Regular readers know I like to write about what interests me most, especially in this Blog, and today is no exception. Last week, we got the results from Gallup’s annual survey ranking Americans’ confidence in some of our most important institutions – including the police, the church/religion, labor unions, public schools, TV and newspapers and… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Actively Managed ETF Launches Outpace Passive, First Time
Before we get to today’s topic, let’s take a quick look at this morning’s initial report on second quarter Gross Domestic Product. The Commerce Department reported that 2Q GDP plunged by 32.9% (annual rate). While the initial estimate of -32.9% was slightly better than the pre-report consensus of -35%, it was still the worst single… Continue Reading
Are Stocks an Accurate Predictor of Presidential Elections?
There is a long-held belief by many in the forecasting world that the direction of the US stock markets in the months leading up to presidential elections is a solid indicator of who will be the next President of the United States. The general idea is if the stock market is strong just ahead of… Continue Reading
“Algorithmic Trading” Accelerating Stock Market Losses
When the stock market turns especially volatile, algorithmic trading often gets the blame, and usually for good reason in my opinion. There is no doubt that algorithmic trading is contributing to the current historic plunge in the stock markets. So, let’s talk about it. The use of algorithmic trading is not new, but it has… Continue Reading
US Economy Slowed In 3Q, As Did Consumer Confidence
The US Commerce Department released its first estimate of 3Q Gross Domestic Product (GDP) yesterday morning. GDP is the sum of all goods and services produced in the US annually. The advance report showed 3Q GDP rose by a better than expected 1.9% (annual rate), down slightly from 2.0% in the 2Q and 3.1% in… Continue Reading