Jubak Picks

Oil falls on surprise build in U.S. inventories in spite of a shockingly small increase in production from OPEC+

Oil falls on surprise build in U.S. inventories in spite of a shockingly small increase in production from OPEC+

As of 2 p.m. New York time today, August 3, U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude was down 3.30% to $91.30 a barrel. International benchmark Brent fell 3.07% to $97.45 a barrel.

The drop was a result of Wednesday data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showing that U.S. crude and gasoline inventories unexpectedly rose last week. U.S. crude supplies were up 4.5 million barrels in the week ended July 29, while gasoline supplies rose 200,000 barrels. This comes at a time when gasoline inventories usually fall on high seasonal demand. This report was, for the day, more than enough to offset the announcement of a smaller than expected increase in oil production by OPEC+ of just 100,000 barrels a day for September.

I’m selling Chipotle Mexican Grill out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio

I’m selling Chipotle Mexican Grill out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio

In yesterday’s YouTube video I explained that a recession works by peeling the sock market onion. With each step down in the economy, more stocks report negative surprises or issue negative guidance. Investors and traders sell those stocks–Snap (SNAP) for example fell 39% in the day–and buy the shares of companies that have, for the moment, shown the ability to dodge the economic bullet. (So Alphabet (GOOG) climbs 6.47% when it reports that advertising revenue hasn’t dipped as much as the Snap results threatened. But I pointed out, each time the recession peels away a layer of the stock market onion, it leaves fewer and fewer stocks on the “safe buy” side. And if the recession gets deep enough, many of these safe buys will wind up showing the same problems as earlier hit their sector peers. So tomorrow, Friday, July 29, I’ll be selling shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio.

Walmart’s warning shrinks pool of safe stocks–Coke and McDonald’s benefit on strong earnings today

Walmart’s warning shrinks pool of safe stocks–Coke and McDonald’s benefit on strong earnings today

With Walmart (WMT) shares down 7.74% as of noon New York time today, July 26, on the company’s warning yesterday about falling revenue, the pool of safe consumer stocks continues to shrink. Which is bad if you owned Walmart or Dollar General (DG), also down today (by 1.88%.) But good (so far) if you owned Coca-Cola (KO) or McDonald’s (MCD), which on the evidence of today’s earnings report are surfing the recession in decent shape. Shares of Coca-Cola were up 1.58% and shares of McDonald’s (MCD) were up 2.51% as of noon.

Hold onto your WEAT–supply shortages loom

Hold onto your WEAT–supply shortages loom

It’s been tough going lately for investors and traders in wheat, corn, and other agricultural commodities. The Teucrium Wheat ETF (WEAT) is still up 9.07% for 2022 to date as of the close on July 15. But that’s little consolation for anyone who bought into the sector recently. WEAT is down 25.30% in the last month. And the ETF is down 29.36% since I added it to my Jubak Picks Portfolio on May 25, 2022.
My advice?

Adding Invesco Dollar Bullish Fund ETF to three portfolios

Adding Invesco Dollar Bullish Fund ETF to three portfolios

In my July 7 YouTube video: “Quick Pick UUP” I added the Invesco DB U.S. Dollar Index Bullish Fund (UUP) to my Perfect 5 ETF Portfolio. (To replace the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) in that portfolio. More on that in another post today.) Today I’m also going to add this dollar ETF to my Volatility Portfolio and to my Jubak Picks Portfolio. I’m setting a target price of $33.20 in the Jubak Picks Portfolio. You should take the fact that I’m adding a dollar position to three portfolios as an indication of how strongly I feel about a continued strong dollar.

Consumer staples outperform on Wednesday

Consumer staples outperform on Wednesday

It’s not surprising given the greater than expected decline in U.S. first quarter GDP reported on Wednesday, which followed on the slump in consumer confidence reported Tuesday, that stocks in the consumer staples sector outperformed both consumer discretionary stocks and the market in general. The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) gained 0.63% on Wednesday, June 29. By contrast the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) lost 0.08%.

Bad day for consumer stocks; good day for commodity shares

Bad day for consumer stocks; good day for commodity shares

The Conference Board’s latest reading on consumer confidence showed consumer expectations in June fell to their lowest level since 2013. The consumer confidence index for June fell to 98.7 from 103.2 in May, below expectations for a reading of 100. The report’s expectations index, which is based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income growth, the job market, and overall business conditions, fell to 66.4, its lowest reading since March 2013.

Adding Invesco Dollar Bullish Fund ETF to three portfolios

Bonus Special Report: Where to Park Your Cash

The advice is sound, very sound. Move part (at least of your portfolio to cash and sit out the worst of this bear market on the sidelines. And since you have that cash in hand, you’ll be ready to snap up bargains when the market has put in a bottom (or near the bottom, or on the way up from the bottom…or something.) But right now that’s easier said than done.

Selling Booking Holdings out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio

Selling Booking Holdings out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio

As I noted in my Saturday Night Quarterback post, consumer spending on services is looking weaker by the day and consumers seem to be trimming plans for summer travel. Bookings are slowing at airlines and hotels, for example. And it looks like the summer travel rally that I’ve been looking for is going to be a damp squib rather than a Fourth of July rocket. So I’m beginning to sell some of the stocks that I added in anticipation of that travel rally.