(Bloomberg) — The U.S. economy unexpectedly shrank last quarter for the first time since 2020 as the trade deficit ballooned, adding to political headaches for President Joe Biden but unlikely to sway the Federal Reserve from hiking interest rates aggressively to combat inflation. Gross domestic product fell at a 1.4% annualized rate as surging imports […]
Read More(Bloomberg) — The great bond selloff may have eased this week at long last, but a Treasury fear gauge is sending a clear message: Not since the global financial crisis have two-year Treasuries been laced with volatility risk like this. In a week marked by haven demand on Russia-Ukraine tensions and easing bets on an […]
Read More(Bloomberg) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it’s maintaining a ban on avocados from Mexico for now, adding to concern that supply of the popular fruit may run low at some restaurants and grocery stores. The USDA halted avocado imports from Michoacán, a coastal state west of Mexico City, on Feb. 11 after a […]
Read More“Uncertainty” is a good way to describe market conditions since the start of the new year. Massive spikes in COVID infections late in 2021 from the omicron variant have also given way to big increases in hospitalizations, which means that pressure on our medical system continues to strain healthcare workers and first responders to their […]
Read MoreFiguratively speaking, starting a new year generally means not only turning the page, but also closing the book on the year before. From a practical standpoint, as investors that can be a little bit difficult, because the questions that have to be answered about the past year include not only profit and loss, but also […]
Read More(Bloomberg) — The firebreak between mounting economic threats and a continuation in the global recovery: an imposing concrete and glass structure in the heart of Beijing’s financial district, elephant statues guarding the door, the Chinese flag flying above. That’s the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China which, in contrast with the U.S. Federal Reserve, […]
Read MoreMarket volatility has picked up since the beginning of the year, with all three major indices now sitting at legitimate correction levels. The good news is that this week, all three indices look like they may have started to stabilize, finding support that could provide a new basis for another rally back in the direction […]
Read MoreOne of the things that market uncertainty does to a lot of investors is to make them more hesitant about taking on new positions. I think that’s a pretty natural reaction, especially when we see the market start to reverse existing trends. Since the beginning of the year, increasing bearish sentiment has finally pushed all […]
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 MoreThe Materials sector is one of the more interesting sectors of the market, because it encompasses a pretty wide range of business types. It’s also an industry that the average consumer probably doesn’t think much about, I think primarily because as consumers we tend to be aware of just the finished goods and products that […]
Read MoreIf you listen to a lot of “talking head” market analysts on TV, when a popular, well-known stock starts to drop in price, you’ll almost always start hearing about what a great deal the stock is at that price, and how you should “buy the dip” to take advantage of the next swing upward. For […]
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