A Chicken Little Sort of Day?
6/30/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Is the sky really falling, or are other forces playing a role in stocks’ recent pullback?
We’re Not Out of the PIIGS Pen, Yet
6/15/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Though Greece continues to rattle, market jitters over PIIGS could be short-lived.
Crisis-Gate
6/4/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
“Crisis” has worked its way into our lexicon all too frequently in the recent past—so frequently that its meaning has been lost.
LIBOR and TED’s Bogus Journey
5/25/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Upticks in interbank borrowing rates are alarming some—but rates remain near historic lows.
C’est Un Bazooka
5/11/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
The EU unleashed a bazooka-sized rescue package on Sunday.
Remind Me
2/16/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Amid recent stock market volatility, it’s easy to forget why this bull market will continue. Allow us to jog your memory.
Gold’s Safety Blanket Myth
2/12/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Gold can be emotionally comforting when markets get volatile, but it boasts poor long-term returns compared to stocks.
Simmer Down Over Corporate Bonds
2/9/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Sentiment may be shaking the corporate bond market right now, but companies' prospects are largely robust.
A Tale of Two Surveys
2/8/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Friday’s employment report might seem a mixed bag, but it shows progress overall.
Pessimism of Disbelief
1/25/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Sad news is everywhere, but don’t believe everything you read.
Correct Correction Behavior
1/14/2010 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
After a strong bull market run, a correction this year wouldn’t be surprising and shouldn’t be feared.
Onward
12/29/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
What are the experts saying about 2010? And what should investors do about it?
The Show Will Go On
11/18/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
A single piece of news virtually never accounts for daily market movement.
Ignoring the Itch
11/4/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Jittery markets make for itchy trigger fingers.
Bedtime Stories to Scare Investors
11/3/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
CIT’s bankruptcy filing is a story reminiscent of last year’s financial horrors—one with less power to move markets.
Fall Classic
11/2/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
The global stock rally busted many investing myths so far this year, but don’t expect universal acknowledgment any time soon.
A Strong Second Six
9/30/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
As earnings season looms, stocks should continue their “V” recovery, with sentiment outweighing fundamentals.
What’s Brewing in Germany
9/29/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
The German parliament is set to shift toward a business-friendly, center-right majority. But the status quo, not significant change, is probably what’s brewing.
Wading Back In
9/18/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
A year after financial panic sent investors fleeing, risk appetite is on the rise again.
Misleading Milestones
7/24/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Investors would do well to ignore silly, numerical milestones.
Trial by Volatility
6/16/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Pullbacks are to be expected during market recoveries.
Fear of Heights
6/9/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Markets don’t adhere to humans’ preference for moderation.
Choose Rubber
5/27/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Stocks continue to stage a massive rally—despite plenty of bad news.
Throwback to High-Waters
5/13/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
With stocks down considerably from their high-water mark, it’s hard not to wonder how long it’ll take to get back there.
Too Fast, Too Furious?
5/12/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Some traditional stock valuation metrics are quickly approaching long-term averages. But compared to investment alternatives, stocks are still very cheap.
This Little Piggy
4/28/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Investors reacting to swine flu fears is an example of markets trading on sentiment, not fundamentals.
Blind Date
4/7/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Investor reactions to first-quarter earnings reports will be a function of expectations.
China’s Economic Game Plan
3/5/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Regardless of what was or not said, Premier Wen’s speech reaffirmed the Chinese government’s commitment to support economic growth.
A One-Two Punch
3/2/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Stock prices dropped today on dour news from the banking and economic fronts.
Tomorrow Is a New Day
1/2/2009 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Our sights are set on the future, but it’s tough to cast off the anchor of ‘08.
Fear Strikes Financials, Again
11/24/2008 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Fear strikes Financials—again!
Little Meaning in the Muck
11/21/2008 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Today’s volatility is sometimes hard to fathom—but some of it is surely due to existing non-fundamental pressures.
