Know What's Happening in American Stocks
Know What's Happening in American Stocks
S&P 500 jumps 3% for strongest weekly gain in five months as oil eases and Trump signals Iran talks
The S&P 500 surged 3% on Tuesday, delivering its best weekly performance since November and ending a five‑week decline. The rally was sparked by President Donald Trump’s comments on a possible US‑Iran cease‑fire and a temporary dip in oil prices. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF remains 7% below its January peak, while AMD posted a 2.5% monthly gain.
Big Oil’s XLE ETF has surged 19.1% year‑to‑date, outpacing the clean‑energy ICLN’s 13.2% gain. The rally follows the Trump administration’s move to ease sanctions on Venezuela, a country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves. While the prospect of tapping Venezuela’s heavy crude excites investors, the nation’s crumbling infrastructure and unresolved legal liabilities keep the opportunity speculative. Analysts caution that the recent price lift may be a short‑term bump rather than a lasting reversal of the 2025 clean‑energy bias.
Flight to value was unmistakable last week in factors; S&P 500 Pure Value +4.0%, while S&P 500 Growth slumped 2.1%; yield-seeking behavior also dominant theme, with S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats and Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend index +3.5% and +3.3% respectively; Momentum (powerful driver in past several...
Total eruption in the 10-day volatility of $MSTZ (-2x Strategy).. 477% may be an all time ETF record (I added $SPY for perspective), it's higher than $QBTX which got to 433% at one point. Crazy high vol is like degen...
The author revisits his "Buy right and sit tight" philosophy after confronting overvaluation in two holdings—Walmart (WMT) and senior‑housing REIT Welltower (WELL). While Walmart’s stock surged to a 50x forward P/E, the author sold too early, missing upside, yet still...
$DIA leading all flows on Friday as the Dow Jones hits ATH and is running laps around SPX this year. This index is equiv of a rotary phone, price-weighted, invented when Grover Cleveland was POTUS, but it could be...
Americans expect the stock market (50%) and economy (49%) to improve over the next six months but predict higher inflation (62%) and unemployment (50%) @Gallup https://t.co/n8pQ2GIAHd
The U.S. Census Bureau, long criticized for data gaps, is now thrust into the national spotlight as Congress debates a 15% budget cut for FY2027. Lawmakers argue the agency’s methodology has become politicized, citing recent appointments that could sway demographic...
HSBC's Kettner: "Last week's rotation and unwinding of popular trades is unlikely to trigger a broad selloff – we stay constructive" DB's Reid on how this feels like 2000, when "an enormous rotation after the tech bubble burst" was enough to...
We are adding Salesforce and ServiceNow to the IVES AI 30 list after taking them off in early December with this software Armageddon sell-off the last few weeks assuming software/tech behemoths like Salesforce and ServiceNow are structurally broken…and we strongly...
In this episode, Edward Corona dissects Molina Healthcare’s disastrous earnings report, highlighting a stark mismatch between projected rates and actual costs that caused the stock to plunge over 25% in a single day. He breaks down the underlying financial math,...
The episode reviews a dramatic market swing after a tough week for tech, highlighting the Dow’s historic breach of 50,000 points and a rapid rebound in chip stocks as investors shift from AI‑related anxiety to value‑focused buying. Analysts explain that...
President Donald Trump nominated former Fed governor Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as chair in May. Warsh, praised for his professional pedigree and youthful appearance, is expected to secure a smooth Senate confirmation once the president ends his criticism...
Used‑vehicle auction prices surged 2.4% in January, outpacing the typical 0.4% seasonal gain, as Manheim reports stronger retail demand and tighter wholesale supply. Larger-than‑usual tax refunds, driven by new 2025 tax credits, are fueling bigger down‑payments and pushing prices higher....
The episode breaks down Bitcoin’s sudden plunge to $60,000—a 17% intraday drop and one of the ten worst crashes in its history—highlighting over $2.4 billion in leveraged liquidations and a spike in Fear & Greed indexes to levels last seen during...
Technology stocks have tumbled sharply, prompting fears of a repeat of the 2000‑2002 tech bust. Analysts argue the current landscape differs, as major hyperscalers—Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta—are slated to spend roughly $650 billion on AI infrastructure by 2026, with the...
The episode examines the sudden shift in market sentiment toward AI, moving from optimism to caution as investors question who truly benefits from the technology. It highlights emerging signs of a softer jobs market, including delayed employment data and rising...
