U.S. markets counting on visit from Goldilocks tomorrow
Tomorrow, Friday, June 7, brings the May jobs report. Right now economists surveyed by Bloomberg are looking for the economy to add a robust 175,000 jobs with unemployment holding steady at 3.6% (as 49-year low) and average hourly wages growing at a very positive 3.2%...
Buying this Vanguard Treasury ETF on Monday for my ETF Portfolio–and for my Jubak Picks and Volatility portfolios
Today I sold the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) out of my Perfect 5 ETF Portfolio. And today I'm replacing it in that portfolio with the Vanguard Intermediate Term Treasury ETF (VGIT). Now obviously a Treasury bond ETF isn't in the same asset class as an...
This week starts with reversal of last week’s pessimism on global growth
Remember last week when bond prices soared and yields plunged as everybody yelled "Recession" and fled to safety? Well, this week has started with a reversal of that sentiment on: A tick higher in manufacturing prospects in China. The official Manufacturing Purchasing...
The world’s bond markets stop to think about whether the rally has gone too far
It's all my fault. I go away for two days to tour colleges with my daughter, and global bond markets soar as everybody in the world decides to seek safety simultaneously. Today's pause has very little to do with my return to my desk. The rise in bond prices has been...
Good news on the debt ceiling: Government not likely to run out of money until October!
The legislation that suspended the debt ceiling limit on borrowing  by the federal government expires on March 2. The likelihood that Congress will put aside its other conflicts and extend that suspension or pass a clean increase in the debt ceiling is just about nil....
Want to hedge stocks? Step #1 buy bonds! Step #2?
Investors and traders looking to hedge against the risk that U.S. stocks will take a tumble (or worse) are rushing to buy bonds. Let week another $490 million flowed in the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT.) That brought the inflow for 2019 to date as of...
China data nudge to global growth fears
Overnight, China reported as larger than expected December trade surplus ($57.06 billion against an expected $51.53 billion) but a December year over year 7.6% drop in imports that argued for a slowdown in China's domestic economy. Economists had expected a 5%...
Markets worry about everything this morning–especially bank and energy stocks
I dare you to find something global financial markets aren't worried about. And, moreover, many of the worries are re-enforcing each other today. So, for example, we've got U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer, saying on Sunday TV the the 90 day trade truce...
Notes You Need for November 26: Argentina, Italy budget, Treasury yields, MGM, Federal Reserve minutes, Salesforce, corporate bonds, BMY, AAPL
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...
U.S. dollar continues to climb, creating downdraft for emerging markets and oil, and supporting Treasuries
The U.S. Dollar Spot Index (DXY) is up again today, climbing 0.66% to 97.053. Since the index that tracks the dollar against six other major trading currencies bottomed for 2018 back on February 15, the dollar has gained 8.72%. The bulk of those gains are even more...
U.S. Treasury borrowing to double in 2018 to $1.34 trillion.
Amazing what important financial news can get pushed off the front page these days. On Monday the drop of even more U.S. indexes into correction territory and reports that the White House was teeing up new tariffs on another $250 billion in Chinese goods pushed truly...Jim’s Stock Alerts
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