Notations On Our World (Special Edition): Goldman Sachs Speaks On The Investment Outlook

As August looms, Our team received this courtesy of the team at Goldman Sachs which we wanted to feature in light of the uncertainties before us in the Economic landscape due to Tariffs and other decisions by the Trump Administration:

Midyear Investment Outlook: Staying the Course

At the start of the year, the Goldman Sachs Investment Strategy Group (ISG) released its 2018 outlook, making the case for staying invested in the equity markets, despite an increasingly uncertain and unsteady political and geopolitical landscape. In response to subsequent spikes in market volatility and intensifying geopolitical headwinds, ISG released a midyear outlook, Taking Stock of Our 2018 Outlook: (Un)Steady as She Goes, reexamining the underlying factors driving markets. Given the steady backdrop of broad-based economic and earnings growth, robust employment and wage growth, and improving business investment, ISG reiterates the recommendation to stay fully invested, with a strategic overweight allocation to US assets. "There may well be a time when the unsteady undertow becomes too strong and overwhelms the steady factors, or when the steady factors point to a less attractive outlook," the authors said. "But halfway through 2018, we do not think that time has yet arrived. In fact, there has been improvement in many of the steady factors." Read report

Notations From the Grid (Special Month-End Edition): Brief Thoughts On Our World....

It has been quite a month in our World as we bid farewell to July and gear up for a very busy August here in our properties.    The elections in Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Mali along with the continued controversies surrounding the President of the United States has been quite a scene to be witness to.  This is as Israel passed the Nation-State Law that led to a resignation by an Arab Member of the Knesset, Israel's Parliament.     Syria, in the meantime, is also in the news as the end of the War appears to be in sight even though the war continues onward with no end in sight.   We also were witness to changes in the Media Landscape as the parent of the Sydney Morning Herald, FairFax Media was bought out for 4 Billion Dollars and Disney's buyout of 21st Century Entertainment Assets was finalized.   

As we gear up for a new month in our properties, we decided to embrace the new month with a high note about what can be possible with this "Rewind" courtesy of Al Jazeera about what can be possible--a very powerful 22 minutes as we look forward to our continued service:

Notations On Our World (Special Thursday Edition): On Our World.....

Tehran From the Vantage Point of its' largest Structure:
 Borj Milad (Milad Tower) 

Rial Collapses and Gold Increases (Courtesy Iran Farda) 

It has been an interesting week in our World as we have continued to assess the on-going realities in Iran.     The week began with comments from President Rouhani noting how The US had a chance to either come to terms with Iran or go to war--warning President Trump not to Play with a Lions Tail because it will have consequences.   This is as a question was asked by many in the Iranian Disapora captured in this headline from the LA Times' Sarah Parvini:

Iran has seen a number of Cabinet changes by the President as the Currency has collapsed and the price of Gold Coins (a harbinger of Economic Health) has began to soar as People take refuge in such resources.    The war of words has continued so far--including the Parliament Speaker calling the President a Thug and The latest that came out of the Commander of the Quds Force.    Qasem Sulemani came out and warned the United States that the Quds Force had the ability to deal with anything the United States threw at it.  This is as another of the Senior Commanders (and current Secretary of the Expediency Council), Mohsen Rezaai, reminded the US that Iran had over 50,000 US Troops in its' sights.     The attacks by the Houthis against Saudi Tankers earlier this week may well have been one indication of Iran's Sabre Rattling.

Beyond Iran, there is Syria.   It is increasingly clear that Assad has won and such a win is winning grudging acceptance by the World.    As we went to press, there was a Syrian Plane that was shut down and suicide bombers struck Government areas yet again.   This is as Russia sent a delegation to Lebanon to facilitate the return of refugees back to Syria--over 1 Million Syrians live in Lebanon that constitute almost one quarter of Lebanon's Population.   We have also been assessing the on-going election in Pakistan as Imran Khan seems to be in a pole position to form Pakistan's Next Government--we will continue to assess it an provide updates through our Media Virtual Circle over the ensuing days.

We Leave you all with some "Random Thoughts" :