7 Best Cheap Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2019

While in the midst of this Labor Day weekend that closes out the summer, I thought it appropriate to give some thought to investing ideas for the remainder of the year.  This article from Tuesday's U.S. News Invested seemed to be right up that alley.  Perhaps there's a good opportunity in there somewhere.  Continue to enjoy the holiday. 

Wall Street stalls to end weak August as China tariffs loom ahead of U.S. holiday

Ahead of the holiday weekend, there was a lot of whipsawing today with the Dow first up 150, then down 200, then up-down and up-down before closing at a humdrum 41 points up.  The jobs and manufacturing reports due out on Friday were supposed to placate investors but with all the last-minute rebalancing going on between stocks and bonds there was nary a mention of these important numbers as everyone continues sitting on the fence with way below average volume of just over 5.7 billion shares.  The biggest negative today was that there’s going to be a lot happening this weekend but investors don’t get to react to any of it until Tuesday so that’s got the whole market on edge.  The other big negative was that U of M’s consumer sentiment index dropped by the most in 7 years, another indication of lost public confidence, something that also precedes a recession. 

Wall Street rallies after China trade comments

All it took was for China to make an ever so slight comment that indeed both sides are now discussing the next round of tariff talks and the market zoomed right up, the Dow gaining a whopping 316 points.  Not to be overly optimistic though; the experts are saying that the comments from China were light on substance and that this is “more of a continued slow-walking.”  Anyway, all the China-dependent tech stocks got a big boost with the chip index up over 2 percent.  The downside is that, with the additional 5% tariff, many U.S. companies are now lining up to warn of price hikes.  But until Friday’s jobs report and manufacturing numbers, volume remains light at just over 6.0 billion shares traded. 

Wall Street climbs on energy, financials boost

Equities got a big confidence boost today when the 30-year bond yield fell below the S&P dividend yield, suddenly making stocks much more attractive and boosting the Dow 258 points.  There was also good news in the absence of further bad news on the trade war despite the additional 5% tariff that goes into effect September 1^st.  Next week comes the monthly jobs report and manufacturing data which will guide expectations but, meanwhile, the best news is that volume remains well below average at just 5.8 billion signaling a wait-and-see sentiment. 

Wall Street slips as financials drag, trade outlook clouds

The deepening of the yield curve inversion and continuing confusion over the direction of the trade war triggered today’s sell off which brought the Dow down 120 points, thus losing almost half of yesterday’s gains.  And Trump’s pronouncement about another round of talks with Beijing got refuted when China reported that they had not received any recent phone calls from the U.S.  As today’s expert said, without some more clarity and major backpedaling on the trade issues, “the economy is going to suffer.”  Volume was again considerably below average at just under 6.3 billion. 

Wall Street bounces as trade temperature cools

Another day with an ever so slight hint at a possible China trade deal sent the markets soaring again, the Dow gaining 269 points following comments from Trump that he believed China wanted a deal despite the recent tariff retaliation.  Nonetheless, the gains were meager relative to last week’s sharp losses and the fact that volume was down sharply, an indication that confidence is not there yet.  Economic data was not encouraging with new orders for U.S. goods rising only modestly in July and shipments falling to a 3 year low.  The upside is that this negative news could signal another rate cut next month.  Volume was considerably below the 4-week average at only 5.7 billion.  

Succinct Summations of Week’s Events 8.23.19 (plus 7 Tips for Investors When the Yield Curve Inverts)

So I've been exactly one month off, one month of settling into my new condo and, more importantly, closing up my old house in Keego so I can stop paying two rents, working night and day to accomplish these objectives.  There is still much unpacking and decorating to do but I can take all the time in the world for that stuff now. I turned my keys in to the Keego house on Saturday and turned off the utilities and those were the final tasks that had deadlines attached to them.  Now I can enjoy some much deserved relaxation to the end of a a very consuming summer that began the first week of June when I was told my rented house was sold and I had to vacate.