Posts by Mike Verity
Divergent Opinions
Major stock indices opened lower, reversing yesterday’s rally. At the moment, the Dow is down 450 points, and the S&P 500 is off by 2%. Copper and oil are ticking up, whereas gold and silver are down. The bond market is also selling off, partially offsetting yesterday’s rally. James Bullard, president of the St. Louis…
Read MoreIs The Fed Overdoing It?
The Dow and S&P 500 gapped up at the open this morning, but quickly gave way. At the moment, they’re down roughly .5%. The culprit: positive economic data (see below). Looking under the hood, defensive sectors like consumer staples and utilities are taking a beating, whereas growthier sectors like tech and materials are barely lower.…
Read MoreFed Day Spurs Volatility
Here we go…Fed day. Volatility showed up in a big way, pushing the Dow down 522 points and the S&P down 1.7%. Treasury bonds swung hard the opposite direction, driving the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) up 1.7%. That’s a huge—and unexpected—move for bonds. WTI crude oil dropped 1% to trade at $83/barrel,…
Read MoreWaiting on the Fed
Stocks fell at the open but quickly turned around. The Dow and S&P 500 are roughly flat. WTI crude oil is hovering around $85/barrel. The bond market is mixed in early trading. Treasuries are catching a bid, whereas higher risk junk bonds are selling off. We’ll likely see elevated (but rangebound) volatility in all asset…
Read MoreFedEx Shocks Market
The stock market sagged again this morning after FedEx reported awful quarterly results (see below). At the moment, the Dow is off 340 points and the S&P 500 is down 1.3%. All eleven market sectors are lower, led by energy (-2.8%) and industrials (-2.4%). The VIX fear gauge has quietly risen above 27, suggesting higher…
Read MoreEconomy Holding Up Despite Rising Rates
The Dow and S&P 500 opened lower this morning (Dow -155 points; SPX -.9%). Commodities are trading broadly lower (gold -2%; copper -1%; oil -3.5%). Bond prices are in the red as well, allowing yields to rise along with interest rates. The 30-yeaar fixed mortgage rate just touched 6.2% for the first time since October…
Read MoreFour Reasons You Should Hire A Tax Professional
Are you considering filing your taxes on your own or online this upcoming tax season? While this may seem like a good idea, tax filing can get confusing fast! Trying to figure out what information goes there and avoid mistakes is not only confusing but also frustrating. Let our tax professionals at Lighthouse Financial help…
Read MoreFour Benefits Of Having A Tax Strategy
Every year tax season rolls around, requiring you to find important documents, meet with a tax consultant, and file correctly before a specific deadline. It can be overwhelming and also very time-consuming. By having a tax strategy in place year-round, you can not only reduce these feelings of uncertainty but also take advantage of your…
Read MoreInterest Rates Headed Higher
Major stock market averages opened sharply lower today after a key inflation report (see below). At the moment, the Dow is down 880 points and the S&P 500 is down 3%. All eleven market sectors are in the red, led by communications (-4.3%), consumer discretionary (-4%) and technology (-4%). The VIX Index, measuring fear among…
Read MoreInflation is Falling Faster Than the Fed Thinks
Stocks opened higher today (Dow +300 pts; SPX +1.2%), leaning toward growthier sectors like technology and communications. The VIX fear gauge has fallen back from 27 to 23 in the past week. This comes despite a steady trickle of speeches from Fed officials preparing us for more monetary tightening. Currencies and commodity prices are moving…
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