SILVER....( and gold)....continue to KILL it lately. Silver Trades Near Record as Strong ETF Inflows Sustain Rally https://finance.yahoo.com/news/silver-steady-profit-taking-brings-234547627.html
The market today. S&P 500 gains for a fourth day, nears record after light inflation reading https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/04/stock-market-today-live-updates.html
Looking at a chart of the SP500.....the little nasty correction that we just went through ended on November 20th. Since that day the SP500 has steadily been rising to where we are now. Of course what I am calling a CORRECTION for most stocks and the big averages did not hit a loss of 10%.....the traditional definition of a correction. We are in a TWO WEEK.....broad based....market GAIN. Somewhat of a STEALTH RALLY....since most people are probably still unaware. NOW.....we need to keep this slow and steady market rise going for the next 3 weeks to year end.
This made me thinking about what companies will be "The Ten Largest" in next few decades. Definitely, Tech companies won't be dethroned for some time. Interesting to see how IBM fell from the top in 1990 to the 10th place in 5yrs, who would expect that.
Yeah poor IBM......they screwed up royally by thinking that an operating system was nothing and giving that business to Microsoft. They were also hated in the business world for being TOTALLY ARROGANT....as hell.
Today I had a small gain. I had three stocks in the red....COST, NVDA, and AAPL. I lost out to the SP500 by....0.03%.
For the week....my march back toward my all time high continues with another gain for the week. It is a STEALTH RALLY. As of the close today my year to date gain for my entire portfolio is at....+28.07%. Last week my entire portfolio was at year to date.....+26.79%. MOVING ON UP. I am asking nicely....can we PLEASE have a SANTA RALLY this year?
HERE...is how we ended the day and the week. S&P 500, Nasdaq notch fourth day of gains with next week's Fed meeting in focus https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live...ext-weeks-fed-meeting-in-focus-151830333.html
Seems like a basic little article about insiders selling private shares. BUT....buried in this little article is this: "The Information, citing people familiar with the discussions, separately reported on Friday that SpaceX has told investors and financial institution representatives that it’s aiming for an IPO of the entire company in the second half of next year." Of course....in my opinion this source...."The Information".....is (allegedly) a sensationalistic gossip rag for tech stories. SpaceX to Offer Insider Shares at Record-Setting Valuation https://finance.yahoo.com/news/spacex-offer-insider-shares-record-185117449.html
I dont know why anyone thinks this is shocking. Parents have been helping kids get started in life.....FOREVER. We put our kids through college with NO debt. We bought them their first car....so they would have NO debt. We paid for our kids gas and insurance till they were age 30. We helped them with the down payment on their first houses. We family-finance their current mortgages. We made contributions to a ROTH IRA for each of them till age 30....to get them started in investing and saving. BIG DEAL.......this story is just another example of media BS. Parents have been doing this forever. ESPECIALLY upper middle-class and above parents. NO...it does not meet the TOUGH LOVE standard which I believe is BS. Want to screw up a good kid.....kick them out of the house as soon as they turn 18 or graduate from High School and tell them they are on their own. We saw some of our....distant....family members use this approach....the end result was not pretty. Our only criteria was that the kids were moving forward in life, work, and family....and...through their actions, lifestyle, work ethic, and habits EARNED the help. Family Support Crucial for Nearly Half of Gen Z Adults: What This Means https://finance.yahoo.com/news/family-support-crucial-nearly-half-111900012.html
The history behind an AMERICAN ICON......jeans. From the California gold rush to Sydney Sweeney: How denim became the most enduring garment in American fashion https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/06/the-history-of-denim-and-how-jeans-were-created.html LOL....when I was in High School....we could not wear jeans at school. The first time I was able to wear jeans on a daily basis was in college. Of course when I was in High School...girls had to wear dresses. There were no T-shirts in High School either.....or....long hair for boys (hair touching the ear or collar)...and...no sideburns or facial hair. We would try to slowly grow our sideburns longer and longer....till we got caught by a coach.... and ordered to cut them. Most of my friends did not even own jeans....because mothers did not buy them.... since kids could not wear them in many locations. For example....our movie theater (on a military base) did not allow jeans. In my world...this was the norm through about 1968 to 1970. Much was very different back through about 1970 in my world....,our High School actually had a smoking area for students that smoked. The hippie era of the late 1960's....and the huge cultural and social changes that occurred.... changed all of this.
