One of the well-known Wall Street tales is that whatever happens in January is likely to be a good indication of how the rest of the year will be. In the interest of getting a better understanding of the probabilities, I studied the returns of the Standard & Poor’s 500 for the last 50 years. […]
In the wake of the unusual market performance of 2017, one can be certain that what lies ahead will not be more of the same. For one thing, the most recent 12 months was exceptional both in terms of the rate of gain and the absence of volatility. The advance of about 18% already registered […]
The current year has been most unusual from an investment perspective. Whether it’s viewed as a Goldilocks environment or a confluence of favorable factors, stock market advances, both in the U.S. and abroad, have been well above average. Even more interesting, however, is that the fact that the gains have been almost nonstop.
In the past, […]
The current year has been one of unusual calm in the investment markets. Now that we’re almost halfway through December, it has been a period of minimal market fluctuation along with well above average upward progress. The latter is largely a reflection of continuing momentum reflecting underlying advances in profits, both domestic and international. Yet, […]
As the day of decision on the future of U.S. taxes draws near, it seems appropriate to give further thought to its potential impact on business and individual taxpayers. Behind all the hoopla surrounding this legislation, the probability is that whatever benefits may be forthcoming will be more like a sugar high that ultimately gives […]
Given the rich valuation of the U.S. market, the best explanation for the current optimism being shown by investors is their expectation that the tax bills now under consideration by the House and the Senate will become law. The major beneficiary of that legislation will be corporations, which may well enjoy substantial increases in their […]
In the wake of the latest round of nationwide elections, there are early signs of discontent among the voters. The turnout was well above expectations and the results suggest a significant shift in attitude from what propelled the current administration into office. All of which adds up to an increasing probability that the latest efforts […]
One can only marvel at the nonstop advance of the leading market averages. It’s almost as if the law of stock market gravity has been repealed. Triple-digit stock price quotes abound and it seems that there must be a ban on daily retrenchments, much less a substantial correction.
The history of the Standard & Poor’s 500 […]
Although folks love to talk about their investment successes when they get together for drinks, you can bet that the conversations will never turn to times when things didn’t work out. Rewind the clock to 1999 and it seemed like there was absolutely nothing else to talk about but hot stocks. Those were the euphoric […]
FORTY WAYS TO STRETCH YOUR BUDGET
Credit cards
Pay your credit card balance in full each month. If you don’t pay your credit card balance in full each month, you will be paying steep interest rates on the balance. That interest rate could easily be 15% to 20% or more annually. Call the credit card company […]