On March 9, 2009, the S&P 500 hit its low point for the treacherous bear market of 2008, which was spurred by the global financial crisis. The index bottomed out at 676.53.1 Today, the S&P 500 trades at over 2,500, with total gains off-the-bottom approaching +250%. As I write this column, however, I cannot actually […]
March 9th marked the nine-year anniversary of this bull market, which now stands as the second longest bull market in history (the 1990 – 2000 bull market is the longest) according to Strategas Research. Using history as a guide, we know that bull markets do not last forever. Stocks are likely destined to decline materially […]
A more appropriate title for this week’s column might be, “The 3 Most Important Stock Market Indicators That Few People Talk About.” If you are a regular reader of my column or are a Zacks Investment Management client, you know that corporate earnings are the single most influential indicator we use to make investment decisions. […]
With the S&P 500 regaining some lost ground from the early February correction, media attention seems to be finally shifting – albeit slowly – back to positive news, specifically earnings season. As our regular readers know, Zacks Investment Management never left the earnings discussion. We have maintained unwavering focus on earnings even at the height […]
Much of the market commentary focus these days has been on volatility, with prognosticators sizing up the likelihood of more selling in the weeks and months ahead. Broader media attention has squared relentlessly on Russia. With all the noise, hopefully readers have found some respite in the Winter Olympics. In hopes of breaking from the […]
The wild stock market gyrations of early February have given way and seemingly left market participants with an overall feeling of renewed price stability. We believe that at least for now, investors can think clearly again. With the markets experiencing a relative calm (again, for now), I’d like to offer up this suggestion to readers […]
Global equities markets took many market participants for a spin over the last couple of weeks. The sharp declines took many by surprise, especially considering that the S&P 500 had just completed its longest stretch in history without a drawdown of at least -5%. Indeed, from February 2016 through the end of last year, the […]
Trade has been in the spotlight lately, but not necessarily in a good way. NAFTA negotiations remain tense, and rhetoric suggests the U.S. could potentially walk away from the agreement. Over the last month, a 30% tariff landed on solar panels imported from China and a 20% tariff was slapped washing machines from South Korea. […]
Expectations for the U.S. economy are seemingly running high. With tax cuts, a rising stock market, historically low unemployment, and solid corporate earnings, it makes sense that investors and consumers alike are optimistic about what lies ahead. At Zacks Investment Management (ZIM), we’re optimistic too, but more so because of what we see when we […]
Around this time last year, I first started to write about a potential bear market in bonds – but not because I believed one was necessarily imminent. I was actually referring to forecasts being made by some well-known managers in the bond world. The argument being widely circulated at the time was that bond yields […]
