Theres a new interest and urgency in infrastructure investing due to shifts in energy sources, climate change, and catching up on years of underinvestment across the globe.

Alina Osorio, president and CEO of Fiera Infrastructure, a leading investor in infrastructure based in Toronto, says that as an industry, infrastructure continues to grow due to this spending gap.

The McKinsey Global Institute has estimated that between 2016 and 2030 the investment in global infrastructure projectslike energy, telecom, transportation, and water systemsneeded just to support anticipated growth rates is about US$3.3 trillion a year.

Whats happening for one of the first times in my career is that were seeing this convergence of the supply sidethe underinvestment recognitionand more and more projects coming to the market for private capital, Osorio says.

Infrastructure spending is a key element of Democratic presidential campaigns, including US$1 trillion proposals from Michael Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg; President Trump once pledged a similar investment, though it hasnt come to pass.

Osorio says the conversation is global and that a number of developed and developing economies have attractive long-term investment opportunities. India, for example, has a five-year, US$1.5 trillion plan for infrastructure spending where private companies will make up about 25% of investments.

Investing in the U.S. Market

In the U.S. market, Osorio says energy is an attractive area in which to invest.

Were always considering that very important subsector, but we look for investments out of pure energy that really help diversify your holdings, she says, like renewables.

Fieras focus, she adds, is not your traditional energy in the sense of midstream and pipelines.

Osorios also hopeful the increasing demand for social infrastructure, such as hospitals, housing, and roads, means public-private partnership procurement models will continue to gain greater acceptance and attractiveness.

Telecom infrastructure, in particular fiber, is another area she has her eye on due to the increased need for data transmission and the deployment of 5G networks.

Because people need social assets for everyday use and due to their high correlation to an economys productivity, Osorio says they tend to be quite stable and predictable from a cash flow perspective and provide downside risk.

Infrastructure investments can even track and protect against inflation.

When you tend to put [infrastructure investments] through an asset liability study... it does spit out quite a suggested strong allocation for the asset class, she says.

Seek Unlisted Infrastructure

Osorio says its important for investors to specifically seek out alternative products that invest in pure play infrastructure, beyond traditional stock market opportunities.

For [higher net worth investors], I think it is important for them to seek access to private capital infrastructure, she says.

In some countries, these investments have been allowed and encouraged for many years.

Osorio advises this because she says private capital infrastructure investments are both close to the asset or projects and more directly managed to explicitly provide attractive returns for investors.

While she notes there are a number of utility stocks in the public markets, they tend to be large, vertically integrated companies that have a number of operations.

Unlisted infrastructure is less correlated with the public markets and provides more of the characteristics that make infrastructure allocation attractive for a diversified portfolio, she says.

Role of Regional Forces

Osorio says one of the challenges particular to infrastructure as an asset class is accounting for regional differences.

Its a very global asset class, but also important to note is that its subject to a lot of regional forces, Osorio says.

This is why she encourages diversifying not only among the asset class itself, but across different geographies to mitigate risk.

When investing in renewable energy, for instance, she says investors might hit a period where for a year or two, a resource like solar or wind power may be impacted due to climate change or weather patterns.

Regulated utilities are another challenge, she says, using the example of an unfavorable rate hearing that impacts an investments performance.

This is a fine balance which can swing in either direction, from time to time, she says, noting its a consistent challenge across all countries Fiera invests in.

By having a diversified portfolio, however, investors can offset challenges or risk in one area, with assets in other jurisdictions.

Mix Yield and Capital Appreciation

When Fiera puts portfolios together, Osorio says it looks beyond the assets and projects that constitute them at the mix of returns.

As an investor Id be seeking a balance between yield and capital appreciation, she says. Yield tends to come with stable, core investments which are probably on the lower-returning side but will give you nice cash yields.

On the flip side, she adds, Fiera invests in what they call Core Plus investments. These tend to be investments that have higher growth prospectsand therefore higher returnsbut require reinvesting the capital back into the business.

You tend to give up a little bit of yield, but then through portfolios, you can do a combination of both yield and capital appreciation, she says.

Roughly speaking, Osorio adds a good rule of thumb is targeting half of a portfolios expected returns from yield and half from capital appreciation on a blended basis.

See the article here:
Future Returns: How to Invest in Global Infrastructure - Barron's

Dear Readers,

I spent last week attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Across more than 15 separate conversations with top investors, executives, strategists, and thought leaders, a clear theme emerged. In fact, it can be boiled down to a single word: upskilling.

