Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is a B+ (favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average).
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY: This factor’s grade is A- (very favorable).
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 6. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is a B+ (favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average).
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY: This factor’s grade is A- (very favorable).
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 6. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is a B+ (favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average).
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY: This factor’s grade is A- (very favorable).
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 6. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is a B+ (favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average). In the minutes from the June Federal Open Market Committee meeting, the Federal Reserve members expressed their desire to begin shrinking its balance sheet before the end of the year, while the European Central Bank’s minutes contained discussions of ending its pledge to buy more bonds if the economy weakened. Rate hikes, meanwhile, are suddenly on the table in countries besides the U.S.
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY: This factor’s grade is A- (very favorable). Of the S&P-500 companies which have reported second-quarter earnings so far, 74% have topped analyst expectations, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, above the four-quarter average of 71%. Sales have been nearly as strong, as 72% have topped expectations, well above the four-quarter average of 56%. All in all, second-quarter earnings are expected to grow by nearly 10%.
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 6. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is a B+ (favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average). In the minutes from the June Federal Open Market Committee meeting, the Federal Reserve members expressed their desire to begin shrinking its balance sheet before the end of the year, while the European Central Bank’s minutes contained discussions of ending its pledge to buy more bonds if the economy weakened. Rate hikes, meanwhile, are suddenly on the table in countries besides the U.S.
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY: This factor’s grade is A- (very favorable). Earnings should be good: S&P 500 earnings are expected to grow by 8% during the second quarter, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 6 (an increase due to North Korea concerns). These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is a B+ (favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average).
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY: This factor’s grade is A- (very favorable). We have just completed one of the best earnings reporting seasons in decades.
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 5. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is downgraded to a B+ (favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average).
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY:This factor’s grade is upgraded to A- (very favorable). We have just completed one of the best earnings reporting seasons in decades.
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 5, an increase from 3 due to North Korea’s missile launch. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is A- (very favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average).
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY:This factor’s grade is upgraded to A- (very favorable). We are enjoying one of the best earnings reporting seasons in decades.
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 5, an increase from 3 due to North Korea’s missile launch. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is A- (very favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average).
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY: This factor’s grade is B (above average). We are entering a period of what is supposed to be a good first-quarter earnings season, which begins in earnest this week. And those optimistic forecasts since the start of first-quarter earnings season have allowed analysts to raise their full-year expectations, something that hasn’t happened this early in the year since 2012. This is an incredible earnings season..
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 3. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
Most of the time, the U.S. stock market looks to 3 factors (call them the “pillars” which support the stock market) to support its upward trend – let’s grade each of the pillars.
CONSUMER SPENDING: This grade is A- (very favorable).
THE FED AND ITS POLICIES: This factor is rated C- (Below average).
BUSINESS PROFITABILITY: This factor’s grade is B (above average). We are entering a period of what is supposed to be a good first-quarter earnings season, which begins in earnest this week. It’s a period in which earnings might have grown by a double-digit percentage, due to a big recovery in energy-sector profit growth. But much of the gain is already discounted by elevated stock prices.
OTHER CONCERNS: The “Heat Map” is indicating the U.S. stock market is in OK shape ASSUMING no international crisis. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of crisis, we rate these international risks collectively as a 3. These risks deserve our ongoing attention.
