@theMarket: Markets Head Toward New Highs in FebruaryBy Bill Schmick,
12:22PM / Saturday, January 25, 2025 | |
As we step into the new year, stocks have soared in celebration as Donald Trump took the reins of office. This transition of power has brought a wave of optimism, which can continue, although a mild bout of profit-taking in the near term should be expected.
A flurry of Day One executive orders kept the markets busy parsing the meaning of this one or that one. However, the enthusiasm had more to do with what President Trump did not do than what he did. The greatest fear of investors was that the president would levy 10 percent tariffs across the board on all nations. Some nations, such as China, Mexico, and Canada, were expected to get hit by even higher duties on Day One. 0 Comments
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The Retired Investor: Food Prices Are Climbing AgainBy Bill Schmick,
04:19PM / Friday, January 24, 2025 | |
Eggs, fruit, vegetables, chocolate, cereal, and all kinds of protein — wherever you look — prices are rising faster at grocery stores than anyone may have imagined. The bad news is that consumers can expect this trend to continue.
Food prices jumped by 1.8 percent year-over-year at the close of 2024. That was the fastest increase in over a year, according to the Labor Department. In the last two months of the year, grocery prices climbed by 0.4 percent in November and 0.3 percent in December. Expectations are that January will see another rise.
Most voters will immediately point to corporate greed, grocery gauging, or as a last resort, the 0 Comments
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@theMarket: Markets Await the InaugurationBy Bill Schmick,
02:16PM / Friday, January 17, 2025 | |
"Day One" arrives on Monday and investors are waiting with bated breath to hear what and how the new administration will handle the myriad problems that beset the nation. No one knows how that day will go, and the stock market reflects that.
Stocks are up since the beginning of the year but not by much. Granted the total gains for the first five days of January were positive and that is a good sign for those who take stock in those kinds of portents. Normally if the S&P 500 Index finishes with gains by the close of the fifth day of the year (and it did), the "rule of the first five days" says a gain for the entire year is likely.
Over 0 Comments
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The Retired Investor: Economic Growth Versus Government EfficiencyBy Bill Schmick,
04:13PM / Thursday, January 16, 2025 | |
We grew up with tales of $500 toilet seats and bridges to nowhere when describing the abuses of government spending. In a few days, Americans will get our first taste of what it will mean to make our government efficient once again.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is not an official government department. That would require an act of Congress. Since members of that august body have been the major contributors to decades of inefficient use of government funds, it probably was a good idea to bypass a vote on making DOGE "official."
Instead, it will operate as an advisory body, run by two of President-elect Trump's closest allies 0 Comments
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@theMarket: Markets Falter to Start the Yearby Bill Schmick,
02:09PM / Friday, January 03, 2025 | |
After several days of profit-taking, stocks tried to stage a recovery in the first two days of the new year with varying success. Traders are cautious and fear that there may be more downside to come.
While Santa made at best a brief appearance this year as far as the expected rally was concerned, the damage was not all that great. The S&P 500 Index suffered a loss of less than 3 percent from its all-time high while NASDAQ was hit harder.
The dollar and bond yields continued to climb as foreign currencies fell against the dollar in preparation for the incoming administration's expected new tariff regime. Most overseas markets vastly underperformed 0 Comments
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