The stock market as a whole has long been considered a leading indicator of the overall economy, usually rising and falling several months before economic data confirms those directional changes. But now we are seeing an individual stock anticipating a global macroeconomic directional change, reflecting Apple’s immense size and dominance in its sector. Read More

Like a bad movie sequel, this week’s China-inspired stock market swoon may turn out to be worse than the original 2015 summer blockbuster. In August the U.S. stock market dropped more than 10% after China’s initial foray into letting its currency float in an attempt to shore up its flagging… Read More

The first trading day of 2016 brought with it a painful reminder of just how pernicious the past six months have been on the stock market’s nerves. Within two hours of opening the S&P 500 Index fell by 2.6%, pushing it below the 2,000 level for the first time since… Read More

Signs are everywhere that Americans have tired of playing the “long game” in dealing with the global financial crisis that erupted seven years ago. One way to judge how satisfied (or not) society is with the current condition is by the choices it makes. And right now, those choices are… Read More

At the end of last week the large-cap stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 Index, was within 1/10 of 1% of where it began the year. However, even though there has been very little net change in the overall stock market, there has been a lot of price… Read More

It looks like a lot of investors aren’t sure what to do these days, with the stock market gyrating widely as a result of the Fed’s interest rate hike last week. But that’s okay with us, since heightened volatility has a tendency to create buying opportunities in companies that all… Read More

A couple of weeks ago Fed Chairperson Janet Yellen said she was “looking forward” to the prospect of raising interest rates this month, since that would indicate of an improving economy. I’d like to believe she was sincere in that sentiment, but I can’t help but wonder if she was… Read More