After going up for six straight weeks, the stock market comeback is on hold – here’s why

Posted by & filed under Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis, Personal Finance.

Description: The Dow Jones Industrial Average is headed for its first negative week of 2019 and there a few key reasons why the stock market’s recent rally has slowed. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Feb 08, 2019 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/08/the-stock-market-comeback-is-on-hold-after-rising-for-6-straight-weeks.html Questions for discussion: What explanations are presented? Can you suggest any others? What do you think the… Read more »

How a dovish Fed could put stock market on path for a ‘late 90s style meltup’

Posted by & filed under Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis, Personal Finance.

Description: Fed’s recent moves have echoes of Greenspan in ‘95 and ‘98, says analyst Source: MarketWatch.com Date: Feb 08, 2019 Link: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-the-powell-put-could-unleash-one-last-stock-market-meltup-2019-02-08 Questions for discussion: What are the historical similarities guiding the predictions presented in this article? What do you think will happen?

Hasbro’s profit took harder-than-expected hit from Toys R Us store closures

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial analysis, Growth & Valuation, Personal Finance.

Description: Hasbro’s fourth-quarter earnings missed estimates by a wide margin, but investors shrugged off the news after the company outlined a promising slate of new toys for 2019. Source: CNBC.com Date: Feb 08, 2019 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/08/hasbro-reports-2018-q4-results.html?forYou=true Questions for discussion: Financially speaking, what is happeneing at Hasbro? What should investors expect in the future?

Inside Wisconsin’s Disastrous $4.5 Billion Deal With Foxconn

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Description:  A huge tax break was supposed to create a manufacturing paradise, but interviews with 49 people familiar with the project depict a chaotic operation unlikely to ever employ 13,000 workers. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Feb 06, 2019 Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-02-06/inside-wisconsin-s-disastrous-4-5-billion-deal-with-foxconn?srnd=businessweek-v2 Questions for discussion: Summarize what the article says about the deal. Do you think the criticism… Read more »

The Financial Crisis Put a Chill on Big Bank Deals. That Ended Thursday.

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Personal Finance.

Description: Two banks announced the industry’s biggest merger in a decade on Thursday, signaling bank executives’ growing confidence that the regulatory constraints imposed after the 2008 financial crisis have begun to loosen. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Feb 08, 2019 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/07/business/dealbook/bbt-suntrust-bank-mergers.html Questions for discussion: What does the article say about the regulatory environment and this merger?… Read more »

As goes January, so goes the year: Old Wall Street indicator puts odds of 2019 gain at more than 80%

Posted by & filed under Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis, Personal Finance.

Description: Stocks had their best January gains in more than 30 years, and that should mean 2019 will be a pretty good year for the market. Source: CNBC.com Date: Feb 01, 2019 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/01/as-goes-january-so-goes-the-year-old-wall-street-indicator-puts-odds-of-2019-gain-at-more-than-80percent.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Mail Questions for discussion: Summarize the various explanations and predictions presented. What do you think has happened in the market over the… Read more »

Facebook shares are skyrocketing after a massive earnings beat, despite a year full of controversy

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Personal Finance.

Description: Facebook skyrocketed 10.8 percent Thursday after beating analyst expectations on revenue and earnings for its fourth quarter of 2018. Its market value jumped about $47 billion. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Jan 31, 2019 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/31/facebook-stock-rises-on-strong-q4-2018-earnings.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Mail Questions for discussion: Summarize the financial results reported in the article and why they were a surprise? What happened, in… Read more »

For Emerging Markets, China’s Shift to Consumer Goods Is a Blow

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Personal Finance.

Description:  Bulls see cheap stocks poised for a rebound. But one big thing has changed since the last boom. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Feb 01, 2019 Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-01/for-emerging-markets-china-s-shift-to-consumer-goods-is-a-blow?srnd=businessweek-v2 Questions for discussion: Summarize the analysis presented. Do you agree with the assessment? What would you advise investors?

In Fed aftermath, ‘we’re all data-dependent’ now, say stock-market investors

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis, Personal Finance.

Description: In Fed aftermath, ‘we’re all data-dependent’ now, say stock-market investors Source: MarketWatch.com Date: Feb 01, 2019 Link: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dovish-pivot-means-stock-market-investors-will-pay-more-attention-to-data-less-to-fed-talk-2019-01-31 Questions for discussion: What is the Fed’s thinking today, according to the report. What should investors do with this information?

Sackler Scion’s Email Reveals Push for High-Dose OxyContin, New Lawsuit Disclosures Claim

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Management Issues, Personal Finance.

Description: A member of the Sackler family that owns OxyContin’s maker directed the company to put a premium on selling high dosages of its potentially addicting painkillers, according to new disclosures in a lawsuit. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Jan 31, 2019 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/health/opioids-purdue-pharma-sackler.html Questions for discussion: What does the article say to investors about risk? Is… Read more »