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...Read More
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...Read More
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...Read More
“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...Read More