We have a normal economic calendar with a focus on housing data. Earnings season will be in full swing. The background for this news will, of course, be the stock market volatility and decline of the past week. That story will command the early-week attention, especially if aggressive selling resumes. Recent earnings seasons have buoyed […]
The market remains in a narrow trading range, near the record highs. There have been some relatively minor leadership changes. This reflects not investor complacency, but intense disagreement about how to interpret data and events. Each viewpoint has a history, a philosophy, and problem something to sell! The power to set the agenda and to […]
Despite plenty of news, there was little market reaction. In a summer week including many vacations, we have a modest economic calendar but plenty of earnings news. I expect the punditry to be asking: What will disrupt the balance of news? Opinions about the balance are quite diverse, as a recap of last week shows. […]
The economic calendar is loaded with the most important reports. The four trading days are divided by a Wednesday holiday, meaning some extra days off for most. Normally the data would dominate the discussion. But many find the current story — steady growth, improved earnings, and lack of oomph in stocks—a boring one. This week’s […]
Every investor should be interested in dividends. This article describes how a dividend strategy fits into a total return portfolio with an emphasis on retirement needs. It is the third installment of my "Yield Quest" series. My approach is a bit different from most authors emphasizing income investments. I believe that fear has created an […]