What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of July 13 – 17, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha During this past week, RTW Retailwinds (RTW) and Sur La Table both declared bankruptcy. RTW Retailwinds owns several fashion brands focused on women (most prominently New York & Company), while Sur La Table specializes in kitchenware products. RTW Retailwinds has been hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, as has Sur La Table. …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of July 6 – 10, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha Brooks Brothers is a famous American retailing company, and was founded in 1818. Over the years, it has been a clothier of presidents (in the USA, 40 out of 45 [89% of these] individuals), royals, financiers, war heroes, and many other such prominent people. On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, the company …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of June 29 – July 2, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) of Oklahoma City, OK was in the news this week. The company was founded by Tom L. Ward (currently the Chairman and CEO of privately held MACH Resources) and the now-late Aubrey K. McClendon in 1989 with an initial funding of $50,000. Robert D. Lawler (aka: Doug …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of June 22 – 26, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha The coronavirus pandemic is continuing to damage the private sector significantly. This week, GNC Holdings (GNC) and the parent company (CEC Entertainment) of Chuck E. Cheese plus Peter Piper Pizza both announced plans for bankruptcy. GNC Holdings will be using the bankruptcy process to close all of its health and nutrition …

Dow Jones Index Volatility – Week of June 8 – 12, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) had a volatile ride this past week, due to several factors. Comments from Jerome Powell (the Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve), GDP forecasting, unemployment rate (and jobless claims) data, and coronavirus pandemic data all played their own significant parts in the DJIA activity. The …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of June 1 – 5, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha The airline sector caught our attention this week, due to strong returns seen by various companies. In this piece, American Airlines Group (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU), Southwest Airlines (LUV), and United Airlines Holdings (UAL) will be focused on. On Wednesday, June 3, 2020, Southwest Airlines delivered …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of May 26 – 29, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha In this past week, Tuesday Morning Corporation (TUES), Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (HTZ), and HP Inc. (HPQ) were all featured prominently in the news. Tuesday Morning Corporation (TUES) is a retail business focused on the American home. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company was forced to close its stores for …

Negative Interest Rates in the USA are Unlikely – Week of May 11 – 15, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha Jerome Powell, the Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, issued detailed comments this week. The American economy continues to be ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. Additional fiscal support aid (e.g. another round of stimulus payments to Americans) will likely be needed for the American economy to recover. However, the Fed is …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of May 4-8, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha During this week, both J.Crew and Neiman Marcus announced their respective bankruptcy filings. The retail industry has been on fragile ground for many years now, and the coronavirus pandemic has pushed both of these companies into bankruptcy. Due to the public health issues around the coronavirus, brick-and-mortar retailers have had to …

GDP Contraction, the Fed, and the Dow Jones – Week of April 27 – May 1, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha The Dow Jones had three down and two up days this week. The coronavirus pandemic has continued to wreak havoc all around the world, and the American capital markets were affected. During 1Q2020, the USA’s GDP (gross domestic product) annualized contraction rate was 4.8%. This figure was announced on Wednesday, April …