The U.S. stock market rebounded on Tuesday, following testimony from Chair Powell at his Senate confirmation hearing. Investors liked what he said, implying that the three anticipated quarter-point rate increases, which could start in March, would likely be enough to quell inflation (along a..
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According to market lore, an off-handed comment in a brief conversation between two Wall Street participants about a century ago dispensed perhaps the most valuable investing advice ever uttered. When asked what he thought stocks would do, the veteran John R. is said have...
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Private equity, the polished-up name for venture capital and leveraged buyout funds, is white-hot. If every market cycle has its own Masters of the Universe (the 1990s had tech mutual funds, the 2000s had hedge funds), the past decade’s MOTU was clearly private equity.
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Our comments this week are mostly questions. Day-to-day gyrations make sense on the surface. Yesterday, the market surged on news of China easing its monetary policy combined with a growing sense of relief that the Omicron variant is milder than previously understood. But the...
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The market is beginning to more fully anticipate a post-Covid environment and economy. As such, investors are looking to slower/normalized/sustainable growth following the bulge from the pandemic stimulus programs and pent-up demand, higher interest rates, and a relenting of supply chain issues.
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We continue to watch in amazement the values that the market puts on electric vehicle makers, with the most recent example of Rivian Automotive (RIVN). Since its IPO at $78/share, RIVN shares have doubled, making the EV company’s roughly 900 million shares worth total...
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Like nature, stock markets have seasons. We experienced a brief but frigid winter about 18 months ago when nearly every stock wilted as capital markets froze (no pun intended, mostly).
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We’re watching with wonder how Tesla is now a $1 trillion company and that Elon Musk, by himself, is worth more than all of ExxonMobil. There is some poetic irony that the pioneer of electric vehicles and solar panels is outshining (no pun the...
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A few weeks ago, at the annual Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago, two investing icons debated the merits of value versus growth. On the value side was Rob Arnott, founder and head of Research Affiliates, with Cathie Wood, founder and head of ARK Management,...
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Last week, we wrote about how lower quality, in both home appliances and tangible money, debases value and is a form of inflation. Today’s note includes some of our current views on inflation and capital markets, and what investors can do to help inflation’s...
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Across almost the entire length of the yield curve, interest rates are ticking up. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield reached 1.53% and may be headed back toward its December 2019 rate of about 1.90%. In an economy that is showing rapid growth, with well...
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It’s not news that the stock market has been sloppy lately. After the steady march upward to a doubling of the S&P 500 from the early 2020 low, and a 33% increase from year-end 2019 before the pandemic, one can hardly be disappointed the...
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After a stunningly strong market so far this year, with the S&P 500 producing a 20% total return through Monday, the slow grind-down of most stocks since early September has seemed interminable. The 1,100 largest stocks in our 3,000-stock database have declined only in...
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This week, we are rolling forward our valuation comments – generally dropping our valuation based on 2021 estimates, where appropriate, while adding commentary based on estimates for 2023. Most analysts project that all of their companies will have higher earnings in future years, we...
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The Cabot Undervalued Stocks Advisor is on vacation this week, recharging the batteries for what could be a very interesting September and fourth quarter in the financial markets. As such, this week’s edition will be abbreviated in length, although we include our Cisco earnings commentary full...
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Some time ago, there was a television show with the above title that pulled viewers back into the 1970s. It used that earlier era to create a somewhat unique vibe that inadvertently highlighted how much has changed in our world over the decades.
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Just reading those words, “climate change,” is almost certain to light up emotions. Regardless of one’s opinions on the degree of urgency and which of a very wide range of proposed policies and actions should be taken, how could words about the end the...
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The stock market reached yet another record high on Monday, but it just doesn’t seem the same as earlier records. Investors (and everyone else) is starting to wonder if Covid is now endemic – an inherent component of everyday life. Will cases surge the...
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Last week, we wrote about how the damp Boston-area weather matched the soggy stock market. Pressing our literary luck today, the market is following another New England weather meme: “if you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes.”
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In the Boston area, we’ve had nearly 8 inches of rain so far this month. This 0.7 inches-per-day average compares to the 0.6 inches-per-day average for a monsoon rainforest, the type found in the tropics along the equator. Sounds a lot like the mood...
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