> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thejanusobserver.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# June 15, 2018
- URL: https://www.thejanusobserver.com/june-15-2018/
- Published: 2018-06-15T12:00:56.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T19:57:39.000Z
- Author: Jonathan Janus
- Tags: Uncategorized, Airbnb, Central Banks, China, Cryptocurrencies, ECB, Environment, Fund Management Fees, Hedge Funds, Hong Kong, Housing Affordability, Investment Management, Thailand, Toronto Housing Market, US Budget Deficit, US Crude Oil Production, #Migrated-1792957904788, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-10-25 19:52

# Worthy Insights / Opinion Pieces / Advice

[Economist - In investing, as in poker, following rules works best - Buttonwood 5/31](https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2018/06/02/in-investing-as-in-poker-following-rules-works-best?frsc=dg%7Ce&ref=thejanusobserver.com)

# Markets / Economy

[Economist - Central banks holdings of domestic government debt 5/31](https://www.economist.com/economic-and-financial-indicators/2018/05/31/central-banks?frsc=dg%7Ce&ref=thejanusobserver.com)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/economist_central-banks-holdings-of-domestic-government-debt_5-31-18.png)

[WSJ - ECB to End Bond-Buying Program in December as Crisis-Era Policies Wind Down - Tom Fairless and Brian Blackstone 6/14](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ecb-to-end-bond-buys-as-crisis-policies-wind-down-1528977227?mod=djemalertNEWS&ref=thejanusobserver.com)

- "The European Central Bank is closing a chapter on one controversial policy, government bond purchases, while extending the life of another: negative interest rates."
- "The central bank Thursday laid out plans to wind down its giant bond-buying program by the end of this year, but said it likely would wait 'at least through the summer of 2019' before raising its deposit rate, now at minus 0.4%."
- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_ecb-vs-fed-balance-sheet-assets-as-percentage-of-gdp_6-14-18.png)
- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_ecb-vs-fed-interest-rate-targets_6-14-18.png)
- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_eurozone-10-yr-govt-bond-yields_6-14-18.png)
- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_ecb-asset-purchases_6-14-18.png)

WSJ - Daily Shot: Deutsche Bank - US Budget Deficit Funding and % Holdings 6/14

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_daily-shot_deutsche-bank-us-budget-deficit-funding-and-holdings_6-14-18.png)

# Real Estate

WSJ - Daily Shot: Bloomberg - World's Most Expensive Housing Markets Relative to Salary 6/12

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_daily-shot_bloomberg-worlds-most-expensive-housing-markets-relative-to-salary_6-12-18.png)

WSJ - Daily Shot: Mary Meeker Internet Trends 2018 - Airbnb vs Hotel ADR 5/31

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_daily-shot_mary-meeker-internet-trends-2018-airbnb-vs-hotel-adr_5-31-18.png)

[Wolf Street - Toronoto's House Price Bubble Not Fun Anymore - Wolf Richter 6/4](https://wolfstreet.com/2018/06/04/toronto-house-price-bubble-deflates/?mod=djemDailyShot&mod=djemDailyShot&ref=thejanusobserver.com)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wolf-street_greater-toronto-home-prices_6-4-18.png)

# Energy

WSJ - Daily Shot: US Total Crude Oil Production 6/14

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_daily-shot_us-total-crude-oil-production_6-14-18.png)

# Finance

[FT - US fundraising for 'blank cheque' buyout vehicles hits record - Nicole Bullock 6/13](https://www.ft.com/content/1e1d7398-6e88-11e8-92d3-6c13e5c92914?segmentId=a7371401-027d-d8bf-8a7f-2a746e767d56&ref=thejanusobserver.com)

- "Funds have been raised at a record rate in the US this year for shell companies that offer a 'blank cheque' to sponsors to pursue takeovers, providing further evidence of the rehabilitation of a controversial tool that waned in the wake of the financial crisis."
- "The so-called special purpose acquisition companies, or spacs, have raised $4.5bn so far in 2018 — the largest amount for this type of fundraising in the period, according to Dealogic, which began recording the deals in 1995\. That followed a brisk 2017, the second strongest year on record with nearly $10bn sold."
- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/ft_us-spac-issuance_6-13-18.png)
- "The funds are placed in an interest-bearing account until a target is identified — and spac investors can get their money back if they do not approve of the acquisition. They are basically a bet that the sponsors can find a good company at a reasonable price."
- "Spacs offer investors, often hedge funds, a cash proxy with the option of the acquisition. Sponsors get a 20% stake in the acquired company, if investors approve it, for a nominal amount of money."

[WSJ - Daily Shot: BlackRock - Four big trends to drive ETF growth 5/31](https://www.blackrock.com/investing/literature/whitepaper/four-big-trends-to-drive-etf-growth-may-2018-en-us.pdf?mod=djemDailyShot&mod=djemDailyShot&ref=thejanusobserver.com)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_daily-shot_blackrock-four-big-trends-to-drive-etf-growth_5-31-18.png)

# Cryptocurrency / ICOs

WSJ - Daily Shot: Bianco Research - Cryptocurrency Market Caps as of June 11, 2018 6/14

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_daily-shot_bianco-research-cryptocurrency-market-caps-as-of-june-11-2018_6-14-18.png)

# Environment / Science

[FT - Nikkei Asian Review: Thailand falls behind in global battle with plastic waste - George Styllis 6/13](https://www.ft.com/content/628b4834-6d2a-11e8-852d-d8b934ff5ffa?segmentId=a7371401-027d-d8bf-8a7f-2a746e767d56&ref=thejanusobserver.com)

- “'Beating plastic pollution' was the theme of World Environment Day on June 5, but Thailand is falling behind Asian and European countries in the fight against plastic waste."
- "The issue has been brought into focus after a dead whale was found last month to have swallowed 80 plastic bags."
- "The whale, found in Songkhla province, served as a reminder of Thailand’s problem with plastic, and the abject failures of the government and retail industry to bring the nation’s environmental consciousness in line with the rest of the world’s."
- "Thailand is the world’s sixth biggest contributor to ocean waste, while China is the largest. Thailand generates 1.03m tons of plastic waste per year, with over 3% of that finding its way into the ocean, Tara Buakamsri, Thailand country director for Greenpeace, told the Nikkei Asian Review."
- "Of the country’s total waste, plastic accounts for 12% — higher than China’s at 11%. A survey by the government in 2017 found that, on average, Thais each use eight plastic bags per day, which equates to about 198bn per year."

# China

WSJ - Daily Shot: PIMCO - China's Contribution to Global Credit Creation 6/12

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_daily-shot_pimco-chinas-contribution-to-global-credit-creation_6-12-18.png)

WSJ - Daily Shot: Trading Economics - Hong Kong Home Ownership Rate 6/12

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_daily-shot_trading-economics-hong-kong-home-ownership-rate_6-12-18.png)