Goodbye, 2022!

I expect I’m not the only one ready to close the book on 2022. Funny how a 20% drop for the S&P 500 leaves a bitter taste in your mouth… And I gotta say, the fact that stocks will finish in the red today, the final trading day of 2022, seems like a fitting tribute to a lost year for investors.

Growth That Matters

We all like to see the stocks we invest in move higher over time. So we seek out companies that are growing, that sell more products from one year to the next. Because companies that sell more, well, that’s the best way to make sure you’re benefiting from the rising revenue and earnings that typically lead to higher stock prices.

The Case for Amazon

So today, I’m gonna make the case for Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN). If you’ve been reading my thoughts on the end of globalization and the Second American Industrialization, then you’re aware that I do not want to own any stocks that have exposure to China (yes, that includes Apple). And I really want as little international exposure as I can manage, though I am not intractable on that point. There is some wiggle room…

Is the Bear Market Back?

The situation in the stock market seems to have taken a nasty turn. From its highs at 4,100 on Tuesday, the S&P 500 has peeled off 150, broken below both its 200-day (black line) and 50-day (purple line) moving averages…

Japan Gets Tomahawks

Globalization was never perfect. But the idea that the countries could conduct business in a mutually beneficial way and respect each other’s sovereignty seemed worthy. It seemed worthwhile to accept China’s multiple violations of fair trade in order to pursue the obvious benefits of cooperation.

The Most Important Fed Meeting

We are two days away from what could be the single-most important Fed meeting there’s been in years. If Fed Chair Powell sticks to the script and gives the market what it expects, it is likely that stock prices will make an explosive move higher.

End of Globalization

End of Globalization

Fearmongers Come Out to Play

When the economy is expanding, when more people are getting jobs and spending money, when economic data is improving and investors anticipate more revenue and higher profits for corporations, it’s a pretty good bet that the majority of stocks will be moving higher.

The Truth About Gold

The “buy gold” mantra says that as inflation rises, the dollar weakens and so gold (and really all commodity prices) rise. But that’s not what’s happening….

Interest rates and South of the Border

Fed chair Powell essentially guaranteed another 75 bp rate hike at next week’s FOMC meeting. This will take rates to 3.25%. And the belief is that 4% is the silver bullet for inflation.

Behind Inflation and Recession Woes

Wall Street has been anticipating the Federal Reserve’s announcement today. The Fed has been holding a policy meeting since yesterday to discuss what the U.S. needs to do to combat inflation without resulting in anything catastrophic for the economy and the American people.

Biden Gets Aggressive on Solar

This week the Biden administration announced that it would be taking executive actions to increase the deployment of domestic solar power.