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Spotlight Lasertec: In Search of Flawless Semiconductors March 16, 2023

By Knowledge Leaders Team in Knowledge Leaders

Based in Yokohama, Japan, Lasertec makes advanced inspection tools for semiconductor manufacturing. Using optical technology, its systems find defects too tiny to be seen by the human eye. In the semiconductor manufacturing process, defects may appear first on the photomask layer of a chip. If…

Credit Suisse’s Chickens Come Home to Roost March 15, 2023

By Austin Mann in Economy, News

The chart below demonstrates the multi-year decline in Credit Suisse’s business. Credit Suisse’s problems revealed today stem from issues the company discussed last June in a profit warning. Below is a chart of Credit Suisse’s assets under management discussed during that profit warning. According to…

Developed Asia Responds to Bank Troubles March 15, 2023

By Tom Nemechek in Economy, Markets

The fallout from the Silicon Valley Bank collapse and the continued troubles of other lenders has not been contained to the Western Hemisphere. Market implied policy rates for developed markets in Asia responded quickly and forcefully to fears of banking contagion from the US and…

CPI Confirms Fed is Close to Stopping March 14, 2023

By Brian Clark in Economy

Headline CPI came in today as expected at 0.4%, however core inflation (ex food and energy) came in slightly higher at 0.5% versus the estimated 0.4% increase. Before the Silicon Valley Bank failure and currently ongoing banking rout unfolded last week, Jerome Powell said he…

Fed Repriced Out of Action March 13, 2023

By Steven Vannelli, CFA in Economy, Markets, News

We just experienced the fastest bank run in history with the closure of Silicon Valley Bank. Apparently over 40% of the company’s deposits fled last Thursday and early Friday before closure. To put this is context, when Continental Illinois—at the time, the largest ever bank…

Spotlight GoodRx: Simple, Elegant Discounts for the Complex US Health Care System March 07, 2023

By Knowledge Leaders Team in Knowledge Leaders

GoodRx is a leading digital platform for consumer health care. It was founded on the belief that everyone deserves affordable and convenient health care in a country where prescription drug prices are not regulated, and the cost of prescriptions can differ significantly depending on the…

The US and China: The Tech Cold War Continues March 07, 2023

By Brian Clark in Markets, News

For decades since the end of the Cold War there have been very limited restrictions on foreign investments by US investors compared to those of other countries. This has allowed US investors to transact in a wide array of international investment options. Indeed, following the…

Nikkei 225: A Long-Term Technical Pattern Like No Other in the World March 06, 2023

By Steven Vannelli, CFA in Markets

The Nikkei 225 (NKY) peaked in December 1989, and in local currency, has yet to reach the previous peak. But, I look at stocks from the standpoint of a US investor, meaning any foreign asset needs to be translated into USD. Yes, one can hedge…

North America Sector Performance Since the October Low March 02, 2023

By Brian Clark in Markets

North American developed market large-mid stocks (United States and Canada) bottomed simultaneously with other developed markets on 10/12/22, recovering over 10% since then. Also since October, the Bloomberg North American Large-Mid Index has experienced a “golden cross” wherein the 50-day moving average rises above the…

Does European Equity Performance Point to End of Bear Market? March 02, 2023

By Austin Mann in Markets

Earlier this week, Steve wrote about developed market performance since the low on 10/12/22. Here, I take a deeper dive into the performance of European stocks since that date. The Bloomberg Europe DM Large-Mid Index bottomed on 9/26/22 at 854.46, and after a short blip…

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