At Long Last!

At long last!  Stocks posted modest gains on Friday after both the US and China announced that they have agreed on a Phase One trade deal… kind of.  The session was fraught with conflicting and ambiguous  news reports, mixed signals, press conferences, and Tweets causing stocks to fluctuate.   N O T E W O R…

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

Santa Claus is coming to town!  Stocks surged to new highs yesterday as the Administration announced that it had reached a tentative agreement with China on the Phase One deal.  No details on the yet to be signed deal wasn’t enough to slow down the advance in equities.   N O T E W O…

Merrily Floating Along

Merrily floating along.  Stocks closed moderately higher yesterday as the Fed did nothing… as expected.  Inflation ticked up slightly, but the central bank says: “meh”.   N O T E W O R T H Y   The sound of silence.  Yesterday’s Fed meeting was the underwhelming event that all investors were waiting for.  The FOMC unanimously…

Sweet n’ Sour

Sweet n’ sour.  Equities slipped slightly yesterday as investors assessed Congressional approval of the USMCA trade agreement within minutes of announcing articles of impeachment.  Conflicting information on the Phase One trade deal put stocks on a bumpy road in the session.   N O T E W O R T H Y   It’s crunch…

Wait, what?

Wait, what?  Stocks slumped yesterday as investors remembered that new tariffs could be just a week away.  In the wake of last Friday’s blowout numbers, reality began to set in.   N O T E W O R T H Y   Back to reality.  Last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly…

You’re Hired!

You’re hired!  Stocks leapt higher on Friday in response to a surprisingly good jobs number.  Bulls settled in for the ride piecing together all of the positive news, pushing trade to the back burner.   N O T E W O R T H Y   Get to work!  On Friday the Bureau of Labor statistics…

Hammering Away

Hammering away.  Stocks edged up slightly yesterday as investors were somewhat optimistic about a trade deal.  Once again, trade talks with China was the force behind the markets.   N O T E W O R T H Y   Slippery stuff.  In my Monday’s note, I warned that crude oil would have a wild…

Bounce House

Bounce house.  Stocks bounced back yesterday on a report that, despite all of the negative signs, the US and China are still close to a deal.  Trade positivity kept weak economic numbers in traders’ blindspots.   N O T E W O R T H Y   Gimme’ a sign.  There have been signs that…

Press Mute

Press mute.  Stocks dropped for a third straight session on fears that a trade deal may not happen anytime soon.  New fronts in the trade war have been opened with Argentina, Brazil, and France, making investors uneasy.     N O T E W O R T H Y   Messy messaging.  Wow… or maybe…

Seconds

Seconds.  Stocks sold off yesterday as US manufacturing disappointed and the President set his sights on South America.  Strong Chinese economic data was not enough to keep markets from dropping in response to further deterioration in US manufacturing.   N O T E W O R T H Y   Trade tangle.  In a surprise move, President…