Archives by Month:

Archives by Year:

Is The Natural Rate Of Unemployment Turning Higher?

Is The Natural Rate Of Unemployment Turning Higher?

In California, the minimum wage has risen to $16.00, vs. $7.25 in Texas. Even adjusting for differences in the cost of living, the rate in California is much higher. Of course, most workers earn more than the minimum wage, but I suspect that union wages are also higher in California. For instance, consider this recent […]
PCE Price Index Up 0.3% In Feb, In Line With Expectations

PCE Price Index Up 0.3% In Feb, In Line With Expectations

Image courtesy of 123rf.com The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported a 0.3 percent increase in personal income for February, amounting to a $66.5 billion rise from the previous month. Disposable personal income (DPI) also saw a 0.2 percent increase, equating to a $50.3 billion uptick.The primary drivers of the personal income growth were increases in compensation and personal […]
Bank Of America Stock Price Target Raised Ahead Of Q1 Earnings

Bank Of America Stock Price Target Raised Ahead Of Q1 Earnings

Image Source: Pexels Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) has gained about 50% since late October but a Wells Fargo analyst is convinced it is not out of juice just yet. Bank of America stock has 16% upside Mike Mayo reiterated his “overweight” rating on the investment bank this morning and said its shares could climb […]
Spending, Income, And Inflation Data Do Not Support Fed Interest Rate Cutsz

Spending, Income, And Inflation Data Do Not Support Fed Interest Rate Cutsz

Chart from the BEA, highlights and blue captions by Mish. Personal Income and Outlays, February 2024Nothing about the BEA’s Personal Income and Outlays report for February 2024 suggests the Fed should cut interest rates at its next meeting. Personal income increased $66.5 billion (0.3 percent at a monthly rate) in February. Disposable personal income (DPI), personal income less personal […]
Poland’s CPI Below Central Bank Target As Food Price War Rages On

Poland’s CPI Below Central Bank Target As Food Price War Rages On

Image Source: Pexels  CPI inflation moderated in March to 1.9% year-on-year from 2.8% in February, falling below the central bank target of 2.5% (+/-1pp), the second consecutive decline in food prices linked to a price war among large retailers. Inflation should bounce back in the second half of 2024 on higher VAT on food and normalisation of energy prices for households.In line […]
These 2 Retail And Wholesale Stocks Could Beat Earnings: Why They Should Be On Your Radar

These 2 Retail And Wholesale Stocks Could Beat Earnings: Why They Should Be On Your Radar

Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can’t control the latter, but they can focus on a company’s earnings results every quarter.We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock […]
Cloud Stocks: Okta Recovers From Data Breach Issues

Cloud Stocks: Okta Recovers From Data Breach Issues

Image Source: Unsplash  Corporate identity management software company Okta (Nasdaq: OKTA) recently announced its quarterly results that continued to outpace market expectations. The company’s focus on profitability is paying off as it delivered record non-GAAP profitability and cash flow in the quarter.  Okta’s FinancialsRevenues for the fourth quarter grew 19% to $605 million, ahead of the […]
Where I See Pockets Of Green

Where I See Pockets Of Green

Is big tech cooling off?As a group, the “magnificent seven”—Meta, Tesla, Amazon, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet—returned 107% in 2023. That is remarkable by any measure.Now investors are growing antsy about a correction, especially in tech. That seems prudent, given the high valuations. Tesla, Amazon, and Nvidia have trailing P/Es of 41X, 62X, and 76X, […]
Three Key Ways Gold Can Enhance Your Investment Portfolio

Three Key Ways Gold Can Enhance Your Investment Portfolio

Image Source: Pixabay  Why should you have gold in your portfolio?The World Gold Council puts it this way in its recent report Gold as a Strategic Asset.  Gold has a key role as a strategic long-term investment and as a mainstay allocation in a well-diversified portfolio. Investors have been able to recognize much of gold’s value […]
Exxon Mobil Is On The Way Higher As Anticipated

Exxon Mobil Is On The Way Higher As Anticipated

We talked about Exxon Mobil (XOM) back in December of 2023 where we mentioned and highlighted strong support within an (A)-(B)-(C) irregular flat correction for wave 4. We also shared an article along with Crude oil, where we warned about a recovery into projected 80-90 zone, maybe even 100 area, as Exxon Mobil has still space […]