Sunday, December 22, 2024
Is brick-and-mortar retail dead? I’m not so sure. My research points to a different paradigm for retail sales. I believe you will see more coordination and integration between traditional brick-and-mortar retail outlets and the large online sellers. Instead of competing for market share, the smart retailers from both sides of the digital divide will combine […]
The coronavirus pandemic has put a tremendous strain on the healthcare sector. At times, emergency rooms have been overrun. Simultaneously, the healthcare industry has committed many resources to fighting the virus, meaning individuals with other illnesses and afflictions may not be getting the care they need. The healthcare industry accounts for 17% of the U.S. […]
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of companies slashed common stock dividends. Many saw business operations significantly affected and did not have the cash to pay the previous dividend rate. Others chose to cut dividends as a defense against a suddenly uncertain future. In both cases, income-focused investors were devastated as share […]
The coronavirus pandemic and resulting financial crisis turned investors either for or against different stock market sectors. Tech, biotech, drug companies, and large-cap retailers landed on the “loved by investors” list. Energy, financials, and even utilities fell out of favor and remain down for the year, even as the major indexes stay at or near […]
For the broader U.S. stock market, the pandemic-triggered crash has come and gone. In February and March, the S&P 500 stock index experienced a short-term bear market, dropping by over 35% from its early-February peak to the late-March bottom. The S&P 500 steadily recovered the losses and then some, with the index now up 11% […]
Investors with interest in yields soon find their way into the world of closed-end funds (CEFs). During this period in history, when fixed income investments often yield less than one percent, the high single-digit or low double-digit yields on many CEFs are compelling. Yet the aftermath of the pandemic-triggered crash early in 2020 will start […]
Last week there was a COVID-19 testing announcement with the potential to let United States citizens and the U.S. economy more quickly return to some semblance of normalcy. The availability of a $5.00, 15-minute COVID test will let life return to a more historical level of activity. On Wednesday, August 26, Abbott (ABT) announced it […]
Recent stock split announcements by Apple and Tesla have lit a fire under the companies’ share prices. I suspect that many investors scooping up the shares are not aware of exactly how the splits will work. I am curious about how new-to-the-stock market investors will react when they discover that post-split their holdings are not […]
You have likely seen the news that the S&P 500 has recovered 100% of the losses from the COVID crash. What you won’t see in the press is the broad range of returns from the different industrial sectors used by S&P Global Ratings (formerly Standard & Poor’s). The 500 S&P stocks are subdivided into 11 […]
Casual investors will be aware of what happens in the stock market, but may not be as well informed about the current state of interest rates. Retirement plan experts recommend allocating a large portion of 401(k) accounts to bonds, and those building for retirement using their company 401(k) plans may not be aware of how […]
