Market Mad House

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

AMZN

Crazy StocksStocks

Target & CVS: Is It Canada All Over Again?

Target already lost a lot of customer loyalty with the data breach. If the pharmacy sale gets botched, the results could be worse, particularly if CVS provides a lower level of customer service or major snafus such as CVS not being able to process Target prescriptions result.

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Long Ideas

Beijing’s New Open Door Bodes Well for Alibaba and Other Online Retailers

Other organizations that could benefit could be Netflix, Etsy (NASDAQ: ETSY), Sears (NYSE: SHLD), Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS), Best Buy (NYSE: BB) and Walmart (NYSE: WMT). All of these retailers could get access to the $404 billion Chinese market through alliances with Alibaba and stores on Tmall. Walmart, which already has a presence in China and a working relationship with Alibaba, could be in a great position here.

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Crazy StocksStocks

Target Switches Gears in the Grocery Aisle

hat gives Target more control over pricing and promotion and increases its ability to offer special discounts or promotions to loyal customers; for example, lower prices to those who use its popular shopping apps and credit cards. This strategy has worked well for Kroger, which often undercuts Walmart Stores Inc.’s (NYSE: WMT) prices with its house brands. A similar strategy has worked well for Costco Wholesale Inc. (NASDAQ: COST), which heavily pushes its store brands.

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Market Insanity

Is Peer to Peer Lending a Bubble?

One reason why Lending Club’s business is so good could be that large numbers of Americans simply lack the money or the good credit records necessary to borrow from traditional banks.

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My Thoughts

Argentina Shows Just How Disruptive Bitcoin Could Be

It looks as if bitcoin could have a future in the real world, and that could be the most disruptive development yet. We may need to completely rethink our concept of money and our ideas of economics because of it.

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