S&P 500 Returns After Back-to-Back 20% Returns When the S&P 500 experiences back-to-back annual returns of 20% or more, bulls are particularly happy, as historical data since 1950 shows that the following year has a…

AAII U.S. Investor Sentiment Bull – Bear Spread The latest AAII U.S. investor sentiment bull-bear spread reflects a more bearish outlook, with a decline in bullish sentiment and an increase in bearish sentiment among individual…

Mega-Cap Growth & Tech Positioning Investors should be cautious about the positioning of mega-cap growth and tech stocks, as it has surpassed levels that can be justified by earnings growth. Image: Deutsche Bank Asset Allocation

Seven Largest Companies as Share of S&P 500 Total Market Capitalization The seven largest stocks in the S&P 500 index account for 34% of its total market capitalization. While this high concentration doesn’t necessarily predict…

ISABELNET Cartoon of the Day Bears hate CPI days like this week! It’s tough for them like kids at a birthday party with no cake—just sitting there, wondering why they weren’t invited to the fun!…

Equity Share of Household Financial Assets Compared to U.S. households, Europeans exhibit lower stock ownership rates, which can be explained by cultural savings attitudes, structural differences in pension systems, and a stronger preference for liquid…

Gold vs. Diamond The diamond and gold markets are currently experiencing contrasting trends, with diamonds facing challenges due to competition from lab-grown alternatives and changing social trends, while gold remains a stable investment choice. Image:…

Atlanta Fed GDPNow U.S. Real GDP Estimate The Atlanta Fed’s latest GDPNow forecast projects a 3.0% annualized increase in U.S. real GDP for Q4 2024, reflecting sustained economic growth. Image: Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

U.S. Real Retail Sales and Recession In December, U.S. real retail sales stand at 0.99% YoY. About 70% of U.S. GDP is personal consumption. In the past, real retail sales trended sideways before the recession…

NAAIM Exposure Index – Investor Sentiment The National Association of Active Investment Managers Exposure Index represents the two-week moving average exposure to U.S. equity markets reported by NAAIM members. The NAAIM Exposure Index, currently at 70.21, indicates…

CAPE Valuations vs. 10-Year U.S. Interest Rates Rising interest rates often have a significant impact on equity market valuations, frequently causing valuation reversals, especially for growth stocks and companies with high valuations based on future…