Invest for the Future, Not the Present
11/17/2008 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
During economic downturns, many wait for signs of recovery before investing. But investment decisions based on today’s news only puts investors behind.
Monsters Under the Bed
11/6/2008 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
New data is helping to bring the CDS market out of the shadows.
Monday’s Swing
10/14/2008 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
To put it lightly, this Monday was a nice change of pace.
An Uncertain Panic
10/7/2008 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Markets proved volatile as governments around the world took action
Fate Accompli
9/9/2008 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
For months, the fates of Fannie and Freddie seemed uncertain. Now, the federal takeover is a fait accompli.
Survey Says
8/26/2008 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
Sentiment-based surveys almost never capture the complete picture.
Earnings Expectations
7/29/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Earnings season is proving to be a bumpy ride, but good news exists.
Time to Go to the Bull Pen?
7/28/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Sector weightings are one of the key drivers of portfolio performance. Knowing when to make adjustments is vital to performance over time.
Fine for Me, But Not for Thee
7/25/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Most Americans feel terrible about the US economy—but it’s everyone else’s economy they hate, not their own.
Mark It to Market?
7/24/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Freddie and Fannie may be proxies for Financials woes in many ways, including in the distortions of mark-to-market accounting.
Pessimistic Prognosticators Aplenty
7/18/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Those in the financial industry are overwhelmingly bearish. Is there legitimate reason for their pessimism, or do the current troubles within their industry skew their views?
Of Whipsaws and Rumors
7/9/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Fears over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s failing health sent Financials and the broader market reeling, but a closer analysis shows rumors of pending regulation were greatly exaggerated.
Fore!
7/7/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Market volatility continued in the second quarter. But volatility is normal, and shouldn’t much matter to long-term investors—unless they panic.
Oxymoronic Growth
7/1/2008 By Fisher Investments Editorial Staff
That so many want to classify the economy today as being in recession is probably more a function of dour sentiment than economic reality.
Market Volatility and You
6/27/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Thursday’s market delivered another drubbing to investors. A third test of recent market lows surely proves tried and true investment disciplines no longer work, right? Wrong!
What’s the Deal?
6/25/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Mergers and acquisitions activity remains strong these days, a sign things aren’t as bad as some folks assume.
Hanging Tough…Over and Out!
6/24/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Many worry today’s market volatility is because the world’s more perilous than ever. Truth is, there’s never a dull moment. Hang tough!
Brave New World
6/10/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Some folks think a slowing global economy means less demand for energy and, eventually, lower oil prices. But slow economic growth is still growth, and the world will demand more oil, not less.
Freaky Friday
6/9/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
A pre-weekend panic sent stocks reeling, but the news that triggered the storm might not be so bad upon further inspection.
What Wealth Effect?
6/6/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Folks fearing the weak housing market will dampen consumer spending shouldn’t worry—consumer spending tracks disposable income, not home equity.
Bye-Bye Bear Stearns
5/30/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
The approval of Bear Stearns’ sale to JPMorgan turned out to be a snooze-fest, revealing the true shallowness of the so-called financial crisis.
Kicking the Habit
5/22/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Headlines declaring a credit crisis and subprime fears are muted at present, and that’s bullish.
Breakevenitis
5/20/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
After a market drop, investors can be tempted to sell out when they reach a breakeven point. But this temptation is best ignored—sales strategies based on arbitrary points in time hinder investment returns.
Over the Troubles and Out of the Woods?
5/7/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Recent economic data and media analysis have folks asking, “Is the worst over, or is the next shoe about to drop?”
Analyzing Analysts’ Analysis
4/23/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Analysts play an important role in capital markets’ evolution. However, their end result—ratings, estimates and price targets—should be taken with a grain of salt.
The Good, the Bad, and the Not So Bad
4/3/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Ben Bernanke’s congressional testimony on Wednesday seemingly supports calls for recession in 2008. Scaling the problems reveals slower growth, but a recession remains unlikely.
