The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
The streaming wars just got a lot more interesting
photo of David and Larry Edison
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, In a move that could reshape the entertainment industry, sources say Paramount Skydance is preparing a bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The news sent shockwaves through Wall Street, with WBD’s stock surging over 28%—its best day ever.
Continue reading Is a New Media Giant on the Horizon? Paramount Skydance Eyes Warner Bros. Discovery
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
In the fast-paced realm of finance and investment, where trends evolve rapidly, having access to consistent, reliable, and insightful information is crucial. This is precisely where “The Investor Show,” hosted by Prince Dykes, shines as a guiding light for many navigating the complexities of the market. Recently, this commitment to financial education and empowerment has garnered well-deserved recognition from FeedSpot, which has ranked “The Investor Show” among the top five investing podcasts in Colorado.
If you’re dipping your toes into the thrilling pool of trading for the first time, you might be wondering if using auto traders is legal. It’s a legitimate worry, especially when significant sums of money are at stake, and there’s this scary possibility of losing it all in one go. Pinning down an exact answer to that question can be tricky because it depends on factors like where you live. But generally speaking, laws usually focus more on the act of trading itself rather than what gadgets or software you use to do it. In this article, we’ll dissect this question and highlight why an auto trader could become your secret weapon in crafting a killer trading strategy.
Continue reading Are Automated Traders Such As MetaTrader 4 Legal?
While the stock market isn’t doing as well right now as it has in previous years, that doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t seek to invest in stocks. However, there are some things you need to know before jumping into buying and trading stock to increase your passive income.
Continue reading How to Start Investing in Stocks: A Beginner’s Guide
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Recession has been averted. The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series Saturday night, pushing the most reliable recession indicator we have (a Philly-based team won in ’29, ’30, ’80, and ’08) off for at least a year.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Apple hit a market cap of $3 trillion during intraday trading on Monday. It was the first publicly traded US company to hit a $1 trillion market cap in 2018. Apple showed annual growth across all of its product categories in its fourth-quarter earnings. Investors remain bullish, with many predicting more growth in the near future. Apple’s peers aren’t far behind, with Microsoft worth about $2.5 trillion, Google about $2 trillion, and Amazon around $1.75 trillion.
A stock market is a marketplace where people trade with shares. It provides a safe platform for people to buy and sell shares of companies. The buyers and sellers decide the prices of the shares here. The basic aim of stock market trading is the exchange of securities with a minimum risk associated with trading. Trading is the best option for the ones who want to start with an investment of small amounts and are afraid of fraud and losing their money. You can check VectorVest to know more about stock investments.
Continue reading Efficient Ways to Learn to Trade By Yourself
photo Louis Rukeyser
By Noel Randewich | SAN FRANCISCO
Technology companies have been a driving force behind the U.S. stock market’s recent record rally, and despite mounting evidence of stretched valuations the sector remains a top pick for investors expecting a wave of capital expenditures by U.S. corporations.
Corporate tax cuts and reduced regulations planned by President Donald Trump will give companies reason to spend more on cloud computing, factory automation and smart connectivity that will directly benefit Silicon Valley, many on Wall Street believe.
“The tax cuts are going to promote business investment across all industries, and the business investment is largely going to be in technology,” said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at Voya Investment Management in New York.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks-weekahead-idUSKBN16A2JT?il=0
JOHN REITMEYER | JANUARY 26, 2017
New figures don’t negate fundamental funding problems, but they bring some good news for the beleaguered pension system
The board that oversees New Jersey’s beleaguered public-employee pension system received some good news yesterday as new figures showed overall investment returns finished ahead by about 7 percent last year.
While those returns didn’t live up to the 7.9 percent assumption that’s set in state law for the pension system, they marked a significant improvement over the year before, when investments generated less than 1 percent returns.
The new calendar-year figures also suggested a much better outlook for the pension system — which is deep in debt thanks to years of underfunding by the state — after figures released last year for the 2016 fiscal year showed negative returns for the first time in nearly a decade. (The fiscal year runs on a July 1 to June 30 schedule, mirroring the state budget cycle.)
