Trump’s future Fed influence tests market trust — how to prepare your portfolio

In this week’s Club Check-in, Paulina Likos and Zev Fima break down the uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve as markets approach a pivotal transition in May, when a new Fed chair is expected to be appointed, and assess how Club members should be thinking about their investments. Multiple developments have raised questions about the future […]
How to get the best mortgage rates as 30-year fixed nears 1-year low

The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage notched its biggest one-day drop in more than a year on Friday. Although mortgage rates are now at their lowest level since October, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage is still just around 6.29%, according to Mortgage News Daily — a big leap from the under […]
How to play industrials ahead of Fed meeting

00:00 Josh Lipton Industrials, the top performing sector in the S&P 500 so far this year, up more than 16% now year to date, and as markets rally around Fed chair Jerome Powell’s comments on the path forward for interest rates, there could be some interesting opportunities for investors within Industrials. We’re now going to […]
Trump is studying how to remove Fed Chair Jerome Powell, economic adviser says
President Trump and his team are studying whether firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is an option, according to National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. Though appointed by the president and approved by Congress, the Federal Reserve chair is an independent role. Powell was nominated to lead the Fed by Mr. Trump in 2017 and was […]
Will the tariffs lead to a recession? Here’s how to know if we’re in one

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s sharp tariff hikes last week have sent the stock market into a tailspin, raised alarm bells among Wall Street executives, and heightened many economists’ worries that the U.S. could tip into recession. The tariffs, set to take effect Wednesday, include a 10% blanket duty on nearly all countries and […]
How to trade the market when volatility spikes

In a sharp, late-day selloff on remarks by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Wall Street’s fear gauge — the CBOE Volatility Index — spiked to 27.62, the highest level since early August . It’s undoubtedly true that equity investors should “not fight the Fed,” and the Fed is not sending bullish signals, at least not […]
How to profit if rates keep rising, going against the Fed and stock investors

U.S. stocks soared to record highs after Donald Trump’s election win and a quarter-point rate cut from the Federal Reserve. U.S. government bond yields have surged too, puzzling many market participants. I am going to stick with the contrarian view and bet on rates continuing to move higher. I’ll express that through a bearish bet […]
How to trade Friday’s job report

The best-case scenario for stocks is if Friday’s jobs report comes in slightly above consensus, according to JPMorgan. Investors will be closely scrutinizing the September labor market report, due for release on Friday morning. The numbers come at a precarious time for the economy, after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has emphasized the U.S. central […]
How to make a longshot bet on this beat-up tech stock about to report

Within each sector there will be winners and losers…even technology this year. I’ll review a speculative options trade on one of those losers. Semiconductor companies such as Marvell, Broadcom, and Nvidia have been on a tear this year. However, some software and IT services companies could have done better. MongoDB Inc (MDB) is a perfect […]
Bond yields will come down in 2024. How to prepare your portfolio

In 2023, you could plop money into a high-yield savings account and get a yield nearing 5% with little effort. Expect to work a little harder for those fixed income returns in the new year. The Federal Reserve’s series of interest rate hikes, which kicked off in 2022, made idle money profitable. One-year certificates of […]