The concept is straightforward: as technology disrupts workplaces worldwide, companies are trying to find ways for existing employees to work in tandem with it. Many experts describe it as a solution that keeps companies from having to cut jobs.

To learn more, check out our exhaustive compilation of executive commentary on upskilling.

Another hot topic of discussion at Davos was the rise of India as the next global business superpower. We spoke to Rishi Kapoor, the co-CEO of InvestCorp, who laid out his highly compelling investment thesis around India and the specific areas he's targeting.

Other key discussions included the CEO and global markets chief at Barings telling us that they have no real fears of recession. They did, however, outline a scenario that would get their attention very quickly.

We also sat down with the ever-colorful Anthony Scaramucci, who shared his bullish thoughts on bitcoin, and explained why he's a lot more confident now that Trump will lose than he was just last week.

Going beyond our Davos musings, here's a rundown of some more recent coverage:

A real-estate investor who started buying properties with $0 down shares a little-known financing strategy that he's grown into a multi-million dollar portfolio

Gabriel Hamel, founder and CEO of Hamel Investments, started buying up real-estate investment properties using an unconventional method of financing. He says that this methodology can create a "win-win" scenario for both buyer and seller.

READ MORE HERE >>

GOLDMAN SACHS: Stocks that pay huge dividends are historically cheap. Here are the 12 poised to make the biggest payouts to investors through 2021.

David Kostin, chief US equity strategist for Goldman Sachs, says high-dividend stocks are a compelling opportunity because they're historically inexpensive compared to lower-dividend companies. In addition to being cheap relative to their expected earnings, Kostin says the stocks offer double the dividend growth.

READ MORE HERE >>

The world's most accurate economist breaks down 2 overlooked risks to markets right now and shares his top advice for investors

Christophe Barraud was recently ranked by Bloomberg as the most accurate forecaster of the US economy for an eighth straight year, and of the European economy for a fifth. He spoke with Business Insider about what he sees coming next.

READ MORE HERE >>

Other good stories from the investing realm:

The rest is here:
Investing Insider January 29: Davos themes, India investing, - Business Insider - Business Insider

(Reuters) - The worlds largest oil companies invested billions of dollars to boost crude production and their success has turned around and bit them and their shareholders.

FILE PHOTO: Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oil field in Midland, Texas U.S. August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo

Oil majors Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), Chevron Corp (CVX.N) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) all reported earnings on Thursday and Friday that showed key units significantly underperformed, particularly refining and chemicals. Investor discontent with weak returns, previously concentrated on smaller shale companies or oil services firms, has worked its way up to the majors.

In the last six months, the broad S&P 500 is up 10.4%, while Chevron shares have lost 8%, Shell is down 10%, and Exxon has lost 12%.

The worlds oil-and-gas giants have been hit by falling oil and natural gas prices, weaker margins in chemicals and refining due to sagging demand, and growing investor discontent with their response to a warming planet.

To keep investors onboard, oil majors are cutting costs and selling billions of dollars worth of assets around the world to focus on new developments and the most profitable businesses.

The global economic slowdown in recent months, amplified by the coronavirus outbreak, has further strained their income, pressuring stock performance.

This quarter is disappointing. These companies need to focus on cutting more cost, selling their most unproductive assets, and returning excess cash to shareholders, said Kevin Holt, Houston-based manager of Invescos Comstock Fund, which has about $20 billion under management. They have to do a better job.

On Friday Exxon said quarterly profit fell 5% and Chevron reported a $6.6 billion loss on a $10 billion impairment charge. On Thursday, Shell said fourth-quarter profits were cut in half, and its shares fell to near a three-year low.

Booming output in the United States and other places such as Brazil has sharply boosted world crude production in the last few years. The shale boom has pushed U.S. output alone past 13 million barrels per day, with natural gas output also at a record and poised to keep growing.

The lower profits and weaker cash generation follow years of deep cost cuts and asset sales following the 2014 oil price crash which led to a strong recovery and boards committing to boost shareholder returns.

But weak oil prices have left many companies out of pocket. Shell this week slowed the pace of share buybacks as its debt ballooned. Exxon and Chevron responded to the shale boom by laying out ambitious spending plans, and all three have run into a global chemicals glut, the effects of the U.S-China trade war, and weakening margins in fuels.