The full dive into the 2016 calendar-year investment returns took place yesterday during a public meeting of the State Investment Council, the board that sets policy for the $72 billion pension system. State officials said the improvement largely occurred during the second part of 2016, with areas like equity and real estate leading the way after a poor start that included plummeting energy prices. They also released new figures for alternative investments like hedge funds and private equity that showed a slight increase in fees but an overall reduction in other costs like bonuses for performance.
by Tyler Durden
Dec 3, 2016 8:30 PM
Amid the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in the stock, bond, and commodity markets this week, a few ‘rotten’ things began to emerge. With major indices diverging notably, new highs and new lows soaring, and breadth deteriorating, analysts noted the re-awakening of The Hindenburg Omen signal…
As John Hussman previously wrote, when we think of market “internals,” the number of new highs and new lows can contribute useful information. To expand on the vocabulary we use to talk about internals, “leadership” typically refers to the number of stocks achieving new highs and new lows; “breadth” typically refers to the number of stocks advancing versus declining in a given day or week; and “participation” typically refers to the percentage of stocks that are advancing or declining in tandem with the major indices.
The original basis for the Hindenburg signal traces back to the “high-low logic index” that Norm Fosback created in the 1970’s. Jim Miekka introduced the Hindenburg as a daily rather than weekly measure, Kennedy Gammage gave it the ominous name, and Peter Eliades later added several criteria to reduce the noise of one-off signals, requiring additional confirmation that amounts to a requirement that more than one signal must emerge in the context of an advancing market with weakening breadth.
And this week saw renowned technician Tom McClellan declare a Hindenburg Omen had struck…
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-12-03/did-market-just-flash-hindenburg-omen-warning
November 8,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, With the presidential election dominating the news cycles, many investors may be keeping an eye on the stock market as well as the voting booth as they wonder what impact the election of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump could have on their portfolios.
“Presidential elections are almost always a big part of the greater theme of markets, but in this case even more so,” says Benjamin Lupu, a Certified Financial Planner and founder of Kensington AMI (www.KensingtonAMI.com), an asset-management firm.
Lupu says it’s important to understand that how voters weigh their Election Day choices and how the market views the candidates aren’t necessarily the same thing.
As hard as it might be, he says, investors should lay aside any personal political leanings as they assess what factors might keep the market humming and what factors might upset the market – and affect their investments in the process.
“From an investment standpoint, this isn’t about being for one candidate or the other,” Lupu says. “It’s a matter of trying to gauge what the markets might do depending on different scenarios, and trying to plan and respond accordingly.”
He says factors to consider include:
• The Clinton impact. What ever opinion people may have of Clinton, she represents status quo, continuity and predictability, which markets prefer, Lupu says. Markets in general have been buoyant in recent months as a decisive win for Clinton had been the consensus expectation and has been priced into the markets. Those expectations could change quickly, though, and investors would need to consider adjustments if they do. “Harsh reality may have something to say about this before the process is over, and any reversal in the polls can greatly upset markets,” he says.
• The Trump impact. Trump is extremely popular with his populist base in the U.S., and some people would consider a Trump victory good for business. The wild card, though, is that he’s immensely unpopular in much of the rest of the world, Lupu says. If the race is seen as close, or if Trump is considered to have a strong chance of winning, global markets could react negatively, at least initially. If the odds of a Trump win appear to be improving, it might be a good idea for investors to reduce exposure, stay partially in cash and see what transpires, Lupu says.
• A general approach. Financial security in the U.S. has traditionally come from three things: sound, long-term process; clear, unemotional thinking; and American optimism, Lupu says. “I like to say keep it clean, be disciplined and have faith in the future,” he says. In this case, that means be aware of market expectations, follow what happens, but stay focused and make prudent decisions based on facts and not emotions – or personal political preferences.
In any other presidential election year, Lupu says, he wouldn’t advocate keeping such a close watch on who’s ahead in the polls and the implications behind the poll numbers. But Clinton vs. Trump is far from the typical race.
“I admit this is not the usual playbook for election years,” Lupu says. “But then, this election is not the usual affair.”
About Benjamin Lupu
Benjamin Lupu, a Certified Financial Planner, is founder of Kensington AMI (www.KensingtonAMI.com), an asset-management firm in California. He has 36 years experience as an investment advisor, and his primary expertise is dividend and income investment and total return methodology.
Brian Price | @PriceCNBC
Saturday, 5 Nov 2016 | 5:00 PM ET
David Stockman, the man widely credited as the “Father of Reaganomics”, delivered an alarming message to investors.
Sell everything!
“The markets are hideously inflated,” warned Stockman on CNBC’s “Fast Money” this week. The former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan urged investors to dump stocks and bonds ahead of the dangers that bothDonald Trump and Hillary Clinton pose to markets if either is elected as President.
“If you don’t sell before the election, certainly do it afterwards. Government is going to be totally paralyzed regardless of who wins,” he said. “There could be a 25 percent draw down on markets.”
