It seems like a frivolous stock market novelty. Companies like GameStop and AMC Entertainment with their relatively small market caps and even more meager sales in the context of the overall marketplace suddenly found themselves returning to the financial news spotlight.

It has been a primary downside risk for financial markets for more than a year now. But after repeatedly coming in hotter than expected in many reports so far in 2024, the latest reading on inflation surprised the markets by coming in cooler than expected on Wednesday.

The U.S. stock market got off to a bumpy start in 2024 Q2. No sooner did the calendar flip to April and the S&P 500 descended into a pullback. Over the course of the first fifteen trading days of the new quarter, the S&P 500 retreated by nearly -6%. Knowing that stock market corrections within a broader uptrend last anywhere … Read More

A passing glance at the U.S. market might make an investor think that it’s all about technology stocks all of the time.  But the S&P 500 Index is made up of eleven sectors, all with their unique and individual forces driving their returns.

The bond market sustained its latest broadside from the U.S. hot economic data warship on Thursday. Not only did the advance reading for 2024 Q1 U.S. GDP come in weaker than expected, but inflation readings also came in hotter than expected. This “stagflationary” barrage was enough to propel Treasury yields to their highest levels in more than six months. What … Read More

The long overdue correction has finally arrived. No sooner did the market peak at 5264 on the last trading day of March than the calendar flipped to the start of the second quarter and the market has been moving sustainably to the downside. Now that the correction is underway, how low can we reasonably expect the market to go? Why … Read More

The latest reading on monthly inflation came in hot once again on Wednesday. Predictably and understandably, both stocks and bonds did not like the news. While concerns about the latest CPI report may be overdone, some broader market signals may be suggesting that the longer trend of easing inflationary pressures may be at increasing risk. Hot, hot, hot . . … Read More

When thinking about diversification, investor minds often focus on the relationship between stocks and bonds.  But a variety of other asset classes also exist.  One such category is gold. Quarter century winner. Suppose you were presented with the following question: “what between U.S. stocks and gold has been the best performing investment category over the past 25 years?”  Understandably, the … Read More