12 Companies That Pay Monthly Dividends...

For your bonus this Sunday evening, I am forwarding on an email from Pro Trader Strategies that invites you to download a free booklet about 12 specific stocks that pay monthly dividends, for those of you who are interested in investing for income.  I have received a lot of emails from Pro Trader Strategies in the past but cannot recall if I ever clicked on their free links before. 

7 Safe Stocks To Buy With High Quality Ratings

Courtesy of this week's issue of U.S. News Invested, here is another short list of winning stocks right now that should fit any portfolio.  As always, for more detail on any of these stocks, click on the link provided.  Enjoy the weekend. At tomorrow should be nice.  

Wall Street shakes off Amazon, Apple weakeness to end modestly higher

The indexes spent much of the day in the red due to very disappointing Q3 reports from Amazon and Apple, but thankfully offset by good news from Microsoft which not only bounced them back but even respectably in the black again. As today’s expert put it, “The takeaway is the resilience to the overall index despite 10% of the market cap in two companies and yet the market is flat” (actually up!)  

S&P, Nasdaq hit record closing highs on earnings bullishness

As has been the pattern for quite some time now, the market bounced back big time today as the concern over the flattening yield curve took a backseat to the gushing Q3 reports which has almost half of the S&P in with 82% beating estimates and the earnings growth forecast now raised to 38.6 percent. All three indexes got a big boost with the Dow gaining back almost as much as it lost yesterday.  One thing boosting confidence is the new consensus that Biden’s bill would not boost corporate taxes as much as feared.  Volume remains above average at just over 11 billion. 

Cyclicals drag S&P 500 lower; Microsoft, Alphabet keep Nasdaq flat

The combo of dropping oil prices and the flattening of the Treasury yield curve prompted investors to move money out of cyclicals and into the more reliable tech sector with the Nasdaq up over 120 points before crashing back down to break-even in the final hour of trading, and the Dow taking a hit of 266 points. Q3 reporting continues swimmingly with 192 companies reporting and 83% beating estimates, prompting the Q3 earnings forecast to once again be bumped up, today to 37.6 percent. Volume was again above average at 11.7 billion. 

Wall Street closes at record but Facebook weighs

It was a day of taking a breath as more Q3 reports come in with Facebook in particular being a disappointment, but then that’s something that everyone certainly saw coming.  And even though the indexes didn’t move much, there was still a very small upward motion that sent the Dow and S&P to still new records.  The good news is that consumer confidence rebounded and new home sales surged but this also pointed to too much good data that might impact the Fed’s policies.  So there was also some caution reflected in the defensive sectors. Volume was considerably above average at 12.3 billion.  

S&P 500, Dow close at new highs as Facebook starts heavy earnings week

As we enter one of the heaviest Q3 reporting weeks both the Dow and S&P reached new highs and another big boost into tech raised the Nasdaq just 1% away from its record. With 1/3 of the S&P now reporting and 83% topping forecasts, earnings estimates are now expected to grow by 34.8 percent. For the second day, volume is above the 4-week average at 10.9 billion. 

Maximize Your Money Monday

To conclude the weekend, here's a final reminder of a new AAII webinar Monday afternoon at 3 pm. where the offering will be the Platinum Open House, a sneak peek at AAII's new member benefit AAII Platinum.  As always preregistration is required and can be done by clicking the link below. Also a reminder of the October 25th of PRISM.  Hope everyone is bracing for a soggy week.  Hope nobody gets flooded. We've had quite enough of that this summer for one lifetime.  

Seismic Shifts: Perspectives On Inflation

This week's guest on PBS' WealthTrack is Jason De Sena Trennert, CEO of Strategas Research Partners and a financial thought leader named as one of the top macro research providers. This week he authored an editorial in The Wall Street Journal "Does the Fed Have the Will To Fight Inflation?"  The title would seem to suggest that he's challenging the Fed's position that the recent severe spike in inflation is transitory, a position many have doubts about. (I personally believe the Fed is right on the money on this one.) In this segment he discusses his perspectives on inflation and the Fed and it's likely to be different and one which will be useful to all of us.  Enjoy the weekend. 

