I woke up Monday morning to find a bit of a debate on my Twitter feed over assessments of my ability (or lack thereof) to pontificate on trends in the energy sector. Specifically, Art Berman -- @aeberman12 -- noted: “I told...
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The Decivilization of Venezuela Of late, Venezuela has had a wretched time of things. As a rule I attempt to be judgement-free when it comes to evaluating governing systems. For the most part, governments—like economies and...
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Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Since its introduction in 1974, the Individual Retirement Account (IRA), has been a powerful vehicle for long-term savers. The IRA has undergone a number of changes and iterations over the years, but the basic concept remained...
Read MoreThe Week on Wall Street Stocks lost a little ground as February gave way to March. While domestic and overseas political developments made headlines, the market stayed relatively calm: from Monday's open through Friday's close, the...
Read MoreThe Week on Wall Street Stocks rallied last week as optimism about a potential U.S.-China trade deal grew. The S&P 500 advanced 0.80% during the 4-day trading week to 2,792.67. The Nasdaq Composite improved 0.86% to 7,527.54, and the...
Read MoreThe Week on Wall Street Stocks ended a good week on a high note, as hints of progress in U.S.-China trade talks encouraged investors. When the closing bell rang Friday, the S&P 500 settled at 2,775.60, after rising 2.50% in five days....
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Geopolitics has two speeds. The first is glacial. The sort of huge, multi-generational trends that I spend most of my time studying and charting don’t shift easily or quickly. Whether the issue is pushing an army over a mountain...
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Fire in Venezuela, Part I of II So…there might have just been a military coup in Venezuela. Not hard to see the justification. The economic policies of the now-deceased Hugo Chavez largely destroyed what used to be the...
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It is always dangerous writing about unfolding events. With that in mind, Part I is just about where we are now. Part II is about the future. Assuming for the moment that Nicholas Maduro has indeed fallen from power and his regime is...
Read MoreAfter months of volatility, markets relaxed a bit last week. For the first time since October, the S&P 500 went 5 days without a 1% gain or loss.[1] The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, also fell to lower than 20 - in December, it...
Read MoreU.S. markets experienced more wild sessions last week before ending in positive territory as the recent turbulence continued. In fact, we are currently in the middle of some of the most volatile market performance in more than eight...
Read MoreThe close of the year provides an opportunity for investors to step back and consider the wider financial landscape. This week, we're reviewing some key issues that defined 2018, as well as some factors that may influence financial...
Read MoreLast week, domestic markets had some of their worst performance in 10 years.[1] The S&P 500 lost 7.05%, the Dow declined 6.87%, and the NASDAQ dropped 8.36%. All three indexes have now lost at least 8% in 2018.[2] On Friday, December...
Read MoreLast week brought more volatility to the markets. While domestic indexes had some rallies as positive trade news emerged earlier in the week, by Friday, December 14, they had erased any gains. The last time major U.S. indexes ended in...
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So here’s where I get a bit nervous. One of the great truths in geopolitics between 1950 and 2015 is that American domestic politics barely mattered at all. Support for the global Order was strongly bipartisan and it was...
Read MoreOne of the keys to successful investing over the long term is the ability to determine what headlines are important to the markets and investment portfolios, and which are just market “noise.” The 3rd quarter of 2017...
Read MoreMarkets remained volatile in the second quarter of 2018, as a series of political and geopolitical events caused temporary pullbacks in stocks. But in contrast to the first quarter, U.S. economic growth and corporate earnings reminded...
Read MoreLong-absent volatility returned to the markets in the beginning of this year. Multiple macroeconomic surprises erased January’s strong gains in US stocks and caused the S&P 500 to finish the quarter with a small loss. If...
Read MoreThe 4th quarter of 2017 was one of the best quarters for stocks in years, as broad gains were driven by anticipation and passage of the Tax Cut and Reform Bill, acceleration in economic activity, and rising corporate earnings. Looking...
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