Confidence Confusion
3/31/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
New data shows consumers have the blues. Will stocks follow their wallowing?
Goldilocks Government
3/28/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
A “Goldilocks” government solution—just the right amount of government intervention and regulation—in economic markets is merely a fairytale.
Whoa-oh, Domino?
3/18/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
The sale of Bear Stearns marks an appropriate action from the Fed, not the beginning of the end for stocks.
A Confidence Game
3/17/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Today’s market turbulence probably had more to do with market confidence (or lack thereof) than substance.
Just Four Things
1/31/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Ignore short-term market swings and investor fears and focus on what the market’s likeliest to do going forward—only one of four possible scenarios.
America for Sale
1/16/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Fears surrounding foreign governments’ investments in US firms is unwarranted. Capital is capital—the freer it flows the better.
Nothing New
1/15/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Stocks took a walloping today on widely expected news tied to Financials’ health and mortgage-related asset write-downs.
The Fed’s Show and Tell
1/14/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
The Fed plans on communicating more regularly with the American public, which is nice, but we believe won’t ease volatility or make forecasting markets any less difficult.
Lenders on the Block
1/11/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
As two troubled Financials firms prepare to go on the auction block, note they are getting bought out by other Financials firms. The sector isn’t as imperiled as it may appear.
Junk Bonds and Green Skies
1/9/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Predictions about rising bond default rates seem too dour and highly unlikely.
A Hundred Bucks a Barrel
1/3/2008 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Headlines are making much of oil’s new milestone, but price milestones are meaningless and tell us nothing about the economy or market direction.
Recession Confusion
12/24/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Headlines, polls, feelings—none of these are good indicators of a coming recession. Instead, you must look at the hard data to know if we’re in recession.
Groundhog Day 2008
12/18/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Many of the market gurus have made their 2008 stock market predictions. Before making your own, we’d advise some critical thinking and skepticism.
You Call that Volatility?
12/17/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
There’s nothing unusual or alarming about recent market volatility. Though we may not remember it this way, market volatility is normal and should be expected.
Odds On
12/14/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Those looking for the “odds” of a recession are barking up the wrong tree. Economies are not games of chance.
The Willie Loman Effect
12/13/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
The newest rationale to be bearish is possibly the silliest yet: A vicious cycle-induced recession.
But Wait, There’s More
12/12/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
America’s and Europe’s central banks have coordinated in an innovative way to make capital available to troubled banks, which highlights the variety of liquidity sources available today for banks.
MarketMinder’s Letter to Santa
12/10/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
As 2007 draws to a close, we consider just a few of the market conditions that could help fuel a continued global equity bull market.
The Exclusionary Economy (Everyone but Me!)
11/29/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
As sentiment plunges toward multi-year lows, positive economic news continues to flow in—a uniquely bullish scenario for stocks.
Earnings Breather Not a Bear Harbinger
10/24/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Reported US corporate earnings are weak so far in the third quarter, but a close look at the numbers and proper perspective reveals this doesn’t signal a new bear market.
Same Old Song and Dance
10/16/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Two days of stock market weakness spawned resurgence in well-worn fears…and little more.
Ghost of October Past
10/15/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Similarities between today and October 1987 abound. But for as many superficial similarities the media highlights, there are as many or more fundamental differences.
The Real Risks
10/9/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Sensational headlines about subprime woes, a weak dollar, the “credit crisis,” etc., distract investors from seeing legitimate market risks. But never fear—the risks we identify here are unlikely to develop into major market negatives at this point.
October Horrors
10/1/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Is another Black Monday waiting for investors this October? Probably not, but expect to see endless headlines warning of coming trouble tied to the 20th anniversary.
Peeling the Onion
9/5/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
When media gloom disengages from positive economic reality (like today), it’s usually a great time to buy stocks.
They’d Rather Be in the Casket
8/27/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
A recent survey shows folks fear an impending credit crunch more than the specter of terrorism. Meanwhile, T-bill rates are climbing back toward the Fed Funds rate—both very bullish signals.