Nasdaq, S&P 500 end lower, dragged down by communications services

It seems the supply chain problem is hitting the advertiser-dependent companies particularly hard and since the tech and communications companies are advertiser dependent, there was a rush out of tech today and back into cyclicals. It is the irony that despite the fact that the consumer has both the cash and desire to buy goods, if the goods cannot be delivered and therefore cannot be purchased, there’s no point in advertising so companies have severely curtailed their ad budgets. As today’s expert put it, “Advertisers are not going to advertise things they can’t sell.”  

S&P 500 climbs to record closing high; IBM weighs on the Dow

Wow, the Dow plunged over 150 points right out the gate but slowly recovered to close about even. Meanwhile, yesterday’s rush away from tech was followed by today’s rush to tech as the Nasdaq advanced 94 points and the S&P 13 as it became a mild risk-off day with defensive stocks dominating.  The VIX hit its lowest level since February 2020 (just before the start of the pandemic) implying that investors do not see a big decline coming and that supply chain problems and subsequent inflation are transitory.  More good news included a 19 month low in new unemployment claims. As confidence increases, volume is gaining but still a tad below the 4-week average at just under 10.1 billion. 

Wall Street closes higher as earnings reports soothe investor fears

It was another straight up day with the Dow especially benefitting from better than expected Q3 reporting.  The profits beating forecasts have eased some supply chain concerns as the companies are being successful passing the higher costs onto the customers, thereby maintaining their margins. 14% of the S&P is in with more than 85% beating expectations and pushing the Q3 earnings growth forecast now to 33 percent, from 29 a few weeks ago. Adding to the optimism was that the S&P Value Index, which has the economically sensitive stocks, was up nearly 1 percent.  As more Q3 reports pour in, volume remains below average at just under 9.3 billion. 

Wall Street ends higher as investors bet on positive earnings season

The market continued betting on a great Q3 as a great deal more companies roll out their reports this week.  Not only did the tech sector continue its boost but the more traditional healthcare and utilities sectors came back in a big way today after getting beaten down yesterday. The Dow shot up nearly 200, the S&P over 30.  There is still concern of another pullback, but that will depend entirely on how Q3 earnings go.  Yes, naturally, there will be a pullback if all this Q3 optimism proves to be misguided, but the prognosticators are betting otherwise. The VIX is at its lowest since August but that’s not stopping investors from continuing the “wait-and-see” as was evidenced by the still below average volume of 9.5 billion. 

S&P, Nasdaq enjoy boost from big tech firms, Dow ends a hair lower

After a rocky start with the Dow diving over 250 points right out the gate, it was a straight trajectory up as everyone rushed back into tech seemingly optimistic about Q3. The initial plunge was attributed to bad news from China which reported its slowest growth in a year, but the jitters that triggered were quickly put aside on hopes that a much more solid Q3 will be evident by the end of this week as by then there will be a much bigger slate of reports from a diverse set of industries.  Q3 earnings are now expected to show 32% growth over last year and there was more good news with the consumer discretionary sector being the biggest gainer showing that spending is still solid. The biggest decliners were in the defensive sectors which also pointed to optimism. As more Q3 filters in, volume remains on the down-low at 9.1 billion. 

9 of the Best Stocks for a Starter Portfolio

To close off this weekend, I thought I'd get back to basics and offer something for beginners. This week's edition of U.S. News Invested fit the bill perfectly with a suggested starter portfolio that can't miss. As always, more detail on each company can be found by clicking on the link provided below. Hope everyone had a great weekend.  

