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The global stock market is off to a rocky start in the new year, experiencing its worst performance since the financial crisis of 2008. As concerns mount and comparisons to the tumultuous year of 2020 arise, investors are bracing for a potentially volatile period ahead. Analysts are drawing attention to a historical anomaly, noting that the current situation resembles the challenges faced in 2020. There’s a growing sentiment that the next 45 days could see a surge in market activity, reminiscent of the frenzied trading seen during the unprecedented events of the previous year.

Members of Congress beat the stock market last year, with Democrats dominating their Republican counterparts significantly, according to a new report by Unusual Whales, a market analysis group. Members on both sides of the aisle had major years, including Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). The largest standout was Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), who beat the market with 238.9% returns over 2023, nearly 10 times the increase in the S&P 500 index. Right behind him was Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), at 122.2%. Green defended his stock...

A “perfect storm” is raging all around us, and our world is so close to plunging into a complete and utter state of chaos that even the mainstream media is talking about it. The past several years have been a time when multiple major wars have begun, pestilences have paralyzed the entire planet, the worst global food crisis in modern history has erupted, and we have been hit by a seemingly endless series of natural disasters.

CBS News' "Face the Nation" held a roundtable on Christmas Eve, affording various talking heads an opportunity to make predictions for 2024. While most of the predictions were relatively banal, one among them stood out, prompting critics to puzzle over its possible significance. Network correspondent Catherine Herridge, the wife of a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, suggested that "2024 may be the year of a black swan event. This is a national security event with high impact that's very hard to predict." Statistician and former options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb popularized the term "black swan event" in his...

In a week marked by the S&P500 witnessing its largest-ever inflow at a staggering $21 billion, there’s an unsettling undercurrent in the financial landscape that demands attention. Bankruptcy filings are surging ominously, casting a shadow on the euphoria of market inflows. Additionally, the U.S. Corporate Default Rate, a key indicator of anticipated defaults among corporations with speculative-grade credit ratings, has witnessed a notable spike. The paradox between record-breaking market inflows and rising defaults raises questions about the Federal Reserve’s seemingly dovish stance. Is the Fed preemptively responding to an imminent storm on the financial horizon?

Algos don’t understand economic reality along with the laws if supply and demand. The market where the magical symbols representing a real company reside, is a screwed up version of Tron, where computer programs are fighting each other, with the Fed representing Master Control.

As the clock ticks closer to 2024, one outspoken economist is making a dire predication about the markets in the new year. "Since 2009, this has been 100% artificial, unprecedented money printing and deficits; $27 trillion over 15 years, to be exact. This is off the charts, 100% artificial, which means we're in a dangerous state," Harry Dent told Fox News Digital. "I think 2024 is going to be the biggest single crash year we'll see in our lifetimes."

In 2018, Bank of the West issued policy statements vowing to limit the business it would do with fossil fuel companies. The bank’s decision was made entirely on an ideological opposition to fossil fuels and not out of any concern that the investments weren’t paying off, saying that they were withdrawing support for companies and business activities that are "detrimental to our environment and our health." In those days, few had ever heard of environment, social and governance (ESG), a form of corporate responsibility that rates funds according to certain progressive-friendly markers. Among them is a commitment to fighting climate...

The stock market is currently experiencing its most overbought conditions since the early days of the pandemic, with traders displaying a fervent appetite for bullish options contracts. This surge in bullish sentiment is reminiscent of the situation leading up to the 2008-09 recession, raising concerns among seasoned analysts. A striking comparison can be drawn between the current market state and the situation in December 2021, particularly in the context of "Min vol." Despite a similar move, this time it took half the duration as volatility rapidly collapsed. The prevailing sentiment suggests that, post-options expiration (OpEx), markets are poised to surge...

The Dow Jones industrial Average jumped to a record Wednesday as the Federal Reserve signaled it would cut rates several times next year, satisfying investors who hoped the central bank would finally start to acknowledge the slowing trend of inflation with a less-aggressive monetary stance. The 30-stock Dow added 374 points, or 1%. At its high of the day, the Dow touched 37,057.81 to surpass 37,000 for the first time and exceed its previous all-time high in January of 2022. The S&P 500 jumped 1% with bank and real estate shares leading the way, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1%....

