Bitcoin (BTC) Stable During S&P 500 Pullback $BTCUSD, $SPY, $DIA, $GLD Bitcoin (BTC) known for giving retail investors heart palpitations was calm over the past week, as the S&P 500 pulled back about 7% so far this month. Bitcoin was up 1% on the week, as of Friday afternoon, according to data, and stayed in […]
US Economy Expanding at 4% Growth Rate $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX Monday the latest data showed that the US economy is expanding at a 4% annualized rate in Q-3, that according to the Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GDPNow forecast model following the release of the latest data on retail sales. The GDPNow model estimate for real […]
California Joins FDA, “No CBD in Foods” Jerry Brown Signed a Bill That Prohibits the Sale of CBD Cocktails and Beverages Now AB 2914 Killed the CBD cocktail trend in California LA’s ban begins on 1 January. A position adopted by state officials in California has drawn criticism from companies selling cannabidiol (CBD) in conventional […]
The Cost of Bank Consumer Loans is Falling $JPM, $C, $WFC, $BAC, $V, $MA. $GS Readers are asking the Big Q: Why when interest rates tick up are consumer loan cost ticking down? The Big A: When interest rates tick higher, consumers carrying too much debt start to default, that is the assumption, but Americans […]
US Jobless Rate Nears 49-Year Lows, Hurricane Hurts Wages, Payrolls US job growth slowed in September, as Hurricane Florence depressed restaurant and retail payrolls, but the unemployment rate fell to near a 49-year low of 3.7 percent, pointing to a further tightening in labor market conditions. The Labor Department’s closely watched monthly employment report Friday also showed […]
US Retailers See Big Jump in Holiday Sales $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX US holiday sales in Y 2018 will increase 4.3 to 4.8% boosted by a strong economy, but will be slower than a year ago when consumer spending surged to a 12-year high, according to a forecast from a leading retail industry group. […]
Retail Investors Coming into Stock in Droves $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX US stocks delivered the best Quarterly run in almost 5 years, luring retail investors back into the longest Bull market on record just as Wall Street started flashing yellow lights. Individual investors drew down cash balances at brokerage accounts to record lows as […]
The Trump Effect: US economy Poised for Strong Growth in Q-3 US economy is expanding at a 4.4% annualized rate in Q-3, the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow forecast model showed Friday despite retail sales recording their smallest gainer in 6 months in August. Consumers cut back on purchases of motor vehicles and clothing, but upward revisions to […]
Until There are Clear and Present Regulated Guidelines Cryptocurrency will Not be a Robust, Legitimate Asset Class $BTCUSD,$CME, $Cboe There is and has been talk on The Street about financial institutions adding crypto services to their offerings, raising new funds for digital currencies, and even launching dedicated trading desks. But until institutional investors have a regulated, […]
Americans are Dining Out and Spending the Most on Record Americans spending at restaurants spiked over the past 3 months by the most on record, making it both a bright spot for the economy. Sales at food-service and drinking establishments rose 1.3% in July to $61.6-B,the US Commerce Department reported on Wednesday.That brought the 3 […]
Americans are Shopping, Retail Sales Up Sharply in July $M, $WMT, $COST, $AMZN Americans shopped at a healthy pace in July, buying more cars, clothes and appliances, evidence that confident consumers are helping drive strong economic growth. The US Commerce Department says retail sales rose at a 0.5% annual rate in July, after a 0.2% […]
US Retail Sales Strong in 2018 $M, $WMT, $COST, $USO NRF Lifts 2018 Retail Sales Forecast on Strong Job Market, Tax Reform The National Retail Federation on Monday raised its US retail sales forecast for Y 2018, citing higher wages, gains in disposable income and a strong job market that have boosted consumer spending. The […]
Atlanta Fed: “US Economy Growing at 4.5% Annualized Rate” $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX Monday, the Atlanta Fed announced that the US economy is growing at a 4.5% annualized rate in Q-2 following the latest data on strong retail-sales data, the GDPNow forecast model showed. The latest estimate on GDP growth is faster than the […]
Many US Industries Will Thrive During Trade Tensions $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX,$ VXX Several US industries are set to withstand the trade dust-up or even thrive, according to US financial services firm Cowen and Company. China’s recent revisions to tariffs have a clear benefit to luxury retailers, Cowen analysts said in its report. While the […]
