A full page article in the FT a few days ago claimed that "experts are struggling to explain a great puzzle of the US economy." It went on to note that since the late 1980s, new investment in the US has all but stalled. Corporate profits are at record highs, but big companies just aren't investing the money in the kind of things that will bring them future streams of profits.
To some this seems, as the article says, "profoundly odd". High profits suggest that it is easy to make money, while low interest rates mean that capital is "dirt cheap". All economic logic suggests that companies should be borrowing and investing as fast as they can. Instead, they are sitting on cash, and if they are borrowing, they are often doing it to finance stock buybacks, one of the most value destroying pieces of idiocy Wall Street has yet come up with (see my previous columns on this).
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
-
Can I inherit my partner's ISA? – little known tax break can boost your allowance by thousandsInheriting a partner’s ISA is fairly simple and comes with special advantages if you’re married or in a civil partnership – knowing what to do with it, however, isn’t always as straightforward
-
Can AI results boost Microsoft and Meta’s shares?Alphabet and Tesla’s stock saw contrasting movements after last week’s earnings. This week, Microsoft and Meta’s reports are followed by Amazon and Apple’s.
-
Beating inflation takes more luck than skill – but are we about to get lucky?Opinion The US Federal Reserve managed to beat inflation in the 1980s. But much of that was down to pure luck. Thankfully, says Merryn Somerset Webb, the Bank of England may be about to get lucky.
-
Rishi Sunak can’t fix all our problems – so why try?Opinion Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement is an attempt to plaster over problems the chancellor can’t fix. So should he even bother trying, asks Merryn Somerset Webb?
-
Young people are becoming a scarce resource – we should value them more highlyOpinion In the last two years adults have been bizarrely unkind to children and young people. That doesn’t bode well for the future, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
-
Ask for a pay rise – everyone else isOpinion As inflation bites and the labour market remains tight, many of the nation's employees are asking for a pay rise. Merryn Somerset Webb explains why you should do that too.
-
Why central banks should stick to controlling inflationOpinion The world’s central bankers are stepping out of their traditional roles and becoming much more political. That’s a mistake, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
-
How St Ives became St Tropez as the recovery drives prices sky highOpinion Merryn Somerset Webb finds herself at the epicentre of Britain’s V-shaped recovery as pent-up demand flows straight into Cornwall’s restaurants and beaches.
-
The real problem of Universal Basic Income (UBI)Merryn's Blog April employment numbers showed 75 per cent fewer people in the US returned to employment compared to expectations. Merryn Somerset-Webb explains how excessive government support is causing a shortage of labour.
-
Why an ageing population is not necessarily the disaster many people think it isOpinion We’ve got used to the idea that an ageing population is a bad thing. But that’s not necessarily true, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
