Tag

harbinger

What’s Amazon Got Against Oatmeal?

100%(!) Price Hike at Whole Foods If inflation should ever rear its ugly head again, here’s a prediction about where it will first appear: no, not at the gas pump, in your cable bill, or at the pharmacy counter. More likely in the grocery aisle. Exhibit A:  Whole Foods’ just-doubled price for a cup of prepared...
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Harbingers of a Snowy Winter: Multiple Choice

Fat Squirrels and Furry Caterpillars Which of the following reliably predict an especially snowy winter: A. Fat squirrels. B. Chubby caterpillars. C. The Farmer’s Almanac. D. Switching your snow service from a flat monthly rate to a “per time” fee. Answer:  all but “C.” Lagging Indicator There actually may be some (pseudo)science behind “D.” Namely, weather patterns regress...
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Hot Neighborhood Harbinger: “The New Restaurant Test”

Housing Market Leading Indicators What are the signs that a neighborhood is about to be christened that most coveted of labels, “up-and-coming?” One of my favorite bellwethers is (good) new restaurants (dare I say “trendy?”). Such enterprises are budget-conscious, so need to find parts of town with cheaper rent. But, they need to be close enough to...
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Contrarian Indicators — Housing Market Edition

“The Death of the Housing Market?” “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” –Mark Twain It’s hard to be a student of markets without some passing familiarity with so-called contrarian indicators: those harbingers that signal that a market is at an inflection point, presenting investors with a singular opportunity. That opportunity can either be...
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