Russia’s central bank interest rate is 11%. That’s a place not<\/strong> to be — unless you enjoy watching your rubles fall inexorably, day by day in value.<\/p>\n Emerging countries are de-emerging, if I can coin a new word.<\/p>\n Overseas is cheap to travel to — for tourism, not for investing.<\/p>\n I get emails. <\/strong><\/span>Today’s favorite:<\/p>\n Buy Macys and Wal-mart. But the shoppers are choosing Kohl’s. What am I missing? From MarketWatch:<\/p>\n Macy’s (M<\/a>)\u00a0has slumped 43% this year, Wal-Mart’s (WMT<\/a>)\u00a0down 31% and even a broad play like the S&P retail ETF (XRT<\/a>) is off 7.8%.<\/p>\n But the take over at Nomura is basically: buy \u2018em.<\/p>\n The bank’s analysts that track retailers have a neutral view on the struggling sector, but they’ve offered up four stocks to buy, even though the consensus on those names is to run from them.<\/p>\n The four retailers Nomura is recommending: Amazon, Costco, Macys and Wal-mart (bot Kohl’s.)<\/p>\n Wall Street’s latest enthusiasm “bottom fishing.” Good idea if we’ve reached bottom. But many classes of stocks simply haven’t, including REITs (like NLY and AGNC) and psuedo -REITs (like LADR) and anything to do with energy, commodities or metals. Which brings us to:<\/p>\n What’s happening in iron ore: <\/strong><\/span>From Bloomberg:<\/p>\n Read the full story here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The joy of disposal. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n It may be a wonderful. But if I haven’t used or worn it in the last year, out it goes. Junking stuff is cathartic.<\/p>\n The 50 Most Beautiful Places in the world, including <\/strong><\/span>Cappadocia, Turkey:<\/p>\n Burma (now called Myanmar).<\/p>\n And Namibia, Africa<\/p>\n For the 47 more beautiful places courtesy Conde Nast Traveler, click here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n New books<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n + A bookseller conducting a market survey asked a woman – “Which book has helped you most in your life?”<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 The woman replied – “My husband’s check book!!”<\/p>\n + A prospective husband in a bookstore “Do you have a book called, ‘Husband – the Master of the House?’<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 Salesgirl: “Sir, Fiction and Comics are on the 1st floor!”<\/p>\n + Someone asked an old man: “Even after 70 years, you still call your wife Darling, Honey, Luv. What’s the secret ?<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 I forgot her name and I’m too scared to ask.<\/p>\n![\"Retailers\"](\"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Retailers.jpg\")
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