A $500 Bonus: 10 highest paid jobs in financial advice

When I got this week's issue of Investment News in my email this morning, I thought it'd be fun to share it for anyone who's curious as to what salaries investment professionals command. It's a gift since just yesterday info on the top 25 jobs was offered in another email for the bargain price of just $500.  (And you will see that same offer at the bottom of this one.) Today they offered for free summary info on the top ten jobs.  So for those who are curious ... I'll just say that, for being top jobs, I was frankly surprised at how few of them had CFP, CFA, and Series 7 designations which everyone I know in the industry had to get (especially Series 7) in the first year or two after hiring in at entry level.  Hope everyone is enjoying this nice crisp fall weekend.  

Wall St ends up with Goldman; Dow posts biggest weekly rise since June

For a third day there’s been a big rally with 8% of the S&P now putting in their Q3 reports and especially the banking sector coming out glowing. Despite higher prices and supply chain problems, September had a surprise rise in retail sales to boost optimism about holiday shopping. Q3 is certainly fueling the rise but as today’s expert put it, “We’ll really see the results in the next couple of weeks as a great bulk of companies in all sectors report.”  So “wait-and-see” continues, which was reflected in the still below average volume of 9.8 billion, but as the expert said, the next couple of weeks will probably tell all and get people off the fence. Or back on it longterm. But if past quarters are any indicator, it will be the former. 

S&P 500 surges, biggest daily percentage rise since March on earnings, data

Morgan Stanley, United Health, Citigroup, and Bank of America among others turned in stellar Q3 reports today and that sent all three indexes rocketing up, the S&P to its biggest daily percentage gain since March. Other good news included unemployment claims falling to a 19 month low and producer prices easing suggesting COVID-driven inflation may have peaked. As Q3 reporting is just now starting, volume remains considerably below average at just under 9.3 billion as investors continue to “wait and see.” 

S&P 500, Nasdaq rise with growth stocks; JPMorgan a drag

The market took a big dive right out the gate, the Dow down almost 300 points by 10 a.m., then rebounded throughout the session to close near even while investors simultaneously rushed back into the Big Tech growth stocks boosting the Nasdaq by 105 points.  As yet another example of market irrationality, JP Morgan took a hit of 2.6% even though its Q3 earnings beat estimates. Today was the first day of Q3 reporting and, though strong profit growth is expected and as is usually the course, volume remains well below average as investors retain their wait-and-see positions. 

Wall Street ends lower on jitters ahead of earnings, Fed minutes

It was another day of jitters over upcoming Q3 earnings reports but at least the market came down less than half of what it did yesterday.  The Fed minutes coming Wednesday added to the caution and though Q3 is widely expected to come in strong, investors are taking a wait-and-see approach until more data is forthcoming. The good news, as today’s expert put it, is that the “negative impact of shortages, higher rates and supply chain bottlenecks are currently reflected where equity prices are now.”  The labor market remains tight with a record number of Americans quitting their jobs and over 10 million job vacancies.  Volume is again considerably below the 4-week average at just under 9.2 billion. 

Wall St ends choppy session lower on earnings jitters; financials down

The market was actually up much of the day and then sank quickly and deeply in the late afternoon which can only be explained by nerves over how supply chain problems might impact Q3 profits.  This is in spite of the fact that Q3 is forecasted to be up 30% from last year.  Today’s expert could only sum it up by saying, “The market is a bit cautious going into this earnings season.”  When has the market ever not been cautious going into earnings season?  And, at least for the past couple of years, when has the forecast ever been anything but understated, sometimes grossly understated?  But following the very rough September, nerves are frayed.  And the caution is reflected in the way below average volume of just over 8.1 billion. 

Introducing the PRISM Wealth-Building Process Academy

This coming Wednesday evening, the AAII will be hosting a virtual seminar on a new tool being offered to members called the PRISM Wealth-Building Process Academy.  Charles Rothblut will be making the presentation to show us how to get started and take maximum advantage of this new benefit.  As always, pre-registration is required.  For those of you employed by the government or the financial services industry, enjoy the remainder of this holiday weekend.  For the rest of you, back to work tomorrow, hope you had a great weekend.  

