Displaying items by tag: regulations

(Washington)

It may seem very far out right now, but the 2020 election is looking like it could be a very bad outcome for markets. Democrats are still leading in the polls, which is bad news because pretty much every candidate (perhaps with the exception of Biden) looks like they would be quite bearish for markets. Between higher taxes, more regulations, and government run healthcare, the outlook for markets from most of the leading candidates appears bleak.

FINSUM: When you take even a casual glance at how this election is shaping up, things look rough. You have the most leftist Democratic candidates in memory, and they are leading the polls. We think the polls are off and Trump still has better odds, but there is undoubtedly a very large risk.

(San Francisco)

A year ago you were a considered a maniac if you didn’t have your portfolio loaded with FAANGs and other tech stocks. What a difference a year makes! Tech stocks are now largely out of favor after a rough year that has underperformed the S&P. There are a lot of fears of regulatory scrutiny and slowing financial performance. The tide has turned so much against the stocks that it is fair to call them a contrarian bet.

FINSUM: It sounds quite ridiculous to call some of the world’s most popular stocks over the last few years “contrarian”, but it seems true at this point. It appears it might be a good time to buy, though regulatory fears may prove legitimate.

(San Francisco)

Investors probably won’t see it coming, but big losses are likely on the way for FANG stocks. The bank says that the group of companies is about to be “smacked down” by regulators. Savita Subramanian, Head of US equity strategy at BAML, says that the risk for investors is heavily skewed to the downside. “These companies are about to be smacked down from a regulatory perspective … Look at the fact that Mark Zuckerberg was testifying before Congress a year ago. That’s exactly what all the financial CEOs were doing 10 years ago”. Subramanian likens the coming losses to what happened to financial stocks in 2008-2009.

FINSUM: We doubt any forthcoming losses will be Financial Crisis-like but the regulatory risk is surely a big one. Will new regulations be related to anti-trust or data protection? Or both?

(San Francisco)

The market has periodically started to worry about the regulation of the tech industry. For a while that felt a bit premature, but given recent events, it is starting to feel more real. For instance, the FTC has just begun a marathon of hearings, which will run through November, into the state of competition and consumer protection in the digital economy. The hearings are about more than tech though, as they are fundamentally about inequality and worker’s rights across the whole of the economy. The head of the FTC said “In my view, basing antitrust policy and enforcement decisions on an ideological viewpoint (from either the left or the right) is a mistake”.

FINSUM: These hearings seem like the first stage of what might prove to be big changes for anti-trust policy in the US. If changes do happen, we believe they will be much more far-reaching than just for tech.

(Washington)

Top tech industry executives have spent their week speaking with the Senate and answering tough questions about their data security, fake news, and political content. Many fear it is a preamble to a big regulatory crackdown on the sector by the Senate. Well, that has not occurred yet, but in a worrying development US attorney general Sessions has announced that his department is looking into the tech sector in regards to competition and free speech issues. Sessions said he would be meeting with state attorney generals to discuss a “growing concern” that tech companies “may be hurting competition and intentionally stifling the free exchange of ideas”.

FINSUM: This might be the beginning of a major regulatory move against the sector. We think the market will start handicapping the odds of a big crackdown as more news comes out.