Great Recession?  What Great Recession? After flatlining for five years, restaurant and bar sales hit new all-time highs earlier this month (see chart).  It would seem that the scrimping and ramen noodle eating that became so common after the 2008 meltdown is now a distant memory. Well, sort of.  There are a couple things to...Read More

Over the past 10 days, a period where the S&P 500 has traded sideways, REITs and MLPs are down 8% and 6%, respectively, as measured by the Vanguard REIT ETF ($VNQ) and the JP Morgan Alerian MLP ETN ($AMJ). Individual REITs and MLPs got hit harder.  The popular Realty Income ($O) and Martin Midstream ($MMLP)...Read More