Sentimental Silliness
8/24/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Investors are too flaky to bank on short-term shifts in sentiment.
Best Credit Crunch Ever!
8/23/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Catcalls for a world economy in crisis on fears of the supposed credit crunch are getting sillier by the day as hard evidence of stability and strength piles on.
Jump the Shark
8/22/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Has the market jumped the shark? Tune in to find out.
Pray for Panic
8/10/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Pray for more investor panic. Bigger panic leads to bigger bounces.
Corrective Measures
8/3/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Our daddies told us there'd be days like this. The S&P 500 took a whooping today, capping what's been a tumultuous couple weeks in the market. But don't let a few days' frightening downside volatility scare you away from stocks just yet.
Wall of Worries
7/16/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Markets climb a wall of worry, but how can investors tell worries to ignore from legitimate worries?
Contronym Investing
6/18/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
If you ask the financial press, stock market investors have been "euphoric" over the last year.
The Inquiry Culture
5/15/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
When stocks go down, people start blaming each other.
Going Postal
4/11/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
SAT analogy question pop quiz: Postal Service is to Japan as _________ is to the United States.
A Bull Market Sell-Off
2/27/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
We wrote last week that the US stock market was on its longest run without a daily 2% decline since 1954.
If CEOs Don't, Investors Will Do It For Them
2/23/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Stocks are cheap and they need to get more expensive.
With a Little Bit of Time…
2/8/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Stocks are riskier than bonds, right? We’re not trying to trick you.
Overseas Opportunity
2/7/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
We’re outright bullish on stocks for 2007.
A Balance Sheet to Die For
1/23/2007 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Have a look at the balance sheet below.
Burning Questions; Scorched Investors
12/26/2006 By MarketMinder editorial staff
The WSJ Online recently held an online survey to answer this burning question: "What proportion of your holiday gift spending did you do online this year?" The results? As of December 26th: - 31% of shoppers do 75% to 100% of their shopping online
- 24% of shoppers do 50% to 75% of their shopping online
- 15% of shoppers do 25% to 50% of their shopping online
- 30% of shoppers do less than 25% of their shopping online
So, according to the survey, over 70% of people do some shopping online for the holidays, and well over half do more than 50% of their shopping online! Given such strong numbers, we ought to go out and buy up all the internet retailers like Amazon and ebay, right? Maybe.
Contrary About Contrarians
12/16/2006 By MarketMinder editorial staff
It’s that time of year again.
Skyscraper of Worry
12/1/2006 By MarketMinder editorial staff
A common adage among fellow behavioral finance devotees is "bull markets climb a wall of worry".
Much to Be Thankful For
11/25/2006 By MarketMinder editorial staff
We’re a little lethargic from all the turkey and fixings yesterday.
Fears for Facts… Blowout Sale!
10/24/2006 By MarketMinder editorial staff
We’re trading fears for facts! Come on down and trade in some of those jalopy-like worries you’ve been holding on to and drive a spanking new piece of data off the lot today! Fear of a recession? Trade it in for positive GDP data for no money down! Inflation fears? We’ve got a low headline inflation rate just waiting for you! We’re so sure you’ll love these facts once you’ve taken them for a test drive, you’ll trade in your fears for good! - Global GDP continues to outpace analyst forecasts and remains above average levels.
What, Me Worry?
10/18/2006 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Here are three facts:
1. The German economy is growing at its fastest rate since 2000.
2. German investor confidence is at its lowest level in more than 13 years, according to the ZEW survey.
3. The German DAX stock index is up over 19% this year (in USD).
Industrials Revolution?
10/10/2006 By MarketMinder editorial staff
We’ve noticed a lot of press lauding recent all-time highs of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
I'm OK, You're OK (and We're Both US Consumers)
9/29/2006 By MarketMinder editorial staff
Psychologist Thomas Harris wrote a book called I’m OK, You’re OK in 1976 explaining his theory on how we perceive ourselves and others.