."

The Entire Investment Advice Industry Is a Sham

Hamilton Nolan · 11/17/14 10:01AM

If you pay an individual or a big company to invest your money for you, you should be aware of the fact that there is an extremely convincing case that you are foolishly throwing your money into the garbage can.

Recession 2015? Maybe!

Hamilton Nolan · 11/10/14 11:20AM

As we prepare for the holiday season in which we reflect upon the past year and make plans for the year to come, let us all begin to feel the creeping sense of fear that comes with the confident expert prediction: Recession 2015.

Private Equity Firms Don't Want You to Know How Expensive They Are

Hamilton Nolan · 11/05/14 04:06PM

Public employees have public money in their pension funds to save for retirement. Those pension funds invest that public money in private equity firms. Those private equity firms then refuse to say how much they're charging, and why. Hmmm.