Financial Markets and Economy
Buy stocks now, and leave ‘totally lost’ investors in the dust (Market Watch)
Dow futures are stuck in a holding pattern this morning, after the blue-chip gauge closed basically unchanged yesterday. So no uplift or crash from Yellen & Co.’s slightly hawkish release.
Fed caution hits dollar as Japan anticipation builds (Reuters)
The dollar took its biggest tumble in almost two months on Thursday and stocks crept to nine-month highs as cautious sounds from the U.S. Federal Reserve left the focus firmly on Japan's next round of money-printing measures.
Can the World Deal With a New Bank Crisis? (Bloomberg View)
As Europe braces for the release of its bank stress tests on Friday, the world could be on the verge of another banking crisis. The signs are obvious to all. The World Bank estimates the ratio of non-performing loans to total gross loans in 2015 reached 4.3 percent. Before the 2009 global financial crisis, they stood at 4.2 percent.
Commodity stocks are back this time — really (Market Watch)
It has been quite a run for commodity stocks in 2016.
U.S. consumer agency seeks to overhaul debt collection industry (Reuters)
The U.S. watchdog for consumer finances unveiled on Thursday a major proposal to toughen regulation of the multibillion-dollar debt collection industry, with a focus on keeping agencies from pushing people to pay debts they do not owe, informing borrowers of their rights and cutting down on calls to debtors.
Oil nears a fresh bear market: 5 things to watch (Financial Times)
Since oil prices hit a year-high above $52 a barrel in June they have slipped almost 20 per cent, leaving them on the cusp of a new bear market and heaping more pressure on oil companies and major producing countries that had hoped the worst of the rout was over.
Coal’s Lead in Commodity Rally Seen Overdone as Demand Falls (Bloomberg)
Investors in European coal, the year’s best-performing commodity, should strap in for a bumpy ride as demand for the fuel wanes.
Top Oil Market Embraces Iran Once Again as Asia Imports Jump (Bloomberg)
At the biggest oil market in the world, crude from Iran is back in vogue.
German Unemployment Falls as Companies Shrug Off Brexit Woes (Bloomberg)
German unemployment extended its decline in July, in a sign that Europe’s largest economy is showing resilience to uncertainty unleashed by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.
What to Expect From Japan’s Next One-Two Punch of Stimulus (Wall Street Journal)
Japan appears to be leaning toward a one-two punch to get the economy going. It has worked before. The question is: Can it work again?
Shell's quarterly profits sink 70 percent, below expectations (Reuters)
Royal Dutch Shell reported a more than 70 percent fall in quarterly profits on Thursday, well below analyst estimates, as weak oil and gas prices further ate into revenue.
VW Brand Was Less Profitable as Cuts Fail to Stem Crisis Fallout (Bloomberg)
Volkswagen AG’s efforts to make its biggest division more competitive fell short as the namesake VW brand’s profit margin dropped further behind those of rival European carmakers in the first half.
Samsung reports highest profit for 2 years thanks to strong Galaxy S7 sales (Tech Crunch)
Earlier this month Samsung forecast its most profitable quarter for two years, and today it delivered on that promise with its Q2 2016 results.
Apple's latest financial results have shown iPhone sales slowing down, despite the recent launch of the iPhone SE.
Politics
Democrats skewer Trump (Politico)
Democrats launched a sustained and withering attack Wednesday on Donald Trump, deploying the party’s highest-caliber stars in prime time to land their fiercest blows yet on the Republican presidential nominee.
It’s not often you see a major-party presidential candidate invite a foreign power to commit espionage on an American public official, but that’s what we witnessed today as Donald Trump explicitly encouraged Russia to hack Hillary Clinton and release her emails.
Technology
This $500 shirt changes patterns when it detects air pollutants (The Verge)
As the Internet of Things grows at a rapid rate, so does my skepticism for each additional "smart" product that makes it to market. The latest gadget of questionable necessity is a new line of smart shirts that are capable of detecting dangerous pollutants in the air. The concept is a cool fusion of tech and fashion, but I’m not sure how useful the shirts will be.
New Robot Stingray Is Part Biological — It’s Powered by Living Heart Cells (Singularity Hub)
Researchers at Harvard University have created a biohybrid stingray. No larger than the average coin, the ray contains both biological and artificial parts—rat heart cells grown on a silicon mold fitted over a 3D printed gold skeleton. And it can move. Using a technique called optogenetics, the heart cells are genetically modified to contract when they’re hit with a beam of light.
Health and Life Sciences
Antibiotic resistance: 'Snot wars' study yields new class of drugs (BBC)
A new class of antibiotics has been discovered by analysing the bacterial warfare taking place up people's noses, scientists report.
Does Dementia Diagnosis Have Silver Lining for Some? (Singularity Hub)
Is it possible that a diagnosis as devastating as dementia could have some positive effects?
Life on the Home Planet
Central California wildfire destroys 34 homes, forces 350 to evacuate (Reuters)
Firefighters scrambled on Thursday to contain a deadly wildfire that has forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents and gutted dozens of homes near the coast of central California.