This reads like a libertarian mindset. I agree with a lot and disagree with some. He took the political spin out and tried to be as objective as he could while still viewing through (what I consider) a libertarian lens. Interesting points.
happy holiday season to all here at the long term thread, and especially a very big one to you W! i’ll be MIA for the remainder of this month to year end but just wanted to quickly take this time out to thank you truly from the bottom of my heart W for all of the hard work and efforts that you put in and have continued to put in on this thread for the many years now. you are the heart and soul of this entire community. without you this place would have been six feet under by now. despite all of the issues this site has had this year, from an inactive admin, to website errors and failures and some page slowness here and there, you are still here and going at it strong as ever. major Major MAJOR props and kudos goes out to you and the last few remaining regulars that are left on this thread for this would not be possible w/o you! this is legitimately the only thread left on this entire website that actually means anything anymore. take this thread out and this site is absolutely nothing. i know i often say this on here every couple of years, but it still never ceases to amaze me how you do this (updating this thread) on a daily basis. despite this community can no longer grow because of new user registrations being disabled, etc. you still have the motivation to keep this thread going is an amazing show of dedication on your part! you are without a doubt the greatest poster i have ever, EVER run across in my near 20 years at this community. thank you so much for being you W. love you man. <3 and here’s to hoping you continue doing what you do (whether it’s on this website or elsewhere) for many more years to come! there can and never will be another W. you are simply the best there ever is and ever will be. here’s to a very merry christmas and a happy new year to you and your family and friends and everyone who still visits this community. cheers!
This is interesting because my parents were born in the late 50s and they told me how boys weren't allowed to have long hair in the 70s, the state police would simply order people to cut their long hair. They also had to go to Trieste (North-East Italy) to buy Jeans, Yugoslavian customs only allowed the import of up to two pairs of jeans.
Crucial Fed decision looms as stocks fly high near records: What to watch this week Stocks closed on Friday near record highs, with the S&P 500 sitting just below the 6,900 mark as a twitchy bond market looks ahead. A busy calendar will greet investors this week, with the last Fed meeting — and press conference from Chair Jerome Powell — of 2025 highlighting the action. On the corporate side, we have Wednesday circled, with Oracle (ORCL) and Adobe's (ADBE) quarterly results and Broadcom (AVGO) and Costco (COST) headlining the proceedings on Thursday. The economic calendar will continue last week's labor market theme, with delayed JOLTS data from October coming out on Tuesday to elucidate hirings, firings, and quits. Welcome to Fed week The Federal Reserve rate-setters are back in the conference room on Tuesday, and the public eagerly awaits Wednesday’s announcement and press conference from Powell, which will be scrutinized for any clues on the central bank's path ahead. Last week's economic data showed cracks in the labor market, with data from ADP and the firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas showing unexpected job losses and elevated layoffs. Thanks largely to that weakness, investors have grown near certain that a 25 basis point rate cut is coming, from 3.75% to 4.00% to a new target of 3.50% to 3.75%. Friday’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) reading, which showed inflation moderating in September, has only further solidified the market’s expectation. But like a good movie, there’s always something to chew on, even if we have the ending all but spoiled. First and foremost will be Powell’s comments and Q&A session in the press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Though the 2 p.m. decision may not move markets if the commentary is tight in the press release, the more freewheeling format is still blue-chip appointment viewing. The market will also receive the year’s final Summary of Economic Projections, more commonly known as the "dot plot," which will outline how the rate-setters envision the coming year (and beyond) unfolding in the US economy. Other points of intrigue line this meeting: For one, it will be the last with the current makeup of voting members setting rates. The presidents of the Cleveland, Minneapolis, Dallas, and Philadelphia Feds will all rotate in, tagging out their counterparts from Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City. Also, speculation over Powell's replacement has reached a fever pitch in recent days, with President Trump promising a nominee by early next year. Trump's top economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, is largely seen as the favorite, even as bond investors have grown jitteryover his potential appointment. Finally, the best guesses are only as good as the data the deciders are using — and that post-shutdown data is either delayed, canceled, or asterisked in some way as the discombobulated departments dust themselves off. Watching for a Santa Claus (rally) Stocks closed the week on Friday on a positive note as investors looked toward the (now even more certain) Fed cut on Wednesday. But despite once again riding record highs, there's a chance that what seems to be the beginning of a "Santa Claus rally" to close out the year may be imperiled, according to Bank of America strategist Michael Hartnett. A rate cut would be welcome, sure. But investors want to have it all: a rate cut, a strong economy, and slowing inflation. The trouble, Hartnett notes, is that a rate cut from a dovish Fed may spook the market, sending bond yields up and stocks down. Yet another reason to pay attention to Powell's comments and the economic projections from the FOMC members. Circle your calendar. The bond market is nervous As Hartnett and our 10-year bond quote page (^TNX) make very clear, the bond market is continuing to feel stressed about the Fed's trajectory in the year ahead. Yields ticked up further on Friday as one of the worst weeks in months came to a close with the 10-year yield rising over 