Succinct Summations for the Week 4.17.20 (plus special AAII virtual event 4/21)

The usual weekly summation is below.  The positive this week was a big one -- not only was there a respectable rally for second week in a row but also promising progress on potential vaccines and treatments.  The big negative is the same as before -- the lack of a proper U.S. response to the health crisis compared to other nations, and per Mr. Ritholtz, a deficiency that likely raised the death toll far above what it might have been otherwise.

The bonus this Sunday evening is a heads up (in case some of you didn't get the email) of a very special virtual event that the AAII will be offering on the 22nd. Financial analyst David Hageman will be conducting the live video event about dividend stocks for both income and capital growth.  Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend.  Happily, COVID-19 is finally on the decline here in Michigan and Detroit. 


Succinct Summations for the Week 4.17.20

April 17, 2020 4:30pm by Barry Ritholtz

Succinct Summations for the week ending April 17th, 2020

Positives:

1. Markets rallied for the second straight week; Progress is being made on potential vaccines & treatments;
2. Jobless claims fell 1.370M w/o/w from 6.615M to 5.245M, below expectations.
3. Home mortgage purchase apps fell 2.0% w/o/w, above expectations.
4. Home mortgage refinance apps rose 10.0% w/o/w, above previous decrease of 19.0.
5. Index of Leading Economic Indicators fell 6.7% m/o/m, below expectations.
6. Business Inventories fell 0.4% m/o/m.

Negatives:

1. US response to the Coronavirus pandemic pales in comparison to countries (like Germany or South Korea) that acted swiftly and decisively. The difference could be as high as total fatality count that was 90% avoidable;
2. Retail sales fell 8.7% m/o/m, below the previous decrease of 7.3%.
3. Housing Market Index is at 30 for April, below the expected 60.
4. Import prices fell 2.3% m/o/m, below previous decrease of 0.7%; Export prices fell 1.6% m/o/m, below previous decrease of 1.1%.
5. Housing starts came in at an annual rate of 1.216M for March, below expected 1.350M.
6. Industrial production fell 5.4% m/o/m, below the expected decrease of 4.2%.  

-----Original Message-----
From: AAII <listserv@aaii.com>
To: mgrogie <mgrogie@aol.com>
Sent: Fri, Apr 17, 2020 3:57 pm
Subject: AAII Live Webinar Event: April 22

AAII Live Webinar Event: April 22 The American Association of Individual Investors invites you to participate in a live video event! Join us on Wednesday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m. CDT.  Seeking Dividend Safety and Aristocrats in a Volatile Market Dividend-paying stocks can satisfy investors' need for current income and capital growth. In this volatile market, protecting current income for investors is more important than ever. AAII's Derek Hageman will discuss some of the metrics to look for when assessing dividend safety and sustainability. He will also provide an explanation of the Dividend Aristocrats — companies within the S&P 500 index that have increased their dividends consecutively for 25 years or more. There will be time for attendee questions on this topic to be answered. Derek Hageman, a financial analyst at AAII and editor of AAII Dividend Investing, leads this webinar. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance and French from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an MBA from the University of Denver. He is a Level III Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Candidate and has analyzed both publicly traded and privately held companies. Hageman's experience includes working as an equity analyst at a long/short value investment firm, real estate investment manager for a family office and a senior associate at a private equity firm.    Join your fellow AAII members and register for the event by clicking on the link below. » REGISTER NOW Regards, Ryan Reeh Assistant Editor/Programs Manager, AAII