Bank Failures Shine Light on Interest Rate Risks

Bank Failures Shine Light on Interest Rate Risks Financial markets reacted turbulently to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on March 10, 2023, followed two days later by the failure of Signature Bank of New York. With $209 billion in assets and $175 billion in deposits, SVB was the nation’s 16th largest bank and […]
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The Apollo 13 Problem

The Apollo 13 Problem In Jim Lovell’s book, Apollo 13, he describes one of the final hurdles the crew faced as they attempted to return their crippled spacecraft to earth. The crew had to approach Earth’s atmosphere at an angle no shallower than 5.3 degrees, and no steeper than 7.7 degrees. If re-entry was shallower […]
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The Red Zone

The Red Zone For those that are not football fans, the red zone is the area inside the 20 yard line, where the team is close to scoring a touchdown. When the red zone is reached, the defense is defending a much smaller area on the field, which presents a greater challenge for the offense. […]
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Is the Yield Curve Signaling a Recession?

Is the Yield Curve Signaling a Recession? Long-term bonds generally provide higher yields than short-term bonds, because investors demand higher returns to compensate for the risk of lending money over a longer period.  Occasionally, however, this relationship flips, and investors are willing to accept lower yields in return for the relative safety of longer-term bonds. […]
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Bit by Bit

Bit by Bit Our past comments about Bitcoin have centered on the theme that crypto is not ready for prime time. While we may have looked a little naïve as bitcoin shot up to almost $70,000, we look a bit more prescient now. FTX, a leading crypto exchange, has filed for bankruptcy, and the collateral […]
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Coasting (Further) Down the Mountain | November 5, 2022

Coasting (Further) Down the Mountain The intention this week was to let the market know what it essentially already knew – that this would be the last 0.75% rate increase and that the Fed would begin to slow rate increases. Wednesday’s FOMC Statement was perceived as dovish and immediately sent stocks higher. The presser had […]
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