Retail Sales numbers this week will feed into expectations for 2025. Fed meeting tomorrow: Cut and pause, or cut and slow? Employment revisions are also due, but markets won't care. The stock market is still hitting all time highs, but that's not necessarily the case, sector by sector: Basic Materials, Industrials, Financials, and Energy are not mi…

Microstrategies joins the S&P 100 (just in time to crash?) Bitcoin continues to climb. The FEd will cut rates on Wednesday, but it's commentary and outlook are what will really count. Look for more volatility heading into the Fed meeting; the current rally may end by the 18th. Oil prices have been struggling, thanks to slowing economic growth = les…

Markets are setting up for a Santa Claus Rally; inflation pressure remains. What will the Fed do next week, and what will Powell SAY? The impact of tariffs may not be too dire; optimism abounds on Wall Street. Danny & Matt discuss end of year RMD's and how to best handle non-spousal Inherited IRA distributions. Constant changes in IRS rules are dif…

Lance reviews a recent report about generational wealth transfers, and notes that his kids get NOTHING. Wednesday's CPI report was seemingly the last hurdle for the Fed to cut interest rates. With the CPI index matching Wall Street forecasts, the Fed Funds futures market now implies a 97% chance the Fed will cut rates next Wednesday. The data was O…

Post-election consumer confidence is rocketing higher. Inflation Data is coming: CPI & PPI which will be digested in time for next week's Fed meeting. Inflation numbers are likely to tick up from YOY comparisons. Portfolio re-balancing commences. What does financial success look like? Lance and Jonathan review the answers by-generations. Stocks vs …

Lance's Husbands' Christmas shopping warning service; markets are now in second week of sloppy trading. Portfolios out-of-balance will trigger volatility as managers adjust weighting. There is a possible correction coming, BUT markets could continue to rally all the way into the New Year. Tesla is up 54% since the election; a plethora of ETF's: all…

Portfolio Manager Michael Lebowitz makes a rare, in-studio appearance with Lance Roberts, discussing whether another market liquidity event might be on the horizon? While there is generally good liquidity in the financial system, there are some nascent signs that problems could arise. The ISM Services Index is showing weaknesses, and more economic …

Russia just learned of a near-miss from a passing meteorite...TONIGHT! Lance discusses GDP estimates and other economic reports; Retail Sales are "okay," with no tell tale signs of Recession...for the moment. What will revisions to these reports show next year? What will be the impact of cutting government spending? Meanwhile, investors are very, v…

Periods of extreme leverage and speculation are not new, and the outcomes have consistently been painful for unprepared investors. The late 1990s dot-com bubble serves as a prime example. Speculative bets on internet stocks drove valuations to extraordinary levels, with investors leveraging margin accounts and options to chase gains. When the bubbl…

Welcome back from Thanksgiving break: Is it time to initiate Christmas Bonds to help Retailers? While markts have performed well, expect some sloppiness heading into the end of the year. We'll have Black Friday and Cyber Monday results later this week. Meanwhile, markets continue to grind higher. What will be the effects of Trump Administration pic…

Credit spreads can greatly assist in determining the risk of a correction or bear market by reflecting the perceived risk of corporate bonds compared to government bonds. The spread between risky corporate bonds and safer Treasury bonds remains narrow when the economy performs well. This is because investors are confident in corporate profitability…

Thanksgiving week is spread out before us like a serving table laden with food: Markets will trade in a holiday-shortened week with moods of expectation for high consumer spending. Lance reveals his strategy for Christina's Christmas present. Markets' goal is to generate 50-points, targeting S&P 6,000, despite limited downside. Bond Yields are drop…

A preview of risks on the horizon, including Trump Tariffs, interest rates, and how debt and deficits are economic drivers. What are the effects on corporate profitability?Will valuations be problematic next year? Lance revews Nvidia's stellar quarterly report and analysts' expectations for 2025. Bitcoin is tracking WITH the US Dollar, not against …

It's Nvidia Day--markets will respond accordingly tomorrow. Expectations are high for earnings and forward guidance. Analysts are generally looking for lowered expectations in 2025, as President Trump faces a waning economy. Meanwhile, markets have had a good test of support at the 20-DMA. Volatility anticipated in a holiday-shortened trading week …

WalMart reports it's close to profitability; expect some market chop this week; NVIDIA reports Wednesday evening, and markets will respond on Thursday. A look at the performance of the Top Ten Stocks: Everyone wants to be in on the US Markets. Markets on Tuesday dropped to bounce off the 20-DMA, and continue to run along the ever-rising trend line.…

It's the last full week of trading before Thanksgiving. Expectations for US GDP growth in the new year are on the plus side of 3%, vs the EU's negative exepctations: Where do you want to put your money? First place the "Government Efficiency Department" can start is at the Department of Defense, failing its past seven audits. Risks are building in …

Just ahead of the Christmas Retail Shopping Season, credit card debt is piling up; consumers are under stress. Survey: What to do when an item is too expensive? What will be the actual effect of tariffs? What economists think vs how consumers react. Meanwhile, markets sold off Wednesday, then rallied back for a positive close: Participants are unwi…

