Nidec splits 2/1
No, the problems in the Chinese auto industry–a big customer for Nidec’s (NJDCY) small motors and electric drive trains–didn’t suddenly spike and cut Nidec’s share price in half. The Japanese company executed a 2/1 split on April 9. I...
Job losses top 22 million as week sees another 5.2 million initial claims for unemployment
5.245 million more people filed initial claims for unemployment in the week ended April 11, the Labor Department reported this morning. That was down from the prior week’s 6.615 million (revised upwards from an initial report of 6.606 million.) But it still...
TSM beats for quarter, cuts guidance for year, sticks to capital spending plan
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) beat analyst estimates for the first quarter, the company announced today. Net profit almost doubled to $3.9 billion on $10.31 billion in revenue. That amounts to a 91% increase from the March quarter of 2019. Analysts had...
U.S. benchmark oil falls below $20 a barrel on largest increase ever in U.S. inventories
U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell below $20 a barrel, the lowest price since 2002, after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a huge jump of almost 20 million barrels in U.S. crude inventories. At 1:00 P.m. New York time West Texas...
What do you do when the market is insane and you’re not?
In the short run rationality is not an especially adaptive trait for an investor. Remember that. Take today’s market for example. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC) delivered very sobering news on how the coronavirus and the coronavirus shutdown of big...
Markets have a case of the earnings season “nerves” today
As of 1 p.m. New York time the Standard & Poor’s 500 is down 1.88% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is off 2.14%. The NASDSQ Composite is lower by 0.79% and the Russell 2000 small cap index has tumbled 2.80%. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM)...
Oil deal gets a shrug from the oil markets
This take from Goldman Sachs pretty much sums up the oil market’s reaction to Sunday’s agreement among OPEC+, the United States, Canada, Brazil, and various and sundry G20 oil producers to cut what could be generously calculated as 14.7 million barrels a...
The deluge of cuts to earnings estimates has started–but Wall Street remains optimistic–perhaps too optimistic–on Q1 estimates
I opened my online brokerage account yesterday to see an endless stream of news briefs about Wall Street analyst cuts to earnings estimates for the first quarter earnings season that begins next week with earnings from JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC) on...
Odds on re-opening economy “soon” climb; uncertainty remains on when
Add Attorney General William Barr to voices in the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump, pushing to “re-open” the U.S. economy sooner rather than later. The Attorney General, in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, said some...
Federal Reserve unveils another $2 trillion loan program for businesses, states, and cities
Saying that the U.S. economy is deteriorating “with alarming speed,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell unveiled a new Fed program to supply more than $2 trillion in new loans to small, medium and large companies as well as cash-strapped states and...
Economy shed another 6.6 million jobs last week
Just too much potentially market-moving news this morning. I count three stories in that category and it’s only noon. But let’s begin. 6.61 million Americans filed initial claims for unemployment in the week ended April 4, the Labor Department reported...
Disney delays release dates on entire Marvel movie slate–including Black Widow
You know that Disney (DIS) is really serious about the likelihood of continued social distancing measures disrupting movie going for months when it delays the release date of Black Widow, once intended as the tentpole of its summer schedule. Black Widow has been...
Stocks rally on Trump, Fauci optimism on coronavirus
Last night President Donald Trump told Sean Hannity on his Fox News show that his administration is planning to “reopen” the U.S. economy. “We’re looking at the concept where we open sections of the country and we’re also looking at the concept where you...
Watch out for a wild Thursday (and maybe even Wednesday)
The U.S. stock markets are closed on Friday, April 10, for Good Friday. That sets up a short week and a long weekend–which would be likely to produce higher than normal volume and volatility on Thursday anyway as traders and investors bought and sold to position...
Selling infrastructure play United Rentals out of Jubak Picks into today’s rally
This sell follows the same logic as my immediately prior sell of Vulcan Materials. Last week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threw in the towel on any near-term chance for a big infrastructure spending package. The horrific jobs numbers had convinced her, she said, that...