US Leads the Global Economies, EU Struggling $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX NAS Comp Hits New Closing High on Strong US Economic Data The US economy is driving ahead of the rest of the world, now. May retail sales that topped forecasts Thursday, as the US racks up growth of at least 4% in the current […]
US Economy Growing at 4.8% Annual Rate The US economy is growing at a 4.8% annualized rate in Q-2, the Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GDPNow forecast model showed Thursday, following data that showed domestic retail sales grew at its strongest pace in 6 months in May. The latest estimate on gross domestic product growth was faster […]
The Future of Retail Fits in the Palm of Your Hand $FB, $AAPL, $AMZN, $M, $ETSY, $INTU, $CRM The future of retail is not e-Commerce or 1-channel or pop-up shops or geo-fenced flash sales, the future of retail is palm-sized. As social media consumerism cultivates and nurtures a growing number of cool, in your face […]
China’s Industrial Growth Tops Analysts Expectations China’s industrial output grew 7.0% in April from a year earlier, much more than expected, but fixed-asset investment growth slowed to 7.0% in the 1st 4 months, below forecasts, official data showed Tuesday. Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted industrial output growth would rise to 6.3%, bouncing back from […]
President Trump’s Tax Cuts Seen Halting a 3-Month Retail Sales Slump $SPY For sure President Trump’s tax cuts have given a boost to Americans’ take-home pay this year. The Big Q: Will the US consumer putting the extra cash toward savings and debt, or using it to go shopping? The Big A: We here a […]
Look at the US Economic Reports Going into Earnings Season $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ Economic Growth and Investment The latest industrial production report was much better than expected and positive on multiple levels. Overall production was up 1.1% while the manufacturing component was up 1.2%. Probably more importantly, the improvement in manufacturing was centered on business […]
Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Shares Hammered $AMZN Shares of Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) fell 6% Monday wiping out another $45-B in market capitalization after US President Donald Trump again attacked the online retail giant over the pricing of its deliveries through the United States Postal Service and promised unspecified changes. “Only fools, or worse, are saying that our money […]
US Retail Sales Slide for 3rd Month Running, Inflation Edges Up $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX US retail sales fell for a 3rd straight month in February as households cut back on purchases of motor vehicles and other big-ticket items. Despite signs of cooling in consumer spending, inflation pressures are building, which may allow the Fed […]
Retail Investors Pouring Money Into Managed Wealth Solutions $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Blackstone Group (NYSE:BX), the world’s largest private equity firm, plans to 2X assets under management over the next 5 years, and it wants individual investors to get the action. About 15 to 20% of Blackstone Group LP’s annual fundraising currently comes from retail […]
Retail Investors Undeterred by Volatile US Stock Market $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Financial advisers across the US say that the volatility in the US stock market has not yet curtailed the appetite by small participants to put money in the stock market. Approximately 52% of Americans own stocks either directly or through a mutual fund, […]
Blockchain, Bitcoin Ushering in a New Age in Retail Spending $BTCUSD, $SBUX, $AMZN Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) Chairman Howard Schultz has said in the past that retail was going to witness “a seismic change” in consumer behavior because of technology, most notably the Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) effect and the explosion of e-Commerce. “I think if you look at […]
US Economy, Inflation Growing at Sustainable Pace The US economy and inflation expanded at a modest-to-moderate pace from late November through the end of Y 2017, while wages continued to push higher, the Fed Wednesday. “Most districts said that wages increased at a modest pace,” the U.S. central bank said in its periodic Beige Book report […]
The Trump Bull Market Rally ‘Rages’ $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Wall Street continued The Trump Rally Friday with record closing highs as Q-4 earnings season kicked off with solid results from banks and strong retail sales drove investor optimism about US economic growth. The S&P 500 is enjoying its best 10-day start to a year […]