The pain has been felt most in the chemical segment, where companies have invested heavily in recent years, betting on growing Asian demand.

Shell reported a 65% drop in chemical earnings in 2019 from a year earlier, while oil product sales declined by 3%. Exxons chemicals division saw an 81% decline in earnings in 2019.

Chemicals demand in some cases is actually disappearing, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said on Thursday. Asia is the toughest because that is where the demand destruction is mostly.

(GRAPHICS: Exxon vs. Shell in 2019: here)

Shell, which sold over $30 billion of assets between 2015 and 2018 to pay for the acquisition of BG Group, aims to sell an additional $10 billion in 2019 and 2020.

Van Beurden said the Anglo-Dutch company is currently marketing around $13 billion of assets around the world.

Exxon, which is investing heavily in ramping up production in the Permian and in Guyana, has launched a $25 billion divestment program.

Reporting By Ron Bousso and Jennifer Hiller; additional reporting by Jessica Resnick Ault; editing by David Gaffen and David Gregorio

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Investing to boost crude output rewards oil majors with glut, slim profits - Reuters

The plan to open a French restaurant and bakery in the spring is only the tip of a very big iceberg when it comes to David Meuniers investments in Aiken and the surrounding area.

A former race car driver in Europe, Meunier was born in France and raised in Switzerland.

He is a polo enthusiast who has his own team, La Bourgogne, and two strings of ponies.

Meunier, 54, also flies his own helicopter.

Last year, he began buying properties here after visiting for the first time in May and then returning to take another look around in October.

I am a real estate developer, said Meunier during a recent lunch interview at The Willcox. You cant play polo all the time because some of the horses, they get injured, the players get injured and the weather is not good sometimes. And me, Im a workaholic. I cannot not do anything. I have to do something, so everywhere I go play polo, I buy property, and when Im not playing polo, I take care of the property.

Moving forward, Meunier wants to spend the spring and fall in Aiken, the winter in Florida and the summer in upstate New York because of the polo seasons schedule.

Today, I have maybe 250 properties in all, Meunier said.

And he wants to buy even more, especially in this part of South Carolina.

I really fell in love with Aiken, said Meunier, who is married and has five children. I like that its a horse town. I like the character of the buildings. I like history. I like the train that when it goes through town, you can hear the horn. And there are these little streets that have clay on them. Its lovely. It reminds me of Chantilly, which is in France.

Meunier purchased the building in Aiken for the French bakery and restaurant, which will be called La Parisienne, for $200,000. Formerly the home of such eateries as Olive Oils and Swamp Fox, it is on Chesterfield Street South.

There are not that many restaurants downtown, and we realized that there is nothing French around here, Meunier said. When I saw this little place, I immediately pictured a French bakery there.

His friends from Florida, restaurateurs Jean and Myriam Dandonneau, will run La Parisienne. They also will be Meuniers partners in the ownership of the business, but not the building.

La Parisienne will serve quiches, waffles, dessert crepes, fresh pastries, salads and sandwiches such as the croque madame and croque monsieur.

On another real estate investment front, Meunier bought 91.7 acres on Coleman Bridge Road near Wagener for $500,000 from Thomas J. Biddle and began a push to acquire other land nearby to develop a polo center.

Meunier might divide part of the property into 10-acre tracts to sell to others, and they would have access to two polo fields, a stick and ball area, and an exercise track.

If I can get enough land, I will do a third polo field, Meunier said.

To maintain those fields, he will bring Argentinas Alejandro Battro as a consultant.

He is what we call the pope of the polo fields, Meunier said. He is the best ever, and I will follow all of his recommendations.

Eventually, Meunier would like to hold a major polo event at the center.

But not until I am confident that my fields are ready and in good playing shape and I can get something properly with the VIP service, he said. What I want to do is have a $100,000, six-goal tournament with six-chukker games. And I really want to have (teams made up of) two amateurs and two pros. I dont want three pros and one amateur.

There also will be a big party.

Not a party, as in wild, Meunier said, but something with some camaraderie. I like to bring some social flare into polo. We all play and then, boom, everybody goes home. There is not enough what do you call it? mingling together, which, you know, is nice.

Also part of Meuniers real estate investment strategy for Aiken is the purchase of properties in what he describes as challenged neighborhoods.