Selling my infrastructure play Vulcan Materials out of Jubak Picks into today’s rally
Last week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threw in the towel on any near-term chance for a big infrastructure spending package. The horrific jobs numbers had convinced her, she said, that sending more aid to unemployed workers and small businesses took a higher priority....
Market rallies big this morning on lower new infection rates in Italy, Spain
A rally in European stocks that took the STOXX 600 index up 3% in morning trading has extended to New York. At noon New York Time today, the Standard & Poor’s 500 was up 5.65% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was ahead 5.66%. The NASDAQ Composite had...
Selling Itau Unibanco out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio
When I sold Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CMWAY) a few moments ago I wrote “I’ve only got a small bit of exposure to the global banking system and, frankly, I think it’s past time to get rid of even that exposure. We’re in one of those...
Selling Commonwealth Bank of Australia out of Dividend Portfolio
I’ve only got a small bit of exposure to the global banking system and, frankly, I think it’s past time to get rid of even that exposure. We’re in one of those banking sector moments where we know that banks are loaded up with assets that can’t...
Walgreens latest stock to punch holes in a coronavirus revenue growth story
The theory was that Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) would actually benefit from the coronavirus pandemic as consumers stocked up at the drugstore chain in preparation for the coronavirus shelter-in-place orders now becoming common in the United States and Europe. But...
Economy loses 701,000 jobs in March; April looks much worse
The U.S economy lost 701,000 jobs in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced this morning. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in March from 3.5%, a 50-year low, in February. The survey behind the numbers was completed by March 12 so it didn’t capture the...
Good news out of Palo Alto Networks doesn’t count for much in a bear market–but enough to earn a hold from me
The problem isn’t that there’s no good news out of individual companies. It’s just that good news on specific stocks doesn’t count for much in a bear market when everything moves together in a single direction–most usually down. Take Palo...
Selling Emerson Electric out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio today
I’m using today’s bounce to sell Emerson Electric (EMR) out of my Jubak Picks Portfolio today. The shares are up 3.54% today. I think Emerson Electric is a stock that I’d like to own for the long-term if the short-term didn’t look so negative...
Initial claims for unemployment soar to 6.65 million
I’m finding it hard to wrap my head around exactly how bad the economy is and how fast the collapse has been. Today’s report of 6.65 million new claims for unemployment for the week ended March 28 exploded through the record number of new claims set just...
I don’t think the market fell far enough today to rally tomorrow if unemployment news is merely bad instead of horrible
Remember last week. Stocks rallied despite the news that initial claims for unemployment hit a record high of 3.28 million. The markets decided to look past the unemployment number and focus on the positive in the passage of a $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue bill by...
Sellers batten down the hatches today ahead of tomorrow’s report on new claims for unemployment
Not much mystery to today’s selling. Investors and traders were trimming positions–or more–ahead of tomorrow’s report on initial claims for unemployment. Last week brought a record 3.28 million new claims for unemployment as the coronavirus and...
Selling Middleby out of my long-term 50 Stocks Portfolio today
I love this stock. It’s been in the long-term 50 Stocks Portfolio since May 3, 2013. And someday I think the company’s strategy of buying smaller commercial and domestic kitchen equipment companies and then super-charging their sales by giving them access...
Selling GM out of the Jubak Picks Portfolio today
Automakers are scheduled to report first quarter sales numbers tomorrow with Ford Motor (F), Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors (GM) all expected to snow big declines. And the next quarter looks even worse. “There are basically no U.S. auto sales right now,” Adam...
Saudis ramp up oil production
The first tankers in what looks like a long fleet of tankers are loading now in Saudi Arabia on their way to Europe and the United States in April. The Saudi government looks to be making good on its announced increase in output to a record 12.3 million barrels a day...Jim’s Daily Email Alerts:
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