Inflation is Back, Meaning Growth is Back $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Underlying US consumer prices increased in October on the back of a pickup in rents and healthcare costs, bolstering the view that a recent dis-inflationary trend worrying the Fed probably had ended. The rise in the consumer price index, excluding the volatile food and […]
Gold Price Pressured by Notions of Fed, ECB Tightening $GLD, $SLV Gold fell Friday after a European Central Bank official called for scaling back the bank’s stimulus program, although losses were capped when weaker than expected US economic data raised some questions about further rate hikes. ECB board member Sabine Lautenschlaeger made the most explicit […]
A Minnesota-based grocery company is making a power play in the Chicago area, stepping into the void being left by the bankrupt Central Grocers, a nearly century-old grocery cooperative that’s closed up shop. Supervalu Holdings has entered into an agreement to buy Central Grocers’ massive distribution center in Joliet for $61 million. Supervalu reported fiscal first-quarter net […]
Buy Low Sell High With an intent of reducing the variance caused by short-term volatility in annual earnings, I deploy WOW’s best fit version of its past five-year average annual earnings performance. Looking at WOW’s EPS decline of -78.65% over the past year compared to the long-term trend of -1.98% drop, we found that WOW’s […]
Traders Believe that the US Economy is not as Strong as Fed Thinks $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The head of NYSE floor operations for UBS, Art Cashin, said he doubts the Fed will be able to raise interest rates again this year because of underlying weakness in the US economy. “The Fed is going to […]
US Retail Sales Miss, Fall 0.3% in Biggest Decline in 16 Months US retail sales marked their biggest decline in more than a year in May amid declining purchases of motor vehicles and discretionary spending, which could temper expectations for a sharp acceleration in economic growth in the 2nd Quarter. The US Commerce Department said […]
Market Volatility in Precious Metals $DIA, $GLD, $SLV Since its last all-time high seen on March 1st, the Dow has yet to break lower than -3.5% from it, or make a new all-time high. It has been a boring market. Something in me wants to see some excitement on Wall Street and Wednesday I got […]
Dubai is Becoming a World Class Retail Capital High-profile investments and the introduction of “Vogue” Arabia are just the beginning When Condé Nast International announced last July that it was set to launch Vogue Arabia, the news took off. The magazine, created in partnership with Dubai-based media company Nervora, marks one of the publisher’s earliest […]
Investors Putting Record Amounts of Cash into ETFs $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Mom & Pop, aka retail investors are start buying shares, and with passive investing strategies becoming more popular than active fund management, ETFs (exchange-traded funds) are seeing record inflows of cash from people seeking to join in on the rally since Donald Trump won […]
Ivanka Trump’s Fashion Brand Is “Hot” Sales Sizzle $JWN, $AMZN, $M News about Ivanka Trump’s label: who’s dropped it, who’s still selling it, who’s boycotting it has been in the Headlines during the 2 to 3 months. In early February, Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) and Neiman Marcus dropped the line; about a week later, Kellyanne Conway, adviser […]
President Trump In Oval Office Summit With Major US Retailer CEO’s $AZO, $BBY, $GPS, $JCP, $TGT. $WBA US President Donald Trump is meeting with a group of retailers Wednesday morning to discuss his at the border-adjustment tax. The retailers will meet with members of Congress as well as the President, according to the head of government relations […]
Legal Marijuana Supply Glut Driving Prices Down $SMG The supply of legal marijuana has turned into a major problem for growers as prices deep dive, but it is a clear opportunity for companies that refine the plant and manufacture products derived from it. A report Monday revealed that in Colorado, the average price sought by […]
Mammoth Shift in Retail Sales, e-Commerce Winning $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Holiday sales at Macy’s Inc. (NYSE:M), Sears Holdings Corp., and J.C. Penney Co.(NYSE:JCP) were anemic and US government data confirmed it Friday. The nation’s traditional department stores are steadily losing ground to their online rivals, a shift in the retail landscape that shows both […]
Medical Marijuana Update A study finds medical marijuana associated with a decline in traffic fatalities, the Arizona courts stick up for medical marijuana, changes in state law will have impacts in Colorado and Oregon, and more. National Last Monday, a study found that states with medical marijuana laws see a decline in traffic deaths. A […]
