Peter's Blog

This Firm is Among the Most Shorted Stocks on Wall Street

In 2023, an investment bank called B. Riley Financial was one of the most shorted stocks on all of Wall Street. The firm enjoyed the unique position of being one of the most profitable shorts of 2023. Now more than halfway through 2024, B. Riley remains one of the top short trades on the open […]

License to Kill: How Occupational Licensing Stifles the Economy

Imagine a world where you need government permission to braid hair, paint walls, or even arrange flowers. This isn’t a dystopian novel—it’s the reality for millions of American workers trapped by excessive occupational licensing laws.

Populist “Kamalanomics” Will Make Inflation Even Worse

Unveiling her set of “populist” economic actions for her first 100 days in office, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has promised a slew of government interventions to ease economic pain for Americans. But, like all economic interventions, they’ll make the problem even worse, cutting out the free market’s natural balancing mechanisms in favor of central […]

CRE Doom Loop: Rate Cuts Can’t Fill Office Buildings

With the expectation of an interest rate cut soon, commercial real estate stocks are up. But while lower interest rates might kick the can down the road, they can’t fill empty office buildings — so they won’t end the post-COVID CRE doom loop that could trigger a banking meltdown.

How the Russia-Ukraine War Could Go Nuclear–By Accident

A nuclear tragedy could be “dangerously close,” according to the UN’s top nuclear watchdog. 

“The Enemy Waits:” Rocket Launch Wounds U.S. Personnel in Iraq

There’s been a “dangerous escalation” in the Middle East conflict, according to U.S. officials, who are left bandaging the wounded after a rocket detonated inside an Iraqi airbase.

Flattening Yield Curve is the Calm Before the Storm

Americans are already struggling to feed their families and pay their bills, but having predicted every US recession since 1960, the flattening bond yield curve is speaking loud and clear that an “official” downturn is nearly inevitable. With bond prices on the rise as the Fed looks increasingly likely to cut rates in September, the […]

Shock Therapy: Reforming U.S. Energy

In an era of global uncertainty and volatile energy markets, the United States stands at a crossroads. Our nation’s energy policy has long been a patchwork of regulations, subsidies, and political compromises that have stifled innovation and hindered our path to true energy independence. It’s time for a bold new approach: unleashing the power of […]

Volatility Incoming: The End of the Yen Carry Trade

Earlier this year, we discussed the likelihood of the yen carry trade unwinding under the BoJ’s decision to end decades of zero-interest rate policy, or ZIRP. That unwinding now appears to be entering full swing.

Farewell, Democracy: Venezuelan Socialism Is Here to Stay

“I speak to you with the calmness of the truth,” Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo González told supporters, who had gathered outside his campaign headquarters in Caracas. “We have in our hands the tally sheets that demonstrate our categorical and mathematically irreversible victory.”