It's Inflation Day: Expectations are for a .3% print for October (the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported CPI rising.2%, and up 2.6% over the past 12-months). Remember, it's only a guess; why inflation is destined to rise. Stocks remain over-bought; watch for pre-Thanksgiving volatility; more than half in our Twitter poll sees the S&P at 6,200 by E…

Earnings Season is winding up, and The Next Big Report to come will be from NVIDIA on 11/20. Markets are on fire for now; what will the Fed do next? We're expecting one more rate cut in December, and then a pause. This week's inflation print could be higher due to YOY comparisons. Mutual Fund Distributions are coming in December; do not be alarmed!…

The markets' response to the election outcome, combined with Thursday's Fed rate cut: Markets love it, but half the country (metro areas) are not happy. Avoid knee-jerk responses; next year could be very different. What to do with Bonds: Know what your goal is. Rich & Danny discuss home-bias investing vs international markets: Where're you gonna go…

In the aftermath of the 2024 Election, attention now turns to today's Fed announcement, with odds makers giving 96% chance of a quarter-percent rate cut. Meanwhile, markets are roiling as foreign investors try to position after the election. Managers are scrambling to re-risk in time for year-end reporting; Wednesday was a huge day for Small Caps. …

The 2024 Election outcome is sharply affecting pre-market, with Donald Trump's election sending stocks higher. The S&P trendline is aiming for the 6000 or 6100 level. The question that remains is whether markets can sustain that trend. This time is different from the previous Trump win: Interest rates are falling and tax rates are lower now; yet, t…

Will the 2025 Election be The Most Important Election Ever? Yes...until 2028. Vote for the policy, not the personality: Child Care Credits case study. Markest are hangin' on ahead of the election, setting up for a post-election rally.Bond yields are the result of pre-election positioning; bond auction is next week. It's hard to buy when it's unpopu…

It's 2024 Election-eve: Hedge funds are long on a presumed outcome; watch for a pick up in volatility. The Fed meets on the day after the election; there are still about 100 S&P Companies left to report. Reference Lance's weekend article on buy backs, Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Apple spent $100-B on stock buy backs, when they could have purchased In…

2024 isn’t over yet. So here are 10 smart money moves to make right now.Saving money should be a year-round endeavor, but life gets in the way just like anything else. So with 2024 coming to a swift, thankful end, take advantage of the fourth quarter to accelerate your financial acumen, bolster your balance sheet and successfully springboard into t…

Earnings Season continues as October ends: Microsoft and Meta reports reveal lowered expectations for 2025; Microstrategy is raising stakes on Bitcoin w $42-B buy: Will prove to be either brilliant or disastrous (only 6% of Bitcoin owners are active users); Apple & Amazon results will reveal more about consumer spending. Can famed investors Paul Tu…

Halloween preview & earnings parade; pre-election bond market auction action. Markets are hedging a bit ahead of elections. The latest JOLTS report was weaker than expected - more evidence of a slowing economy? Meanwhile, consumer confidence continues to confound, bouncing up in the latest Conference Board Confidence Index reading, especially for f…

A barrage of earnings reports this week reveals companies are beating lowered expectations, and revenue is down. McDonald's foot traffic is off (and interesting economic barometer); the story is surely unfolding of an economy that is slowing down. What do markets sell signals tell us? There are two ways for markets to correct: Consolidation, or pul…

Wrapping up the Month of October and beginning the strongest period for markets, November - April; what could throw a wrench into the works? (How about an election upset?) Markets are positioning for a specific, anticipated outcome. Life with the Roberts': Child #4 accepted at Baylor! The Halloween dress-rehearsal. Markets' positioning for election…

Gold Fish are changing their name to Chilean Sea Bass, and Spam will henceforth be known as Filet Mignon; the world has gone awry, and Richard & Jonathan discuss the surprise results from Tesla, Polymarket odds for the 2024 Election, and goal scooping and setting expectations for 2025. Richard compares the Saudi's newest, biggest building in the wo…

The Conference Board's Economic Surprise Index gauges exactly that: How surprised economists are when things don't pan out as they expected. Like the economy doing better than they think it ought, under the current conditions. Economists are setting themselves up for disappointment; more Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Lance and Michael …

Markets sold off on Tuesday to break even. following six straight weeks of gains; still, markets have no fear of recession. Lance shares his personal strategy for Bonds (using his own money, not clients') When everyone is hating on Bonds is the time to buy. After the Election, the focus will return to Yields and Interest Rates. Lance next provides …

What does it mean when the Conference Board's Index of Leading Indicators (a predictor of the next six months' economic activity) post's a negative .5 reading...while markets seem to be able to find no ceiling? Who's right? Markets continue to be "just fine," although a potential for pullback by the end of October or beginning of November is antici…

Earnings estimates remain exceptionally optimistic, raising the question of whether consumer spending can sustain present levels (the source of earnings!) Investors should be careful averages, and remember that records are recrods for a reason. Why we're still expecting acorrection; we've had six strong weeks in a row, and a seventh is not out of t…

