Inverted Worries 📉

📉  Yields invert. 10-year treasury yield fell -5% from last week’s YTD peak. Yields briefly inverted sending markets sharply lower Thursday. A flattening yield curve signals economic weakness and particularly an inverted yield curve is a potential leading indicator for incoming recession. 🇺🇦  Shifting tides? Ukraine retaking some areas around capital Kiev as Russia claims to be Read More

Semis Made in the USA 🇺🇸

🛡  Biden visits NATO. President Biden traveled to NATO HQ in Belgium for discussions on ongoing #UkraineCrisis. Cautious market optimism with more cooperation, additional sanctions and forceful condemnation of Putin. S&P 500 maintains rally up another +2% last week. 💸  Rising yields chatter. Barely a week out from March meeting and investors already speculating on the next #RisingYields hike. Powell Read More

OPEC stepping in? 🛢

🛢  Weaponizing oil. US adds new #UkraineCrisis sanction banning Russian oil sending crude oil prices surging. However, OPEC member UAE signaled willingness to increase supply (potentially offsetting Russia ban impact). Crude oil prices fell -12% from highs on Wed while markets cheered surging -3%. 💸  Accelerating inflation. Feb 12-month CPI grew 7.9% as #InflationFears showing no signs of moderating near-term. Feb Read More

Ukraine Resistance 🇺🇦

☢️  Nuclear threat. More escalation in #UkraineCrisis as Putin’s forces attack infrastructure including a nuclear power plant fire that fortunately was put out without dangerous radiation leakage. Markets continue volatility with S&P 500 down again -1% for the week. 🛬  Travel grounded. #UkraineCrisis escalation has take the wind out of #RevengeTravel sails especially as escalating conflict appears longer-lasting. Travel names pummeled as Read More

War in Ukraine ⚔️

⚔️  Ukraine invasion. After weeks of #UkraineCrisis escalation, Russia invaded Ukraine on Wednesday night (US time). US and other NATO nations retaliated by imposing severe sanctions on Russia with little deterrence impact so far. Initially plummeting -3% premarket, S&P 500 rallied ending up +1.5% on Thursday. 🗣  Russia ready to talk? Russia agreed to send a delegation to not-so-neutral Read More

Ukraine Crisis 😨

⚔️  Ukraine escalating. Putin escalating #UkraineCrisis declaring two pro-Russia eastern territories independent and moving troops in for “peacekeeping”. Volatile market all week initially rising on Putin’s diplomatic head fake early before tumbling on steady escalation. S&P 500 rose +1% thru Wed before ending down -1.5% for the week. 💸  No Fed surprises. Fed’s Jan meeting minutes released with no Read More

Trouble in Ukraine ⏱

🎉  Recovery party… With Omicron receding, bullish market sentiment as investors were ready to get the #COVIDRecovery party started. Strong earnings results from #RevengeTravel names bolstered the euphoria. Markets rose +2% through Wed extending past 2 weeks’ green streak. 🚀  CPI still soaring. January CPI 12-month growth hit 7.5% above expectations and Dec’s 7% readout. With #InflationFears still hot, investors worry new data Read More

February Recovery? 🤞

☕️  Jittery markets. Markets remain extremely volatile as investor reevaluate lofty growth valuations. Winners this week include AMD surging on strong growth outlook and Amazon hiking Prime price; while losers include Meta and PayPal plummeting on slowing growth. ️🦠  Omicron in decline. 🇺🇸 #COVID19 Omicron cases sharply declining down -60% from mid-Jan peak. Investors looking to get #COVIDRecovery party started, but Read More

Bottoming Correction?

😳  Aggressive Fed looms. New Fed commentary alluded to increasingly aggressive stance, but didn’t provide much concrete details. Without committing, Fed did signal #RisingYield rate hikes starting in March and balance sheet reduction in the works. We believe Fed policy shifts faster this year with less consideration of market impact to aggressively combat #InflationFears. 💻  Big Tech to the Read More