PayPal (PYPL) is trading at a steep discount, with its stock price near $40 representing a 7.6‑times earnings multiple. The company plans a $6 billion share‑repurchase program in 2026 that could retire roughly 16% of its diluted shares, boosting earnings per...
The delayed fourth‑quarter GDP report, slated for Feb 20, is nowcast at a 2.7% annualized expansion, a slowdown from the 4.4% pace recorded in Q3 but still indicating resilience. Complementary data from the Dallas Fed’s Weekly Economic Index and recent PMI...
Investors Intelligence’s Bull/Bear Ratio climbed to 4.13, signaling an over‑bought market from a contrarian viewpoint. Despite the high sentiment, the S&P 500 broadened, with Communication Services, Consumer Staples, Energy, Industrials and Materials posting record highs. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 Value index appears...
The mid‑week market update flagged a fresh appearance of the Hindenburg Omen, a technical signal that emerges when market breadth splits and price momentum wanes. The omen indicates that a significant number of stocks are simultaneously hitting new highs and...
In a new webcast, Dr. Ed interviews Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s leading candidate for Federal Reserve chair. Warsh argues the U.S. economy is entering a productivity‑driven growth phase that requires supply‑side, low‑tax, low‑regulation policies. He rejects the Phillips Curve, labeling...
Small-cap and micro‑cap stocks have taken the lead in early 2026, with the iShares Micro‑Cap ETF (IWC) posting an 8.7% year‑to‑date gain. Small‑cap value (IJR) and core ETFs are also outperforming large‑cap value (IVE) and the broader S&P 500 (SPY),...
PayPal’s stock tumbled 20% to $41.70 after it reported a Q4 earnings miss, weak total payment volume growth, and announced a surprise CEO change, appointing HP chief Enrique Lores as its new leader effective March 1, with CFO Jamie Miller serving...
The latest Yardeni Quick Takes forecasts a robust 2026, targeting the S&P 500 at 7,700 by year‑end and 10,000 by 2030. Treasury yields are expected to hover between 4.25% and 4.75%, while gold is projected at $6,000 per ounce now and...
The episode reviews recent market volatility, noting that despite modest index moves, asset class swings were significant and the S&P 500 closed January with a gain—a historically bullish signal that correlates with strong annual performance. It highlights the energy sector’s...
In this six‑minute episode, host David Brancaccio examines President Donald Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve chair. The discussion outlines Warsh’s background as a former Fed governor and his reputation for advocating low‑interest rates and a...
In this 7‑minute episode, host David Brancaccio explores the reliability and usefulness of economic forecasting, debating whether such predictions are valuable or merely speculative. He discusses how fast‑moving news cycles can quickly render forecasts obsolete, yet argues that they still...
In this brief episode, Marketplace examines the severe winter storm that hit the Southern United States, detailing its impact on agriculture—from timber and sugar cane to crawfish and cattle. The segment highlights how freezing temperatures and ice have disrupted supply...
In this early‑year episode, the host highlights a rapid shift in the housing market from tentative optimism to policy‑driven momentum, noting that mortgage rates are a key driver. The standout financial pick for 2026, Rocket Companies (RKT), has surged nearly...
In this Morning Market Brief, Lawrence Fuller argues that geopolitical shocks—specifically the emerging US‑Greenland trade dispute and looming Supreme Court decision on emergency tariffs—are unlikely to derail the long‑term bullish market trend. He emphasizes that markets function as unbiased discount...
The episode examines the Supreme Court case questioning whether a president can fire a sitting Federal Reserve governor, focusing on President Donald Trump's attempt to remove Governor Lisa Cook. Experts discuss the legal precedent of presidential authority over other federal...
The episode examines the fallout from escalating tariff disputes between the United States and Europe, which have prompted investors to sell U.S. assets and trigger a sell‑off in global markets. It highlights Japan’s bond market stress as yields climb to...
The episode “Discounting the Chaos” examines how, despite a torrent of geopolitical turmoil—from Venezuela’s leadership shake‑up to potential conflicts involving Iran and Greenland—the stock market remains a reliable, fundamentals‑driven gauge of future economic conditions. Recent data suggest the U.S. economy...
The episode reviews Jerome Powell’s remarks that a potential criminal indictment against him must be viewed against the backdrop of broader political pressures from the administration. It also analyzes December’s U.S. jobs data, which showed a slowdown in hiring while...