I started looking in low-income areas, and then I started buying, he said. I think I closed on about 19 properties (to begin with) in Crosland Park, New Ellenton and Barnwell County. My goal is to have 50 rental properties here by the end of this year.

Urban revitalization is one of Meuniers specialties. Elsewhere in this country, he has renovated residences and other structures some of which have been condemned in a variety of challenged districts, including Miamis Overtown and Wynwood neighborhoods.

I have the reputation of converting an eyesore into an asset, he said. The houses, when the people move in, are houses that I would move into. I make them up to my standard, but I dont have a crazy standard. I have lunch with my groom, and then I have dinner with the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, it makes no difference to me. I am comfortable.

Unlike many landlords, Meunier welcomes Section 8 tenants, who receive government rent subsidies, to his properties.

I like to deal with them because I like to give them the opportunity for decent housing at a price they can afford, Meunier said. I like to help veterans in the VASH (HUD-VASH) program that are homeless. I deal with a lot of other agencies that help battered women and people with diseases like AIDS.

In a 2004 bizjournals.com story by Ed Duggan about Meuniers rehabilitation efforts in Miamis Overtown district, Miami Police Capt. Bernard Johnson said, David Meunier has been extremely cooperative and has brought forth safety, as well as improving life in the community.

Meunier also makes enough money with the property he upgrades to enjoy a lifestyle that includes the pursuit of an expensive equestrian sport, his helicopter, and all sorts of roadway vehicles that provide him with a mobile office and also transport for his horses and polo-related equipment.

"Once it takes me two months of rent to pay the property tax (on a house), I usually sell," Meunier said. "Sometimes I buy houses just because my guys have nothing to do because everything is up and running. We buy a house, we fix it up and we sell it. My guys keep busy all the time."

View original post here:
Meunier on the move: Real estate developer investing enthusiastically in Aiken - Aiken Standard

Bridgewater Associates, L.P. Co-Chief Investment Officer & Co-Chairman Ray Dalio recently published a post on LinkedIn explaining his early thinking on the coronavirus outbreak and pandemics in general. Dalio acknowledged that he does know much about pandemics nor does he know where it will spread or what the economic impacts will be. But in response to the coronavirus, Dalio decided to follow his usual approach by studying a bunch of pandemics and make sure that the firms portfolios are either well diversified or hedged so that there are no inadvertent big bets that we dont have a good likelihood of betting on well.

As for the spreading of this virus, as with any sort of unknown, there are 1) actual events and 2) the expectations of events that get reflected in market pricing. Generally speaking these once-in-a-lifetime big bad things initially are under-worried about and continue to progress until they become over-worried about, until the fundamentals for the reversal happen (e.g., the virus switches from accelerating to diminishing). So we want to pay attention to whats actually happening, what people believe is happening that is reflected in pricing (relative to whats likely), and what indicators that will indicate the reversal, wrote Dalio. Regarding diversification to protect us against the unknowns, the outbreak of the coronavirus and its effect on markets highlight its importance. Chinas stock market is down nearly 10% since the virus took off. Terrible, unimaginable things could happen anywhere. What we dont know is much greater than what we do know. When you dont know, the best investment strategy is to be smartly diversified across geographic locations, across asset classes, and across currencies.

During the SARS outbreak, the stock market in Hong Kong declined and reversed as the number of cases started slowing down and declined. This is likely to happen again in the case of the coronavirus outbreak.

In the past several days, the markets saw falling growth and flight-to-quality market action (equities decline). And bonds, gold, and the dollar versus the yuan rallied. This is similar to what happened to the H1N1 flu (swine flu) pandemic of 2009 and the SARS virus outbreak of 2003.

So far, Chinas response is much more transparent and decisive compared to the SARS outbreak, which affects both the statistical comparison and the rate of dealing with the problem. Because the Chinese government reported the disease faster to the WHO, it imposed quarantine and other prevention measures earlier. The WHO has praised Chinas swift response because of its beneficial effects on containment, Dalio pointed out.

View post:
Ray Dalio: How The Coronavirus Outbreak Is Affecting His Investment Strategy - Pulse 2.0

One of my great frustrations being a school board member here in Manchester is our financial inability to keep up with the overwhelming needs of our students. Although the local taxpayer has taken on much of the burden in the past few years we receive fewer and fewer dollars from the state and federal government and yet every year have more unfunded mandates handed down.

A lot of people dont realize this but about one in four Americans in this country are disabled. Most of us have family, friends, or neighbors with disabilities.

