So this is volatility! Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get each day right
On Wednesday, I felt really stupid. I don't believe in this rally. I still think we're due for the bear to come roaring back. And I think the bottom in this market is still somewhere ahead. But on Wednesday April 29, I felt completely WRONG. The Standard & Poor's...
Trick or Trend: China’s coronavirus outbreak is the perfect excuse to sell for investors and traders who were sitting on the fence
Our regular (or occasional or perhaps occasionally regular) Friday series (actually running on Friday 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. I'm not going...
A year of great returns (2019) can lead to a year of stupid investing behavior (2020)–will you fall into the trap?
It's obvious when you think about it why a year with great investing returns--like the 33% total return (with dividends) on the Standard & Poor's 500 in 2019--should lead to a year of stupid investing behavior. A year of great returns exerts powerful pressure...
Saturday Night Quarterback (on a Sunday) says, For the week ahead expect…
... the dominos to keep falling from the death of Iran's Major General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and mastermind of Iran's military terrorism effort, in a U.S. drone strike. I don't see a quick big retaliatory act...
Risk and uncertainty soared on Friday–and not for the reasons you might first think
The Chinese decision on Friday of last week to retaliate to earlier U.S. tariffs by slapping a 10% duty on $75 billion in U.S. exports to China certainty ratcheted up the financial market and economic uncertainty. They took the current U.S.-China trade war to a new...
It looks like the week will start off with a test of August lows–again
The Standard & Poor's 500 has twice bounced back from big drops in August. Back in the first few days of the month, the index fell to 2,844--before bouncing back 3.3% in the next three sessions. A week later the index fell to 2,840 and then bounced back strongly....
Trump launches a new era of U.S.-China unpredictability–markets will love this
In a Twitter post today, U.S. President Donald Trump asked, “My only question is, who is our bigger enemy, Jay Powell or Chairman Xi?” It's not really surprising that Trump based the Federal Reserve chair today. Indications are that Trump was disappointed that Powell...
Low August trading volumes increase volatility, push prices to the upside
August trading volumes are really, really low. On Monday and Tuesday trading in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF, a popular vehicle for trading the stocks in the Standard & Poor's 500, averaged 52.6 million shares, about 31% lower than the average volume over the last 30...
Market struggled to find direction Thursday; I don’t expect much direction ahead of the weekend
Up 0.43% at 10:12 a.m. on Thursday, the Standard & Poor's 500 index was down by 0.28 by 11.:20 am. Then up again by 0.41% by 12:06 p.m. And down again by 0.03% at 3 p.m. The index rallied into the close, getting as high as 2854.38 at 3:53 before closing a 2847.60,...
A fine volatility this is–just kind of strange
This post should be song to the tune of "A Fine Romance." (It helps if you can dance like Fred Astaire. Or sing like Ella.) "A fine romance, with no kisses A fine romance, my friend, this is We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes But you're as cold as yesterday's...
Stocks routed on shift in trade war sentiment
You're entitled to feel whiplashed today. Just a few days ago, on May 16, stocks rallied on speculation that trade talks would resume relatively quickly and that the United States and China, rhetoric and tariff increases aside, would find a way within weeks to end...Jim’s Stock Alerts
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