For the first time in history, the S&P 500 is dominated by the top six stocks. Roughly 25% of the index’s market capitalization is comprised of Facebook (now Meta), Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, and Google (Alphabet). Their domination of the index is bigger than any other bubble or period, including the Dot Com bubble. What’s […]
Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) on November 6th. This $1.2 trillion package is one of the largest ever passed, and it represented a key economic milestone for The Biden Administration. According to the White House, the bill will “rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails, expand access to clean drinking […]
Third quarter earnings are led by strong performance in the financial sector looking towards a staggering 45% year-over-year growth for corporate earnings according to Fidelity. This is the fourth quarter in a row that corporate earnings trended towards a surprise upside, helped in large part by a strong boost in commodity prices due to increased […]
The London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) is one of the most famous and essential financial benchmarks in the world because it dictated how interest rates change for both commercial and consumer debt. However, after a series of scandals and a lack of quantitative substance, the secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) will replace LIBOR in the […]
August continues the trend of all-time highs for the equity markets, which is boosting confidence in derivatives, cryptocurrencies, and other alternative investments. The combination of strong consumer demand, impressive Q2 quarterly earnings, and economic optimism pushed the Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 to record highs, thanks in large part to outperformance by many financial […]
June ended on a strong note for stocks, as the banking sector led the S&P 500 to a record high, making it the 33rd time this year that the index reached a new record. This was the fifth straight month of gains for the S&P, which has already gained 14% on the year. Stocks were […]
President Joe Biden announced his plans for a $6 trillion US budget in the coming year. This would represent a one-third boost to federal spending compared to pre-coronavirus levels, and would be the highest sustained federal spending level since World War II. His plan is also expected to raise government spending to $8.2 trillion by […]
The Federal Open Market Committee decided in April that now is not the time to raise interest rates. The FOMC cited the need to continue helping in the coronavirus economic recovery along with low levels of inflation as reasons for their decision. However, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell and the committee were optimistic as to […]
For months many have wondered if inflation will start to become a problem. And while the United States has yet to see inflation become a real problem yet, over in Europe, inflation has become a real issue. In March, the Eurozone saw its highest inflation since the start of the pandemic. Consumer prices across the […]
Interest rates have taken a beating over the past few years, but in February, rates started to show signs of life. The 10-year treasury yield hit 1.614% at the end of the month, the highest rate since the coronavirus pandemic began last Spring. It appears that a combination of positive news from mass vaccinations, economic […]