What drew me to Andrew Yang wasnt that he understood the barriers children and people with disabilities face, because he has a son with autism. It was when, on the debate stage in December, he said We need to stop confusing economic value with human value. We have to be able to say to our kids that you have intrinsic value because youre an American and youre a human being.

The Freedom Dividend will go a long way to helping families of children with disabilities. But Andrew Yang proposes to go further. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that requires schools to provide students with disabilities the services and support they need. It promises to cover 40% of all costs for children with disabilities in public schools. Yet, to date Congress has covered less than 15% of the funds they promised.

Andrew Yang would not only demand Congress live up to its pledge to provide $20 billion in funds but would expand IDEA funding by $50 billion to meet 100% of funding requirements for children with disabilities in public schools, to promote inclusion and integration. This would free up local tax dollars we currently provide to cover IDEA requirements and would be a game changer for ALL Manchester school children.

If we want to ensure all our children grow up to become adults that are integrated into our communities and workforce, then we need to give them all the tools and support they need early on. Theres no point in beating around the bush. 100% IDEA funding and providing incentives for educators in special education and training for daycares are the solutions needed.

Im with Andrew Yang its time we invest in all of our people, especially our children.

Leslie Want represents Manchesters W ard 4 on the Board of School Committee.

Visit link:
Leslie Want: Andrew Yang will invest in children - The Union Leader

By Matthew Lee The Associated Press

Posted February 2, 2020 10:19 am

-A

A+

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday pressed Kazakhstan to be wary of Chinese investment and influence, urging the Central Asian nation and others to join calls demanding an end to Chinas repression of minorities.

Bringing a message similar to the one he has delivered repeatedly to other countries, Pompeo told Kazakh officials that the attractiveness of Chinese investment comes with a cost to sovereignty and may hurt, instead of help, the countrys long-term development.

We fully support Kazakhstans freedom to choose to do business with whichever country it wants, but I am confident that countries get the best outcomes when they partner with American companies, he said. You get fair deals. You get job creation. You get transparency in contracts. You get companies that care about the environment and you get an unsurpassed commitment to quality work.

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Pompeo was expected to make the same case in Uzbekistan, where he arrived late Sunday and went immediately into a meeting with religious leaders to discuss religious freedom. He planned to meet on Monday with Uzbek officials and hold security talks with the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian nations

Pompeo began his brief visit to Kazakhstan by meeting with ethnic Kazakhs whose families have gone missing or been detained in Chinas widespread crackdown on Muslims and other ethnic and religious minorities in its western Xinjiang region.

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The protection of basic human rights defines the soul of a nation, he said, thanking Kazakhstan for taking in those fleeing persecution. The United States urges all countries to join us in pressing for immediate end to this repression. We ask simply for them to provide safe refuge and asylum for those seeking to flee China. To protect dignity, just do whats right.

Pompeo also congratulated Kazakhstan on its repatriation of Islamic State fighters from Iraq and Syria. Kazakhstan has taken back nearly 600 fighters and family members detained in areas formerly controlled by the group.

I have and will continue to commend the Kazakhstani government for its leadership in repatriating foreign terrorists fighters and their families from Iraq and Syria, he said.

I hope this commitment to justice will inspire other nations to do the same.

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Kazakhstan has come under some criticism for pressuring an activist who had campaigned for the release of ethnic Kazakhs in China. Threatened with a long prison sentence, the man signed an admission of guilt for inciting ethnic tensions.

Pompeo also urged Kazkh officials to continue reforms that would allow greater U.S. investment and said the two nations were discussion the possibility of opening direct passenger flights between the countries.

At a news conference with Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Pompeo praised Kazakhstan for its efforts to counter the spread of a new virus from China.

He said the United States is helping the country with expertise from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and providing laboratory equipment.

Kazakhstans quick action to stop the spread of the virus has been incredibly impressive, he said.

Kazakhstan is among the growing list of countries that have suspended travel links with China.

