27 September 2018 FT — Articles to Read

27 September 2018

 

Question: According to MSN:Lifestyle, what are habits of extremely likeable people?

 

US Fed raises interest rates and remains bullish despite trade war – Pg. 1

–          The Federal Reserve has raised short-term interest rates for the third time this year and signaled it would forge ahead with plans to tighten policy even as central bankers face White House pressure to keep down borrowing costs

–          The FOMC boosted the target range for its key rate by another quarter point to 2% – 2.25%, in the eighth increase of the current cycle, while teeing up another increase in December

–          Median forecasts released by the Fed’s policymakers pointed to one more rate rise this year, followed by three in 2019 and another in 2020 – in line with expectations

–          …bullish update on the economy, which it expects to grow more than 3% this year, …

–          The median of the latest forecasts suggest the middle of the Fed’s target range for interest rates would peak at 3.5$ in 2020, remaining at that level in 2021

 

Arab women face backlash over inheritance reform – Pg. 4

–          The Koran spells out in detail how legacies are to be divided, dictating that brothers receive twice the share of sisters

–          It has underlined the difficulty of upending a centuries-old status quo that shapes the contours of power and wealth across the Arab world

–          Equalizing inheritance rules would mark an epochal change

–          Inheritance laws are part of a broader web of legal and social barriers that perpetuate gender inequality in the Arab world.  The proportion of women who earn a salary is held down by a combination of early marriage, traditions that require women to be homemakers, and laws designed to protect females in the workplace that restrict the kinds of jobs and hours they can work

–          Only one in four women in the Middle East and north Africa is employed or looking for work, …

–          Only 27% of women in the Arab world have a bank or mobile money account…

–          Inheritance is often about land.  The proportion of real estate in the Arab world registered in the name of women is probably much lower than 10%,…

–          Egypt passed legislation earlier this year that imposes jail terms and fines on anyone who deprives another of inheritance rights (Prof Note: In the U.S. some states have a Tort: Intentional Interference with Inheritance.  In 1999 this Tort was introduced to Maryland, Geduldig v. Posner, but the courts refused to recognize it.  However, in their opinion they stated that a case having a series of defined attributes, and they listed these attributes, would require reconsideration of introduction of the Tort.  Go Egypt, GOOOOO!!!)

 

After the Crisis – Pg. 8-9

–          (Prof Note: Read entire two pages…)

 

Record US valuation gap prompts hunt for opportunity overseas – Pg. 21

–          A record-breaking divergence between US equities and the rest of the world has spurred some investors to tiptoe away from Wall Street in search of bargains in Europe and the developing world

–          While the S&P 500 has bounded from one all-time high to the next, and is now up 9% this year, international stocks remain in the doldrums

–          On book value, the S&P 500 now trades at a historic two-times premium versus the rest of the world, and on a price/earnings ratio, the US equity benchmark trades around a record premium to the MSCI World once the US is excluded

–          US consumer confidence is at a 17-year high, manufacturing activity rose to the highest level in 14 years in August and the economy grew at an annualized pace of 4% last quarter

–          …consumer confidence in the Eurozone tumbled to its lowest level in more than a year in September, and economic growth in emerging markets is near a seven-month low…

 

Answer: (1) They greet the world with a smile on their face; (2) They ask questions; (3) They are consistent; (4) They put the phone away; (5) They keep an open mind and don’t pass judgement; (6) They are authentic; (7) They are kind and generous; (8) They’re accountable for their mistakes; (9) They send thank you notes