A Relentless Surge

Inflation Speeds To A 40-Year High… Price rise of 7.5% tops December’s reading as housing and used cars lead the surge. A relentless surge in U.S. inflation reached another four-decade high last month accelerating to a 7.5% annual rate as strong consumer demand collided with the pandemic-related supply-chain disruptions. The Labor Department said Thursday that … Read more

Hard-Won Gains

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose Friday, pushing major stock indexes to weekly gains after a better-than-expected January jobs report showed the economy is still growing solidly. Hirings show surprising strength. The U.S. economy added 467,000 jobs in January, the Labor Department said Friday, with wages climbing 5.7%. “We’re seeing a more resilient, more … Read more

The Whipsawed Market

After Steep Losses Monday, an upside reversal triggered the start of a market rally that, after whipsawing all week, turned the indices upward Friday. Happy news for stock market bulls, after a choppy week. As the major indices rallied, finishing one of the most tumultuous weeks in memory on a high note, and buoyed by … Read more

Inflation Bites

Stocks Post Worst Week In 2 Years…Inflation concerns; Fed rate expectations encourage investors to seek safer havens for assets. All three major U.S indices fell for a third consecutive week, continuing their slide to start 2022, (and defying Santa) with investors worried and concerned about the prospect of higher interest rates and their effect on … Read more

The Winter Sell-Off

Inflation Hits Fastest Clip since 1982… Consumer prices rise by 7% as pandemic disruptions, and consumer demand stays strong. The Labor Department said Wednesday the consumer-price-index-which measures what consumers pay for goods and services–rose 7% in December from the same month a year earlier, up from 6.8% in November. That was the fastest since June … Read more

A Bumpy First Week

Markets are off to a rough start in 2022. So much for the Santa Claus Rally; it fizzled as the ‘Ball’ dropped. The Federal Reserve released the minutes of its December meeting this past Wednesday, and what was ‘inside’ them apparently took the market by surprise. Economists point out that the Fed discussed winding down … Read more

A Lucrative Year

Stocks Score Big In A Year Marked By Wild Swings…U.S. stocks are charging toward a third consecutive year of big gains. Stock market investors had a lot to like in 2021. Even with the recent turbulence from the Omicron variant, the S&P 500 is headed toward a 27% advance in 2021. Add in the other … Read more

Santa’s Rally?

Is Santa Claus Coming To Wall Street? The so-called ‘Santa Claus Rally,’ at year-end is fast approaching. A Santa Claus rally is one where stocks climb higher in the final five trading sessions of the year and into the first two sessions of the new year. This year end-trend–identified by the authors of the Stock … Read more

Stocks Stumble

Stumbling Stocks… As the Fed speeds up the stimulus phaseout, investors’ fears nudged the indices. Stocks fell this past week on worries about interest-rate increases by major central banks, to rein in inflation, according to a plethora of economists. At the same time bond yields have been edging lower, against a backdrop of the highest … Read more

Inflation Soars

U.S. Inflation’s Relentless Rise Hits Fastest Pace In 39 Years!! U.S. inflation reached a nearly four-decade high in November as robust consumer demand out reached supply constraints. The Labor Department said the consumer-price index–which measures what consumers pay for goods and services–rose 6.8% in November from the same month a year ago. That was the … Read more