10 basis points. Though Friday's inflation reading seemingly cemented a cut on Wednesday, the still-higher-than-target inflation reading casts doubt on 2026 cuts. Things are feeling ... hawkish — even if Hassett does get the job as Fed chair, the market is starting to doubt he can deliver on Trump's wish for rapid cuts. With Friday's inflation data having the last word over the week's earlier employment warnings of layoffs and private payroll losses, this will be yet another question for the Fed to answer on Wednesday, at least in the near term. More color to that picture should finally arrive on Dec. 16, when the jobs report finally gets put back on the rails with November's data. Bitcoin watch The idea that bitcoin (BTC-USD) is digital gold rang true in a way this year, as outflows from the dollar were captured in part by the cryptocurrency at various times. (But more so by actual gold (GC=F), which zoomed up almost 60% this year.) Even its critics have to hand it to the cryptocurrency: It's currently a non-stock, non-cash store of value that's been consistently worth somewhere between $75,000 and $120,000 this year. But bitcoin has an actual history of notbeing like gold, because it's consistently ridden waves of risk-on sentiment, zooming up with tech stock bets and meme stock frenzy, and receding when things get a bit more conservative. More simply, it often moves in tandem with stocks. This year, however, bitcoin is poised for its first diversion from stocks since 2014, at least directionally. As the S&P 500 (^GSPC) is up over 16%, bitcoin is solidly in the red. Even if it makes it out of negative territory, the distinction may be somewhat academic, as a major gulf between the two performances is unusually wide. With another fairly volatile day on Friday, bitcoin remains on our watchlist this week. Economic and earnings calendar Monday Economic data: New York Fed 1-yr inflation expectations, November (3.24% previously) Earnings: Toll Brothers (TOL), The Children's Place (PLCE) Tuesday Economic data: BLS releases Sept. & Oct. JOLTS data; NFIB small business optimism, November (98.2 previously); JOLTS job openings, October; JOLTS job openings rate, October; JOLTS quits level, October; JOLTS quits rate, JOLTS layoffs level, October; JOLTS layoffs rate, October Earnings: AutoZone (AZO), Ferguson Enterprises (FERG), Casey's General Stores (CASY), SailPoint (SAIL), GameStop (GME), The Campbell's Company (CPB), Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings (OLLI), Braze (BRZE), Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL), Dave & Buster's Entertainment (PLAY) Wednesday Economic data: FOMC rate decision; MBA mortgage applications, week ended Dec. 5 (-1.4% previously); Employment cost index, third quarter (0.9% expected, 0.9% previously); Federal budget balance, November (-$284.4 billion previously) Earnings: Oracle (ORCL), Adobe (ADBE), Synopsys (SNPS), Chewy (CHWY), Nordson Corporation (NDSN), Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC), Vail Resorts (MTN), Planet Labs (PL), REV Group (REVG) Thursday Economic data: Initial jobless claims, week ended Dec. 6; Continuing claims, week ended Nov. 29; Wholesale inventories, month-on-month, September final reading; Wholesale trade sales, month-on-month, September (0.1% previously) Earnings: Broadcom (AVGO), Costco (COST), Lululemon (LULU), Netskope (NTSK), National Beverage Corp. (FIZZ), RH (RH), Vizsla Silver Corp. (VZLA), Uranium Royalty Corp. (UROY) Friday Economic data: No notable economic data. Earnings: Rent the Runway (RENT)
Good posts above....guys. We may be few on here that post....butt....we represent a good cross-section of USA opinions and the world. It is COOL that we have International posters on here.
I dont post a story from FOX NEWS very often........simply because they are not a financial site....and much of the type of day to day news and story that they cover is not very relevant to what I do here. BUT.....this is a GREAT LESSON in long term investing....by NORMAL....REGULAR....people. WHOOPS....I see that this is a FOX BUSINESS story. Financial influencer tracks 'quiet millionaires': Here's the No. 1 strategy they all share JC Rodriguez interviews ordinary people who built seven-figure net worths without flashy investments or viral success https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/f...et-millionaires-heres-no-1-strategy-all-share HERE is the strategy that is seen with these....."little people".....millionaires. ......."behind their modest appearances are decades of steady saving, disciplined investing and a long-term mindset......." ......."Varney asked Rodriguez to break down the core strategy behind these quiet millionaires' success and he explained, "It really comes down to your behaviors with money, not so much your income… people who don't even have an outlier salary are still able to build wealth through consistent habits and investing into the market…" PERFECT....this is the KEY to it all in a nutshell. There is much good content in this article.....even people that were deeply in debt but able to follow this path and come out ahead. Part of the lesson is to start young. Part of the lesson is to understand that every day financial decisions....are significantly linked to long term outcomes. SLOW and STEADY wins the race. It is the old time example of......the TORTOISE AND THE HARE......OR....THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT. Is there anyone alive under age 40 that knows these extremely ANCIENT stories anymore? These were know by virtually EVERYONE in my earlier life.
When I was growing up in the 1950's and 1960's PEARL HARBOR DAY was nearly a national holiday. NOW....I dont remember seeing or hearing a peep about it yesterday. Time passes and events that were historic to the old generations become forgotten and meaningless history to the new generations. Being a military family.....with a father that was in WWII..... made December 7 a day to remember for us. But even in the civilian world....December 7....was a MAJOR story every year in every newspaper during my years as a child and teen. With only 12 survivors still alive, Pearl Harbor remembrance is entering a new era https://www.oregonlive.com/nation/2...harbor-remembrance-is-entering-a-new-era.html UNFORTUNATELY....time is quickly erasing the few remaining Pearl Harbor survivors and WWII survivors. I am sure it is the same for LORI in England and others in the various EU countries. THE WHEEL TURNS......and it is relentless.
