From package delivering drones to advanced surgery machines, robots continue to play a more complex and ever-increasing role in our global economy. That much is pretty cool. However, we can’t overlook the consequences of that change. And we’re not just talking about the eventual rise of SkyNet and destruction of human race at the hands of our robot overloads. Future unemployment could be at hand. Industrial stock columnist Chris Bryant at the Financial Times has details on the rise of robots.
Reuters (Kevin Drawbaugh and Patrick Temple-West): In addition to replacing humans with robot workers, industrial firms are apparently ducking around $90 billion in taxes each year. Accounting “tricks” run rampant.
Calculated Risk via Business Insider: At least we’ll be richer when the robots destroy us. Household wealth is surging.
New York Times’ DealBook (Alexandra Stevenson): The answer to Detroit’s blight? No, not more robots. Goats. Lots of hedge fund-funded goats.
Nature.org (Staff): There can be some big bucks in certain styles of environmentalism. Restoring a single acre of sea-grass can bring about $80,000 worth of economic benefit.
Naked Capitalism (Yves Smith): The economic situation in Europe is very confusing and the mainstream media is doing you a major disservice in actually reporting the effects of deflation & austerity.
Stockhouse (Chris Vermeulen): How about paying the bank to hold your money? Dragi’s recent negative interest rate pledge has some effects on savers and stock prices.
DragonFly Capital (Greg Harmon): Check out Harmon’s Junk. Er… junk bonds via the SPDR Barclays High Yield Bond ETF (JNK). A trade and dividend opportunity could be brewing.
Pension & Investments (Rick Baert): The SEC finally grinds forward on legislation for high-frequency trading and park pools. Mom & Pa investors rejoice.
CNN (Jim Bitterman, Erin McLaughlin and Bryony Jones): The reason why you’re even around to think about investing has do with the sacrifice many brave men & women made 70 years ago. Don’t’ forget them. Also don’t forget about our current veterans, either.
