“Re-opening dependent” stocks outperform tech shares for another day–time to nibble on AAL, SIX, SHAK puts?
For yet another day shares of companies dependent on the re-opening of the U.S. economy and continued good news on job and spending gains during a time of coronavirus outperformed shares of tech companies. For example, while, as of 3:30 p.m. New York time today,...
So why was Friday’s jobs report for July so worrying?
On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy added 1.8 million jobs in July. Not a bad number, on an absolute scale. 1.8 million jobs is a lot of jobs. And the total did beat economists' expectations by about 300,000 jobs. But... The total...
Saturday Night Quarterback (on a Sunday) says, For the week ahead expect…
... chaos is guaranteed in the "negotiations" over another round of coronavirus stimulus/rescue aid. The big question is What effect this chaos will have on financial markets this week? My best estimate: Very little indeed. I expect that stock investors and traders,...
Trick or trend: Corporate leverage is soaring
Our regular (or occasional or perhaps occasionally regular) Friday series (actually running on Saturday this week) Trick or Trend looks at what might (or might not) be emerging investible trends. Exclusively on JAM. This post won't run anywhere else. Ever. What does a...
Just when we need good data, the numbers are failing us
What's the state of the labor market? On Thursday the Labor Department reported that new claims for unemployment fell, unexpectedly, for the week ended August 1 to 1.19 million. That was down by 249,000 from the week before. Initial claims remain at five times their...
Stocks test rotation again today
This is a pattern that I'm looking for in the U.S. stock market right now. (Notice, please the "a." It's not the only pattern worth watching at the moment.) The next stage in this upward trending market may not be a reversal of the general market or a further soaring...
China car sales gain for fourth straight month
Preliminary figures for July show vehicle sales in China advancing for a fourth straight month as buyers gradually return to auto showrooms. The figures are good news for China's economy as a whole, which looks to have returned to growth--very modest growth--as the...
It’s a classic sign of a credit crunch: Interest rates are low–but try getting a loan
In a classic credit crunch, banks and other lenders worried that they might have eased loan standards too much during economic good times, start to tighten lending standards because they are worried that we're in or are heading into rougher times for the economy....
Notes You Need for August 5: GOLD, WMT, AMZN, CMI, INTC, PXD, Quicken Loans IPO
In my daily trawling through the market I come upon lots of tidbits of knowledge that I think are important to investors but that don't justify a full post. I've decided to start compiling these notes here each day in a kind of running mini blog that I'm calling Notes...
ADP private payrolls report foreshadows negative government July jobs report due Friday
The ADP Research Institute report on private payrolls doesn't always track with the government's monthly jobs report, but the trends usually matches up. Which argues that Friday's July jobs report will show that the economy and the labor market took a step backward in...
Gold and silver take another step toward excess
We've been here before. With gold and silver we're at that stage in a huge rally where Wall Street analysts rush to increase their target prices in order to keep ahead of the market and where the number of posts urging investors to get in now--And here's...Download Jim’s eBook for Free
