Daily Archives: January 9, 2013

Weekly Jobless Claims: 5 January 2013 Preview

Tomorrow’s weekly update on jobless claims is expected to report a modest decline from the previous estimate, according to The Capital Spectator’s average econometric forecast. New claims are projected to slip 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 367,000 for the week through January 5. That’s roughly in line with consensus forecasts via surveys of economists.

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Mediocrity Strikes Again

It’s true for stocks, it’s true for bonds—yes, it’s even true for hedge funds. As The Economist reminds, delivering market-beating performance over time relative to a conventional asset mix is tough, and the financial wizards in the land of hedge funds aren’t immune. “A simple-minded investment portfolio—60% of it in shares and the rest in sovereign bonds—has delivered returns of more than 90% over the past decade, compared with a meagre 17% after fees for hedge funds,” the magazine reports. Sound familiar?

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