7 of the Best Performing ETFs in Q3

Okay, once again for your weekend perusal is the latest issue of U.S. News Invested with some more practical tips -- this time about the best ETFs to buy right now.  The summary is below. By clicking on the link, you'll get more details.  Enjoy the weekend.  

S&P 500 ends lower after U.S. September jobs miss

How can two employment reports be so completely different? On Wednesday the market was way up because the private payrolls report showed 33% more jobs created than was forecasted. Today the market, after being up a hundred points or more, came crashing down when the nonfarm payrolls report came in below – way below --  forecasts with less than half the jobs created than expected and the fewest new jobs in nine months. Despite this, unemployment fell and wages rose. Continuing very serious supply chain issues are expected to create a choppy Q3 reporting season which begins next week.  Volume was considerably below average at 9.2 billion. 

Wall Street ends day with solid gains; investors hail U.S. debt-ceiling truce

For the third straight day we have a triple-digit rally with Big Tech roaring back as investors continue to ride the wave of optimism over the debt ceiling and the resurging recovery with today’s jobless benefits coming in at their lowest in three months.  It is expected that employment will continue to ramp up and, with Q3 reporting starting next week, earnings are estimated to rise by nearly 30%.  Volume again was a little below average at 10.1 billion. 

Wall Street ends higher on optimism about U.S. debt-ceiling deal

It was a second day of buying pushing all three indexes up on the optimism over avoiding a debt default as McConnell signaled he would accept a deal for an extension. Other than that, the private payrolls report showing 32% more jobs added than forecasted dampened enthusiasm by signaling that things might be going well enough for the Fed to rein in stimulus. As always, Friday’s non-farm payrolls report is the one that will count. Volume again was just a little below average at 10.6 billion. 

Wall Street closes sharply higher as Big Tech roars back

In this on-again, off-again market, the pendulum swung to on-again today as Big Tech made a Big Comeback, the S&P coming back almost halfway from yesterday, now 3% below the September high rather than 5 percent. As today’s expert summed it up, “We’re buying the dip, but the dip isn’t 10% anymore. The dip is now 2% or 4%.”  Wednesday the Senate will vote on the debt ceiling and Friday will come the September employment report. And you can bet there will be more dips and more buying the dip as we proceed.  Volume was a little below average at 10.3 billion. 

Nasdaq ends sharply down; rising Treasury yields sink Big Tech

With Treasury yields rising, something seen to hurt Big Tech, investors moved out of the Nasdaq today and the frets over the debt ceiling took care of the flight from the other indexes. But as today’s expert optimistically put it, “This is a part of the correction process. Rates were clearly too low and are moving closer to their real value.” The Nasdaq closed at its lowest since July and the S&P has slumped 5% from its record high a month ago.  Volume was a little above the 4-week average at 11.1 billion. 

Top Tips and Takeaways From the AAII Investor Conference 360

To close out another weekend, once again there is a virtual AAII seminar coming up this coming Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.  The topic is one that should interest everyone: The Best of This Year's AAII Conference. As always, preregistration is required and a link for that is below. Hope everyone had a great weekend.  

Evergrande Extravaganza and Beyond

If you're like me and most of the rest of us, you never heard of Evergrande prior to the last couple of weeks when it started roiling the markets. So I offer this week's edition of WealthTrack as Wall Street wiz James Grant explains it all.  He's been tracking Evergrande for four years and predicted that the very high flying company could turn in to another Hindenburg.  Enjoy the weekend.  

Wall Street kicks off October with gains, boosted by economic optimism

After yesterday’s bath, it was another broad rally today as the first day of Q4 started off with a bang. Bolstering optimism was the new Merck drug for COVID and Biden signing the stop-gap bill.  There was also increased consumer spending and factory activity, both of which point to more recovery and also more inflation, all reflected in value stocks once again outperforming growth. And there was the latest Fed pronouncement with the Philly prez saying the tapering should begin soon but no rate hikes until at least late 2022.  Volume was a little above average at just over 11 billion.