Stockman posits that, under a Clinton administration, official investigations and new hacked email disclosures from Wikileaks will be non-stop. Furthermore, he reasoned that the “house will become a killing field” for anything Clinton is trying to do. Ultimately, Stockman said the Democrat would enter the Oval Office bruised, bloody and all but lacking in legitimacy.
October 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, With the presidential election dominating the news cycles, many investors may be keeping an eye on the stock market as well as the voting booth as they wonder what impact the election of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump could have on their portfolios.
“Presidential elections are almost always a big part of the greater theme of markets, but in this case even more so,” says Benjamin Lupu, a Certified Financial Planner and founder of Kensington AMI (www.KensingtonAMI.com), an asset-management firm.
Lupu says it’s important to understand that how voters weigh their Election Day choices and how the market views the candidates aren’t necessarily the same thing.
As hard as it might be, he says, investors should lay aside any personal political leanings as they assess what factors might keep the market humming and what factors might upset the market – and affect their investments in the process.
“From an investment standpoint, this isn’t about being for one candidate or the other,” Lupu says. “It’s a matter of trying to gauge what the markets might do depending on different scenarios, and trying to plan and respond accordingly.”
He says factors to consider include:
• The Clinton impact. What ever opinion people may have of Clinton, she represents status quo, continuity and predictability, which markets prefer, Lupu says. Markets in general have been buoyant in recent months as a decisive win for Clinton had been the consensus expectation and has been priced into the markets. Those expectations could change quickly, though, and investors would need to consider adjustments if they do. “Harsh reality may have something to say about this before the process is over, and any reversal in the polls can greatly upset markets,” he says.
• The Trump impact. Trump is extremely popular with his populist base in the U.S., and some people would consider a Trump victory good for business. The wild card, though, is that he’s immensely unpopular in much of the rest of the world, Lupu says. If the race is seen as close, or if Trump is considered to have a strong chance of winning, global markets could react negatively, at least initially. If the odds of a Trump win appear to be improving, it might be a good idea for investors to reduce exposure, stay partially in cash and see what transpires, Lupu says.
• A general approach. Financial security in the U.S. has traditionally come from three things: sound, long-term process; clear, unemotional thinking; and American optimism, Lupu says. “I like to say keep it clean, be disciplined and have faith in the future,” he says. In this case, that means be aware of market expectations, follow what happens, but stay focused and make prudent decisions based on facts and not emotions – or personal political preferences.
In any other presidential election year, Lupu says, he wouldn’t advocate keeping such a close watch on who’s ahead in the polls and the implications behind the poll numbers. But Clinton vs. Trump is far from the typical race.
“I admit this is not the usual playbook for election years,” Lupu says. “But then, this election is not the usual affair.”
About Benjamin Lupu
Benjamin Lupu, a Certified Financial Planner, is founder of Kensington AMI (www.KensingtonAMI.com), an asset-management firm in California. He has 36 years experience as an investment advisor, and his primary expertise is dividend and income investment and total return methodology.
John Authers
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A growing number of investors believe that US stocks are overvalued, creating the risk of a significant bear market, according to research by Yale University market scholar Robert Shiller.
The Nobel economics laureate told the Financial Times that his valuation confidence indices, based on investor surveys, showed greater fear that the market was overvalued than at any time since the peak of the dotcom bubble in 2000.
“It looks to me a bit like a bubble again with essentially a tripling of stock prices since 2009 in just six years and at the same time people losing confidence in the valuation of the market,” he said.
However, he made clear that it remained impossible to time any fall in the market, and cast doubt on whether stocks would drop should the Federal Reserve raise rates later this week.
https://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/85d0becc-58c5-11e5-a28b-50226830d644.html#axzz3ljsXS2jM
By Tomi Kilgore
Published: Sept 1, 2015 1:37 p.m. ET
“Death cross” patterns continue to spread through the stock market like an epidemic, even infecting market segments believed to be more insulated from overseas turmoil.
The Russell 2000 index RUT, -2.71% of small-capitalization stocks became the latest victim among the major market indexes. The index’s 50-day moving average fell to 1,222.95 in midday trade Tuesday, crossing below the 200-day moving average (MA), which slipped to 1,224.11, according to FactSet.
Many chart watchers believe a death cross, when the 50-day MA crosses below the 200-day MA, indicates that a shorter-term decline has developed into a longer-term downtrend.
The Russell 2000’s last death cross appeared on Sept. 22, 2014. The index fell another 7.1% in the three weeks after that before bottoming at a one-year low.
That follows the death cross that appeared in the S&P MidCap 400 Index MID, -2.83% on Monday.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/death-cross-patterns-spread-like-a-bearish-virus-2015-08-28