Richard & Jonathan recap their recent recruiting visit on the campus of Texas A&M University: There is hope for the next generation. Earnings season continues, discussion of Netflix and Lance's coffee rants. Anti-globalization & the China effect; the fallacy of International buys; "I love Lucy" & Vitametavegamin. Why fasting should be called slowin…

Retail Sales numbers today, and earnings recaps (so far) and previews; looking for an outsized seasonal adjustment to Retail Sales due to calendar anomalies; there's nothing overly concerning to markets. The big focus will be the election and it's outcome and control of House & Senate: The market hates uncertainty, and loves gridlock. Lance refutes…

Will the strength (or weakness) of the consumer be revealed in this week's Retail Sales report? Liquidity is continuing to flow into markets; if things are so good, why all the liquidity flows? Stock buy backs resume in 10-days, adding $6-B/day of more liquidity (which is NOT a return of capital to investors.) Energy stock exposure exoansion: As in…

Retail Sales figures should be interesting, as retailers were stocking up ahead of the short-lived dockworkers' strike. Lance previews Thanksgiving at the Roberts' house, featuring brisket! Earnings week continues with a string of the most negative earnings revisions in a long while. Markets operating under a seasonal buy signal and an ever-upward …

It's Earnings Season "Rush Week" this week, with the bulk of companies reporting 3rd Quarter results; after that, the stock buy back window is prepared to re-open, providing nearlt $1-T in funds to flood the markets. The median value of stock portfolios is $250k, up from $190k. Demand for AI chips is not going away. Markets entering the seasonallt-…

All was not hunky-dory in the recent Fed meeting, as the FOMC Meeting minutes reveal a split-decision on lowering rates by 50-bps vs 25-bps. Meanwhile, in the markets, the S&P is having its Best Year Ever since the "turn of the century." The current, rising wedge is both a bullish and bearish sign; CPI numbers will be today's trigger. Volatility in…

The Trauma of Hurricanes revisited: Hurricane Alicia (1983) remembered as Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida today; Lance shares his bizzare dream about aliens refuting Flat-earthers; why high interest rates are unsustainable. Fed rate cuts don't mean rates will go straight down. Why 4% rates cannot last for long. Markets rally amid price compr…

The key to successfully managing money is managing risk. Economnic news is absent; no 50bps rate cut in November, thanks to a strong jobs report, and markets are adjusting to that reality. One off shoot of Jobs report shows more workers seeking secondary, part time employment to make ends meet. Markets sold off on Monday, as price compresion contin…

This week marks the start of earnings season for Q; the 2024 Election and the next FOMC Meeting also add volatility to markets. Friday's Jobs report came in stronger than expected (leaving one to wonder what kind of revision to the numbers is to come). Within the report, 700k gubernment workers were added. The S&P on Friday rallied on the employmen…

Market preview & Fed possiblities as jobs numbers are releasaed today; anecdotal evidence that small businesses are making more credit inquiries to banks: A prelude to more growth? The Longshoreman's strike is suspended with a proposed 65% pay increase; raises the question of value in the cost of a college degree. The marriage of blue collar jobss …

A preview of tomorrow''s employment report an the phenomenon of "labor hoarding;" a weaker jobs report will not necessarily be recessionary. Markest are retesting support, and if it cannot hold, will trigger a sell signal. Lance's FEMA rant & JOLTS preview w Michael Lebowitz; the labor market is behaving like the housing market: no one is doing any…

A brief recap of the VP-debate; market futures are lower in search of a catalyst, and dislike the uncertainty preceeding an election. Markets have pulled backk thanks to investor exhaustion; Oil prices are on the rise amid escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, creating short-term risks until resolved. The Port Strike isn't 'the thing' that …

It's a big news week: The Dock Workers' strike has begun, Israel is launching a land assault into Lebanon, and celebrity deaths (Pete Rose, Kris Kristofferson) top the news. And Jimmy Carter turns 100. Meanwhile, Q3 Earnings Season commences after three very strong quarters of business in what has been one the of the best presidential years since t…

The last day of September brings the end of the month, end of the quarter, and a preview of the next round of corporate earnings. So far, no evidence of recession is appearing. Regardless of your investment thesis, money flow still matters most, and there's lots of money flowing into markets. China is most over-bought in years, thanks to Chinese go…

Jonthan & Jonathan stand in for Danny & Rich with a preview of today's PCE report, and inklings of dissent within the Fed on the latest rate cut. The handwriting is on the wall for Savers; time to reassess strategies as interest rates fall. Ho will the election outcomes affect your financial planning? Worst-case scenario: a contested election (the …

Plenty of things to move markets this week, including economic numbers and multiple Fed members' commentaries on why they did what they did last week. Are there more cuts to come? Millennial Earnings Season and no buy backs will impact markets soon. Is the AI trade dead? Don't count on it. Micron turned in a strong earnings report, and the CIA's ow…