Investors dedicate countless hours to solving the mystery of how to beat the stock market - and many lose millions of dollars in the process. But the answer might be simple: Just copy Congress. A tool which copies trades made by members of Congress and their families has gained nearly 20 percent this year – performing twice as well as the stock market average of eight to ten percent.

This has been a good year for stocks, no doubt about that. The has gained 19% year-to-date, after a gangbusters November, and the outlook for December, while more moderate, remains positive. The markets have made these gains despite a strong set of headwinds, including the Federal Reserve’s turn to a policy of aggressive monetary tightening and interest rate hikes; the ongoing war in Ukraine; and now the flare-up of war in the Middle East. This stock rally is showing real strength, and the Street is now taking seriously the possibility of a ‘soft landing’ case, with inflation falling to the...

Be careful what you wish for, as the looming rate cut anticipated at the Fed’s March 20th meeting might not bring the desired outcome. History suggests that the first cut often aligns with a market decline, typically indicative of a slowing economy or crisis. Concerns are surfacing, especially in California, where tax receipts have plummeted by 25%, raising questions about an impending recession. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) report indicates a downturn in 2022, supported by the triggering of the Sahm Rule, even though applying it to states sparks controversy.

The S&P 500 is having an incredible year. The benchmark U.S. stock market index is up 19.7% on the year as bulls test the resistance around 4600. For Stifel’s analysts, known for accurately predicting the rally in the first half of 2023, this rally has largely played out. The analysts upgraded their mid-2024 price target for the S&P 500 to 4650 from 4400 previously.

Look out, Apple (AAPL)! Microsoft (MSFT) is right on your tail and gaining fast. Supercharged by its AI chops, Microsoft's market value is now $2.8 trillion — just 5.7% shy of Apple's at $2.98 trillion. That means Microsoft's share price only needs to hit 400.53 — it's already at 377.80 — to dethrone Apple as the most valuable S&P 500 company. Given Apple's reliance on now-ubiquitous smartphones, it's only a matter of time when it bows out to faster-growing Microsoft, analysts say. "As markets and investors start to wrap up the year, Microsoft seems destined to be the most valuable...

You can't beat Dow Jones stocks for stability and defense in a down market. By the same token, the blue chip average won't always keep up in a rising market.Case in point: equities are having a strong 2023, with the S&P 500 delivering a price gain of 15% for the year-to-date through November 10. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, which is both riskier and "growthier," soared 32% over the same span. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, by comparison, is very much lagging the pack. The elite bastion of 30 mostly mature industry leaders delivered a comparatively poky price gain of 3.4%...

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell urged the central bank’s forecasters on Wednesday to remain flexible and “think outside” traditional economic models, as they continue to offer projections for a post-pandemic economy that has repeatedly confounded expectations. Powell touted the Division of Research & Statistics, which provides the Fed with economic data and analysis ahead of its interest rate decisions, at a conference celebrating the division’s 100th anniversary.

Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary said Tuesday that clean energy funds and stocks are dropping because investors realized that clean energy companies can not make a profit. Several stocks and exchange-traded funds in the “clean energy” sector, including Enphase Energy, the Invesco Solar ETF, the iShares Global Clean Energy ETF and the First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF have seen substantial drops in their share prices in the last year. .. Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, spends $370 billion to combat climate change and is loaded with green energy provisions, including a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles,...

The U.S. budget deficit increased 23 percent to $1.7 trillion, an increase of $320 billion, in the year after the Biden administration pushed through the Inflation Reduction Act which it claimed would close the government’s funding gap. The explosive growth in the deficit came as revenue fell $457 billion from a year ago and expenses decreased by just $137 billion. Total spending for the year came in at $6.134 trillion.

"You can't have a recession if everyone has a job and everyone is spending money," I told the audience in Las Vegas. We hosted our annual Stansberry Conference last month. And I had the honor of sharing my most up-to-date thoughts on the markets and the economy. Everyone is still on edge, waiting for a recession to take hold in the U.S. Many of our analysts at Stansberry Research are exploring the possibility, too. It's good to be prepared. But you shouldn't lose sleep over this fear. The reason why is as simple as what I said in Vegas... Consumer...