2020 The Canadian Press

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Pompeo warns Kazakhstan to be wary of Chinese investment, influence - Global News

Charter Research & Investment Group Inc. boosted its stake in Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) by 2.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 9,596 shares of the social networking companys stock after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the period. Facebook accounts for about 2.0% of Charter Research & Investment Group Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Charter Research & Investment Group Inc.s holdings in Facebook were worth $1,970,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. California Public Employees Retirement System raised its position in shares of Facebook by 32.6% in the third quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 5,218,412 shares of the social networking companys stock valued at $929,295,000 after purchasing an additional 1,284,127 shares during the period. Johanson Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Facebook by 21,147.8% in the fourth quarter. Johanson Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,219,198 shares of the social networking companys stock valued at $5,940,000 after purchasing an additional 1,213,460 shares during the period. DNB Asset Management AS raised its position in shares of Facebook by 55.4% in the fourth quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 3,163,030 shares of the social networking companys stock valued at $649,212,000 after purchasing an additional 1,127,759 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of Facebook by 52.7% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,106,221 shares of the social networking companys stock valued at $637,552,000 after purchasing an additional 1,072,494 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Facebook by 0.7% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 93,435,833 shares of the social networking companys stock valued at $16,639,053,000 after purchasing an additional 627,442 shares during the period. 63.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

In other news, VP Jennifer Newstead sold 260 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.14, for a total value of $56,196.40. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 526 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $113,689.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CRO David B. Fischer sold 11,638 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $202.00, for a total transaction of $2,350,876.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 407,258 shares of company stock valued at $78,808,199. Corporate insiders own 14.53% of the companys stock.

FB stock opened at $201.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 4.66 and a quick ratio of 4.66. Facebook, Inc. has a one year low of $145.70 and a one year high of $224.20. The stock has a market cap of $575.80 billion, a PE ratio of 31.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $211.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $195.42.

Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The social networking company reported $2.56 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.03. Facebook had a net margin of 26.15% and a return on equity of 20.59%. The business had revenue of $21.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.90 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.38 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 24.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Facebook, Inc. will post 9.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Facebook Company Profile

Facebook, Inc provides various products to connect and share through mobile devices, personal computers, and other surfaces worldwide. The company's products include Facebook that enables people to connect, share, discover, and communicate with each other on mobile devices and personal computers; Instagram, a community for sharing photos, videos, and messages; Messenger, a messaging application for people to connect with friends, family, groups, and businesses across platforms and devices; and WhatsApp, a messaging application for use by people and businesses to communicate in a private way.

Further Reading: What is a portfolio manager?

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Charter Research & Investment Group Inc. Buys 225 Shares of Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) - Slater Sentinel

Those new to crypto and with money signs in their eyes can easily be taken in by scams, and there are many, thanks to the decentralized nature of bitcoin and the lack of knowledge surrounding it for beginners. Promises of easy and incredible gains thanks to the guidance of some shadowy bitcoin expert or auto trading software abound, and the wise old rule of thumb still applies: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This article describes three of the most infamous crypto scam sites, all of which promise to automatically trade for the user.

Also Read: How To Start Using Bitcoin: Buying, Storing, and Spending Crypto

The word con-artist is shorthand for confidence artist. The way cons work is to gain the confidence of the mark, or victim, and then the rest is easy. The same holds true in the crypto space, and cons are especially easy to pull off when the victim knows little to nothing about the subject at hand.

What follows are descriptions of some of the most common con operations in bitcoin, and information on how to spot and avoid them.

The so-called Bitcoin Code is a scam operation whose website is continually changing. Like many scams, the website offers a service which is said to predict market trends and automate trading for users guaranteeing ridiculous gains such as $13,000 in exactly 24 hours.

While some may marvel at how anybody in their right mind could fall for such an outrageous claim, people knowing nothing about bitcoin often allow their lack of knowledge to woo them into thinking such things just might be possible. They also tend to imagine needing an experts guidance to buy in, or that crypto is a centralized affair like stock market brokerage. Many are too afraid of missing out.

Confirmation that Bitcoin Code is a scam is easy with a little internet sleuthing. Not only does a reverse image search of Bitcoin Code creator Steve Mckays picture show it to be a fake, but even the so-called testimonial videos on the site are phoney. The images below show a man featured in the Bitcoin Codes promo video, who turns out to be an actor from e-gig website Fiverr.

Even top Google search results still give the Bitcoin Code good reviews and maintain it is not a scam. Its important to remember that being a top search result does not mean a piece of content is reliable.

The multi-website, actor-leveraging scam that is Bitcoin Code is reported to have duped many already. The links lead to various websites all said to be the Bitcoin Code. Sometimes just to error messages. Bitcoin Code maintains you must invest any amount you desire of $250 or more. Just dont expect to ever see it again.