Confident Consumers Do Not Always Spend More $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX US Consumer confidence is on the rise, Friday the University of Michigan Indicator (MSI) marked a 12 year high. But, that does not mean that retailers should expect an overly merry holiday season, as far as actual retail sales and consumer-spending numbers are concerned. […]
Qatar Stock Exchange Introduces Margin Trading The initiative primarily aims to boost liquidity in the market The Qatar Stock Exchange will introduce margin trading this week in an effort to boost liquidity on the bourse, its CEO said Monday. Group Securities, a brokerage firm, will be allowed to execute margin trades beginning Thursday. “This initiative […]
There is ‘Gloom & Doom’ in the Eurozone Business Sector While the Eurozone economy has proved resilient to multiple uncertainties such as Brexit, Key business surveys in Europe’s 2 biggest economies, Germany and France has poured a bucket of cold water on the rising optimism. The Ifo Business Climate Index, which is a highly-regarded early […]
Another Democratic ‘Tax & Spend’ Administration = Recession $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Hillary Clinton got hammered from all directions Monday. Mrs. Clinton is trying come up with a new and inspiring idea to jump-start a anemic US economy and help the financially stressed middle class. The progressive/left really does not know how to and will […]
US Industrial Production Fell for 11th Month Running $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Industrial production declined for the 11th consecutive month in July, -0.5% from July 2015, the fact that it has lasted for nearly a year now is significant. On a monthly basis, production is up from its low in March particularly in the past […]
Key World Stock Markets Briefing $DIA, $DAX, $GLD, $SLV, $USO, $OIL Commentary: Stagnant retail sales data in US has reduced the expectations of a rate hike by the US Fed this year, keeping the risk appetite high. DJIA at 18636.05, +0.32% has managed in the last 3 wks just +0.3%. If a run to to 18900-19000 […]
Testing Being Done to Check Safety of Emaar’s New ‘Tallest’ Dubai Tower When ready, The Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour will be 100 metres taller than the Burj Khalifa Dubai developer Emaar Properties has completed advanced wind tunnel tests to check the structural strength and durability of its new upcoming super-tall tower in Dubai, it […]
M-Commerce is “Retail in Your Pocket” $WMT, $BAC Back in Y 1997 at the launch of the Global Mobile Commerce Forum, Kevin Duffey coined the phrase ‘Mobile Commerce” meaning “the delivery of electronic commerce capabilities directly into the consumer’s hand (pocket), anywhere, via wireless technology.” I took that to mean a retail outlet in your consumer’s pocket. […]
Water Homes is Part of Dubai Mega Project The project, called Marasi Business Bay, will be developed by Dubai Properties State-owned conglomerate Dubai Holding has announced a new Dhs 1-B project in Business Bay which will be developed by its real estate arm, Dubai Properties Group. Called Marasi Business Bay, the waterfront development will extend […]
Dubai Buildings to be Given Star Ratings The new Star system being developed by the Emirate’s land department aims to simplify rental and service charge calculations Properties in Dubai will be subject to a new Star rating system under plans announced by the Emirate’s land department, a DLD statement confirming the move. It said Dubai’s buildings […]
Commentary: Paul Ebeling on Wall Street $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX This is jobs week. So, we will get to see how many new low wage jobs the US economy added and/or how many good jobs it lost. We are in the middle of earning season, and will see some smaller energy outfits and biotech results reporting this […]
Dubai: IMG Worlds of Adventure Opens in August The attraction will open several months ahead of rival Dubai Parks and Resorts Dubai’s $1-B indoor theme park IMG Worlds of Adventure will open its doors Monday, 15 August, the company’s owners Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group confirmed Sunday. The park, which will include 20 rides and […]
US Single Family Home Sales Missed, Economy Weakens $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX New US single-family home sales unexpectedly fell in March, the decline was concentrated in the West region, suggesting that the housing market is weakening. The US Commerce Department said Monday new home sales decreased 1.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 511,000 […]