With the first quarter of 2018 now behind us, below is a full rundown of asset class performance during the quarter. For each ETF in the matrix, we also include its performance in March as well as since the 1/26 high for the S&P 500. As shown, the S&P 500 (SPY), Dow 30 (DIA), and…
The so-called “chicken war” of the 1960s continues to illustrate the peculiar rationality of protectionism and collective choices. It was revealed earlier this week that the U.S. government and the government of South Korea had agreed to maintain a 25 percent tariff on South Korean light trucks (pickups and vans) that was originally part of the “chicken…
Basketball did not have a lock on March Madness last month. Markets were stuck in their own purgatory after the volatile month of February. Action may have seemed calmer than in February, but there was much more angst following sharp moves up in the VIX, which we can see in the monthly charts. Let’s take…
The dollar is slightly higher against the Japanese Yen following disappointing economic data from the country. Yesterday, we received the Tankan Large Manufacturers and Non-Manufacturers Index which missed the consensus estimates. The Manufacturers Index remained unchanged at 23, a point lower than what analysts were estimating. Similarly, the Non-Manufacturers index was unchanged at 23. This…
Five out of the twelve Federal Reserve Regional Districts currently publish monthly data on regional manufacturing: Dallas, Kansas City, New York, Richmond, and Philadelphia. Regional manufacturing surveys are a measure of local economic health and are used as a representative for the larger national manufacturing health. They have been used as a signal for business uncertainty and…
February and March wrought technical damage on major US equity indices, but the path of least resistance increasingly looks up near-term. March-quarter earnings season is upon us. This is the first quarter US companies will be reporting after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was signed into law on December 22 last year….
“The Bank of Canada maintained its target overnight rate at 1 1/4%… Global growth remains solid and broad-based. In the United states, new government spending and previously-announced tax cuts are anticipated to boost growth in 2018 and 2019. However, trade policy developments are an important and growing source of uncertainty for the global and Canadian…
1 Year Left To Brexit Brexit negotiations have dominated the UK’s economic landscape over the last two years, beginning with the initial referendum in 2016 and then the triggering of exit talks last year. However, with only a year to go until the UK is set to officially depart from the EU, focus on the issue is…
Rumors are circling that Walmart (WMT) might be acquiring Humana (HUM) or, at the very least, deepening its partnership with the health insurer. I have my own thoughts on the matter. As I shared with Reuters’ Nandita Bose, “The end goal here is to get more people in their stores, get them to buy drugs and make an additional purchase while…
My Swing Trading Approach Wait and see for this market. I have some long exposure, but the market has to show that it can sustain this bounce from Friday, in order for me to add more swing-trades to the portfolio. Indicators VIX – Dramatic sell-off in the VIX pushing it back below 20 again, following a…