Bitcoin Doubler is another scam model, featured on multiple websites, such as this one. Like Bitcoin Code, doublers promise insane gains in short periods of time, preying on the naivety and financial desperation of victims.

These sites typically ask the user to enter an email and a bitcoin address, followed by a deposit. They are then instructed to wait for their big returns to arrive within mere days or hours. The returns, of course, do not arrive, and the only thing doubled is the marks financial woes.

Rounding out the list of scams sites is another autotrader scheme called Bitcoin Trader. As is common with crypto cons, urgent messages about a lack of time left to invest or get in, misappropriated images and video of famous millionaire or billionaire investors speaking highly of bitcoin, and location-customized news of the latest individual to make a killing are all present.

Another dead giveaway that this Bitcoin Trader site is a scam is that it shares the exact same promotional text as featured on the Bitcoin Code site. Both sites maintain that Like any business, you need working capital to get started, and request the same amount of $250 to begin.

So whether a suspicious site promises exclusive use of time leap technology that is ahead of the markets by 0.01 seconds, or binary trading advantages that cant be beat, remember: if it sounds too amazing, it almost always is. Binarysignalsadvise.com recently posted their own warning about Bitcoin Trader, stating:

The claims are so dumb that anyone can identify that they are false.

For those genuinely interested in crypto, its important to learn about bitcoins underlying mechanics and the basics of how it works and to vet all potential trading platforms and other crypto websites for authenticity before making even the slightest move toward investment or trading.

Bitcoin allows users and users alone to hold their own private keys so the funds are never in the hands of some obscure Steve Mckay. Its electronic cash that untrustworthy third parties cannot touch, if used properly. As far as the code underpinning the bitcoin network itself, its open source and viewable by all, and doesnt require any sort of investment to investigate.

Did you know about these scams already? What are some other common methods crypto scammers use? Let us know in the comments section below.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation, endorsement, or sponsorship of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, fair use.

Did you know you can buy and sell BCH privately using our noncustodial, peer-to-peer Local Bitcoin Cash trading platform? The local.Bitcoin.com marketplace has thousands of participants from all around the world trading BCH right now. And if you need a bitcoin wallet to securely store your coins, you can download one from us here.

Graham Smith is an American expat living in Japan, and the founder of Voluntary Japanan initiative dedicated to spreading the philosophies of unschooling, individual self-ownership, and economic freedom in the land of the rising sun.

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Don't Invest in Bitcoin Code, Bitcoin Doubler or Bitcoin Trader They Are All Scams - Bitcoin News

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney speaks to the Canadian Club of Ottawa, Monday December 9, 2019 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld ORG XMIT: ajw105

Premier Jason Kenney is off to Montreal and Washington, D.C., to push for pipelines and promote investment in Alberta.

The Monday through Sunday trip is designed to build on governments work to drive investment, expand Alberta exports and get pipelines built, said a Sunday government press release.

Albertas economic future depends on new private sector investment. Thats why I have put a priority on meeting with key investors to tell them about the tremendous opportunities that exist in Alberta, and the policies that are making us one of the most competitive places for job creation in North America. Thats what I will be doing in Montreal, the premier said in the release.

We also have critical issues at play with our largest trading partner, the United States. Thats why I will be travelling to Washington, D.C., to meet with state governors and key congressional and administration officials. I will be discussing the future of NAFTA and the construction of pipelines, like Line 3 and Keystone XL, while in the U.S. capital.

While in Montreal, Kenney is slated to speak to a roundtable of business leaders, and will meet with Canadian CEOs. He will also be available to media there to underscore how all Canadians benefit from a thriving energy sector, and why Alberta is a preferred source of energy in both environmental and social terms.

Then, during his time in Washington, the premier is scheduled to attend meetings hosted by the National Governors Association. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Quebec Premier Franois Legault and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe are also to attend. Kenneys agenda also includes holding bilateral meetings with governors of U.S. states with strong ties to the Alberta economy, and with members of the House of Representatives, the senate, and the administration.

Kenney and Moe are to deliver a joint presentation to the Wilson Centers Canada Institute. Kenney is to meet with the United States Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute, the American Enterprise Institute, and the School of Advanced International Studies.

Three political staff will accompany the premier for a total estimated cost of $32,000, says the news release.

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Kenney off to Montreal, Washington to tout pipelines, investment - Edmonton Journal