Market Mad House

In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. Friedrich Nietzsche

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Beijing Transit says no to Apple Pay

It looks as if both the future of Apple Pay; and American-Chinese relations, are becoming far more complicated. One wonders if U.S. nationalists; like President Donald J. Trump (R-New York), will retaliate against Ant Financial’s Alipay digital wallet which is now widely available in the United States.

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Good StocksStocks

Apple Pay’s Fatal Weakness

Some retailers, such as Walmart and dollar store operators, might view Apple Pay as a niche product that only appeals to a small upper-income segment of the population. If you look at Apple Pay’s website, you see a multitude of high-end urban brands such as Whole Foods and Petco but a shortage of working-class retailers. Bloomingdales is present, but Kmart is nowhere to be seen.

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Long IdeasStocks

Is CurrentC Rolling Out Nationwide?

Samsung Pay, Apple Pay and Android Pay are getting even more competition. JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), one of the nation’s largest banks, has rolled out its own solution, Chase Pay, that will support Current C.

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Long IdeasStocks

American Express: Apple Pay Coming to Canada and Australia This Year

The release stated that Amex card members are “expected to be the first to use Apple Pay in Canada and Australia beginning this year.”

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Good StocksStocks

Is American Express Really a Dying Brand?

That means American Express could be a nice bargain stock at some point next year. It also means that Amex is still a really good long-term investment, even if it is no longer America’s favorite credit card.

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Good Stocks

Cisco Systems a Company with a Lot of Cash

Cisco Systems is a value investment for a very simple reason. It is an infrastructure company: one of those great businesses that you do not see but is all around you, much like the pipeline and supply chain companies that Warren Buffett owns.

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Long Ideas

Apple Pay Now Accepts the Discover Card

It looks as if you can finally make Apple Pay payments with the Discover Card. Although the media has done

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You Missed It

America’s Center of Power Shifts to Silicon Valley

If the numbers are accurate, Silicon Valley is now richer than Wall Street, which has implications for us all. The only institutions in America richer than the tech companies appear to be the big banks and the federal government.

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Long Ideas

Does Lending Club Actually Make Money?

Therefore Lending Club looks like a successful company but not a value investment. Its platform is achieving a lot of growth, but it is not making money the way PayPal is. This indicates that its business model could be flawed or at least seriously limited, so you should stay away from it for now

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