In market and general news media, the last month has, not surprisingly been dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with a couple of side notes about the long-term economic effect of increasing Western sanctions on Russia that helped spike oil and energy prices, and rising inflation. This month also saw the Federal Reserve raise its […]
Read MoreThe last two years have seen a lot of different storylines emerge. COVID is still very much a thing, and isn’t likely to go away soon; the question at this stage is when we’ll be able to say that we have moved from “pandemic” conditions to “endemic” – where a virus or disease is regularly […]
Read MoreTraditional, growth-oriented investing puts most of its emphasis on stocks that have already started moving up. That makes sense when you consider the popular technical idiom that a “stock tends to follow the direction of its next longer trend.” That means that when you can clearly see a stock going up, it should continue to […]
Read More(Bloomberg) — Clorox Co. shares fell by the most since 2000, erasing their pandemic-era gains, after the company said it would take “several years” to rebuild margins that have been hammered by higher costs. The maker of disinfectant wipes and cleaning products expects a steeper drop in gross margins this fiscal year, which ends in […]
Read More(Bloomberg) — U.S. inflation-adjusted consumer spending fell last month by the most since February, suggesting that Americans tempered their outlays amid the latest Covid-19 wave and the fastest inflation in nearly 40 years. Purchases of goods and services, adjusted for changes in prices, decreased 1% from November, the Commerce Department said Friday. The personal consumption […]
Read MoreUncertainty in the financial markets, and in the economy is usually considered a bad thing, because it makes things more difficult and stressful for everybody. Fear about inflation, the likelihood of rising interest rates, and the continued impact of a pandemic that is now extending into its third year has taken a toll on the […]
Read MoreWhen you look at the past two years of market activity and commentary, it shouldn’t be too surprising to see that stocks in the Health Care sector have drawn a lot of attention from investors and analysts. That includes stocks in the Pharmacy/Drugstore industry; these are names, like Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and CVS Corporation […]
Read MoreMoving into a new year includes things like New Year’s resolutions, plans for vacations or weekend getaways, and if you live in a cold-weather area of the U.S. as I do, a little bit of longing for warmer climes where you can sit in the sun with family and friends, put some meat on the […]
Read MoreThe advent of a new year brings with it the prospect of new challenges and new opportunities to embrace. Whether you are the type to set New Year’s resolutions or not, for most of us turning the calendar from one year to the next usually includes some thought about what’s happened and what’s coming up. […]
Read MoreCoca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (COKE) Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes nonalcoholic beverages primarily products of The Coca-Cola Company in the United States. The company offers sparkling beverages, such as carbonated beverages; and still beverages, including energy products, as well as noncarbonated beverages comprising bottled water, tea, ready to drink coffee, […]
Read MoreWithin the scope of long-term investing, there are two primary methods most investors use: investing for growth, or looking for value. I write a lot in this space about value-oriented investing, because more than two decades of study and hard experience have taught me that it is the investing method that suits me best. It […]
Read MoreAs a conservative-minded, value and fundamental-driven investor, my natural tendency is to shy away from stocks that market experts and popular market media analysts tend to talk to the most about. That means that my investments rarely look very sexy – but I’m far more interested in being able to keep my money working for […]
Read MoreIn 2022, Americans are going to be dipping into their savings as pandemic-related support from Congress and the Federal Reserve recedes. As of November, workers were putting away less money from their wages into savings compared to what they were saving pre-pandemic. This spells the end of the higher levels of saving seen during the […]
Read MoreOne of the fairly consistent themes of 2021 has been the impact of the global pandemic on different pockets of the economy. While everybody is anxious to look past the days of social isolation, quarantine and shelter-in-place requirements at the early stages of the crisis, and talk about seeing life get “back to normal,” the […]
Read More(Bloomberg) — U.S. consumer spending, adjusted for inflation, stagnated in November as the fastest price gains in nearly four decades eroded purchasing power. Purchases of goods and services, after adjusting for higher prices, were little changed following a 0.7% gain in October, Commerce Department figures showed Thursday. Unadjusted for inflation, so-called nominal spending rose 0.6%, […]
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