Better Jobs Numbers Aren’t That Good: Market’s Will Rise Anyway

This morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics released July payroll numbers. They weren’t even as good as the headline 1.8 million workers added announcement, but that’s another story, which I’ll get to.

The numbers, which all beat consensus estimates, making them appear better, weren’t that good at all.

But that’s not going to stop equity markets from rallying.

Here’s the story behind the headline numbers and why equity markets are headed higher.

Rapidly Rising Markets and the Other Side of More Is Always Better Sooner

U.S. equity markets, as measured by the Nasdaq Composite, the S&P 500, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, rocketed off their March coronavirus crisis lows and are headed higher.

The Nasdaq Composite’s already been making successive higher all-time highs and is poised to break out north of 11,000. The S&P 500’s only 87 points or 2.56% from its all-time highs, as of Tuesday’s close. And the venerable Dow, bringing up the rear, is 9.26% from its February 12, 2020 all-time highs, after plunging 11,354.92 points or 38.4% at its March 23, 2020 lows.

Stocks have bounced back, even the zombies parading around as healthy companies.

The markets have been roaring higher based on fulfilling the economic, and now market, postulate “more is always better sooner.”

But there are caveats to “more,” to “better,” to “sooner,” and especially to “always.”

I’ll touch on those later in the article – and I’ll have a special request for you as well…

In the meantime, here’s what to look out for and what’s on the other side of what’s been driving equity benchmarks higher and what could happen to them if the consequences of more, better, and sooner aren’t always and forever.

Gold to $3000: Shah Weighs In

There’s no reason it can’t — the fundamentals are in place and there’s nothing stopping it from soaring. Here’s how to get into gold (if you’re not already!)

More Is Always Better Sooner

My favorite economic and market postulate is: More is always better sooner.

It’s never been truer.

Another favorite saying of mine is: Nothing matters, and what if it did?

And last but not least: Everything’s good, until it isn’t.

Put them all together and that’s the kind of market we have.

The Ultimate Buy Signal

We’re seeing markets closing higher on Fridays, and we’ve seen terrific volume throughout the week. But seeing it on Friday is the ultimate buy signal.

An Embarrassment of Riches: Big Tech Proves Bigger is Better

One day after the CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google’s parent Alphabet faced a hostile House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee hearing, where they were each questioned about how they got so big, so profitable, and at whose expense, the four mega-cap tech darlings reported blowout second-quarter revenues and profits.

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, feigned embarrassment in his address of the company’s earnings, almost apologizing for Apple’s flood of riches as the rest of America and the world suffer the ravages of the coronavirus crisis.

The question is now: Will these giants be allowed to keep on squashing all competition, keep on minting money, see their stock prices keep on rising? Or will political winds blowback their relentless growth and market dominance?

Here’s what they face, what they’re going to do about it, and what’s going to happen to their stock prices.

Big Names… But Not the Ones You Think

It’s time to start looking for narratives and stocks that are following what’s currently happening, and that means looking for we need – companies leading us through a pandemic and out of a recession.

Big Tech’s on the Hot Seat Today – Here’s Why Investors Are Fearful

Today Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com Inc. (NasdaqGS:AMZN), Tim Cook of Apple Inc. (NasdaqGS:AAPL), Sundar Pichai of Google/Alphabet Inc. (NasdaqGS:GOOG), and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook Inc. (NasdaqGS:FB) face members of the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, in what’s going to be a show.

And I think you know what kind of show I’m talking about.

House members are going to come out swinging because it’s an election year.

Vote-hungry Representatives want the public to see them as protectors of our privacy, pushing back on undue societal — meaning voter — influence, as promoters of equal employment opportunities within each of those CEOs’ colossal companies. And, because antitrust is the name of the game for this subcommittee, the House is going to push for equal access to the platforms, ecosystems, and consumers these giants control and profit handsomely from.

Today just might be a big deal. Today, we just might see how serious Congress is about breaking up these giants. Today, we just might hear what these monster companies might be forced to do to help struggling businesses they’ve quashed for years.

Today, investors just might freak out if they don’t like what they think could happen.

This Just Might be The Most Important Week This Year

Markets, equity markets in particular, are at an incredibly vulnerable place, today and all this week. What happens, which we’ll find out on or before Friday’s close, could make or break the market.

Today, the CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google are in the line of fire, as they virtually face, virtually, the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee.

The big deal today will be about what those mega-cap Tech Kings are asked and how they answer.

Big Tech Under the Microscope and Under Pressure Could Upend Markets

So far, it’s been a mixed bag for tech earnings this quarter, at least as far as their reported metrics.

What hasn’t been mixed however is how investors have decidedly been selling big tech names, including selling Netflix down on less than expected subscriber growth and selling Microsoft on excellent earnings metrics, except for slower growth in its cloud business, if you can call 43% growth slow.

Something’s bothering Big Tech investors.

Maybe it’s how fast and furiously big tech names rallied off their March coronavirus crisis lows. Maybe it’s because most mega-cap tech darlings made new all-time highs. Maybe it’s because of this Monday’s House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee virtual hearing the CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google face. Or maybe it’s nervousness over Facebook reporting earnings on Wednesday next week, then Amazon, Google, and Apple reporting on Thursday.

Whatever it is, it’s not looking good for big tech darlings right now.

The bottom-line is: if Big Tech falters the rest of the market’s headed lower, maybe a lot lower and maybe quickly…

Will Political, Regulatory, and Tax Threats to Big Tech Kill the Stock Market?

Technology stocks have powered America’s markets higher for more than two decades, including leading almost parabolic rallies on the heels of every selloff, correction, or bear market since 2009.

That certainly includes “Big Tech” powering equity markets higher off their coronavirus crisis lows.

But now mega-cap technology darlings face political, regulatory, and tax threats, possibly all at once.

Investors need to know what those threats are, what could happen to big tech companies, and how the stock market might fare if big tech leadership stocks falter, exposing the market’s weak underbelly…

Tesla’s Bubble Could Pop at Any Moment

Tesla’s up to $1,597, and people are calling it a bubble. It’s overvalued, way overpriced… and still going up. Here’s why.

This Week’s Going to Be Interesting

Despite the Nasdaq Composite ending last week down 1.1%, the other major benchmarks ended the week higher. The trend for all of them, including the Nasdaq Composite, is still, up.

But there were minor cracks in the yellow-brick road last week.

A big crack developed on Monday when the Nasdaq 100 (NDX), an important index of the biggest 100 (non-financial) stocks listed on the Nasdaq, rose 2% in the morning, breaking through to new all-time highs, then collapsed spectacularly, ending the day down more than 2%.

That kind of intraday reversal is often a turning point signal. By turning point, I mean a change in the trend.

Big Banks: Buy, Sell or Hold?

The country’s biggest too-big-to-fail banks have all reported second quarter earnings and the results were chock full of good news and bad news, depending on the bank and its banking model.

What the banks’ earnings, profits and losses tell us about the economy, about their health, and about the outlook for their stocks gives investors a window into the economy and how to play the banks.

A window into the economy…

The Stock Market’s Poised for Another Leg Up, and If You’re Not on Board, You’ll Be Left Behind

The stock market’s risen like a bat out of hell since bottoming out on March 23, 2020.

Remarkably, the institutional benchmark S&P 500 is up 43% after being hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

And while there’s still no vaccine for Covid-19, as the country sees dangerous spikes across 32 states, with mayors and governors again calling for businesses to shut down, as the additional $600 per week unemployed workers were getting runs out, the stock market looks clearly poised to go higher.

Here’s where we’re at, what hurdles are left to jump over, and why we’re headed higher.