With consumer spending accounting for about two-thirds of GDP, it’s hard to ignore retailing stocks. Still, given the ups and downs of consumer tastes, sentiment and spending prowess, as well increasing competition both physical and cyber, it always seems easy for worry-warts to scorn this group. The key, here, ultimately, is to invest not simply…
One of the problems with GDP as a statistical Swiss-Army knife for economic considerations is its very methodology. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t good and sound reasons for that kind of construction and presentation, only that in making such choices some elements are left out; even important pieces. In this case, I refer to…
By some measures, we’ve got a case of equity halitosis here in the ‘States. One of those metrics is the price ratio of the Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (NYSE Arca: RSP) to the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE Arca: SPY). The former, as its moniker declares, tracks an equal-weighted version of the S&P 500 Index while…
They are going to layer their post-meeting statement with a steaming pile of if, ands & buts. It will exude an abundance of caution and a dearth of clarity. Having judged that a 25 bps pinprick is warranted, the FOMC will then plant itself firmly in front of the great flickering dashboard in the Eccles Building. There it will repose to a regimen of “watchful waiting”, scouring…
According to reports, Cindy Whitehead of Sprout Pharmaceuticals is stepping down as CEO: “I feel like I’ve seen it through to what I wanted to accomplish,” Cindy Whitehead said in an interview with Bizwomen . “It really was to prove the science, get the approval so that women could have this choice for themselves and…
The Chart of the Day belongs to Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB). I found the photomask manufacturer by using Barchart to sort the Russell 3000 Index stocks first for the highest number of new highs in the last month, then again for technical buy signals above 80%. I then used the Flpchart feature to find the chart I liked. Since the Trend Spotter signaled…
USDCHF: Having USDCHF weakened for second week in a row, it now looks to extend that weakness in the new week. The present bearishness is coming on the back of its downside pressure triggered from the 1.0319 level on Nov 30th 2015. On the downside, support lies at the 0.9750 level. A turn below here…
The University of Michigan Preliminary Consumer Sentiment for December came in at 91.8, a slight increase from the 91.3 November Final reading. Investing.com had forecast an even 92.0. Surveys of Consumers chief economist, Richard Curtin makes the following comments: While the preliminary December reading was largely unchanged from last month, consumers evaluated current economic conditions more favorably…
Abbott (ABT) is a dividend aristocrat with excellent long-term growth potential. The company maintains a diversified mix of healthcare products that are sold around the world. Many of these products are recession-resistant and will enjoy more demand as consumer wealth increases in emerging markets, where ABT generates about half of its total sales. The company’s…
Expectations of a Santa Rally went further on hold this week. Our benchmark S&P 500 plunged at the open, triggered to some extent by a savage selloff in oil (WTIC is down -14.5% month-to-date). The 500 proceeded to slide deeper into the red, hitting its -2.13% intraday low early in the final hour. The index…
