Yeah, it is pretty new. A lot of this stuff doesn’t last too long or sometimes gets merged into something else. It really is amazing all of the offerings available today. Lots of choices. Of course, one could build their own as mentioned. I would not be interested in doing that, but that’s just me.
The short week ahead. August jobs report due out as Fed uncertainty looms: What to watch this week https://finance.yahoo.com/news/augu...h7gvvnbqeCN7wzXz_k1fmCV2XN-t6bztkO3UYEpL_RJKD (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "The week ahead will bring US investors just four days of trading and a crucial jobs report, the first since July's dramatic revisions and the abrupt change at the top of the Bureau of Labor Statistics surprised investors. The August jobs report's importance for investors is downstream of its importance for the Federal Reserve. Who will be serving on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors by the end of the week ahead is far from certain. Last week, President Trump sought to remove Fed governor Lisa Cook from the central bank's board of governors. Cook challenged the decision, and a hearing on Friday left the decision in legal limbo. A Senate hearing for Trump's nominee to fill a temporary vacancy on the board is also set for the coming week. Outside of the monthly jobs report, labor market data will be a focus this week, with reports on job openings and a reading on private payroll growth from ADP set for release on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Key readings on the manufacturing and services sectors will also round out a busy economic calendar. On the earnings side, results from Dow member Salesforce (CRM), Broadcom (AVGO), Lululemon (LULU), DocuSign (DOCU), and Macy's (M) will feature as we enter the lull between the second and third quarter earnings seasons. Figma (FIG) will also provide its first report since going public. Stocks finished last week little-changed, with optimism over the US economy pushing stocks to record highs on Thursday, while a modest disappointment on inflation data sent stocks lower on the week's final trading day. Still, the major indexes capped off their fourth straight winning month, with the S&P 500 (^GSPC) notching its first close above 6,500 on Thursday, as markets turn the page to the final month of the third quarter of 2025. Checking an 'unusual' labor market The US labor market showed signs of a slowdown in July. That was only the beginning of what's been a dramatic month for the normally staid world of economic policy. In July, the US economy added 73,000 jobs, while revisions for May and June saw over 250,000 previously reported job gains wiped away. Following this report, President Trump removed Erika McEntarfer as commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The US economy is expected to have created 73,000 new jobs in the month of August, and the unemployment rate is forecast to rise to 4.3%. In a key policy speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium on Aug. 22, Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled that the central bank is likely to begin lowering interest rates at its policy meeting in September, pointing to a "curious" US labor market. "While the labor market appears to be in balance, it is a curious kind of balance that results from a marked slowing in both the supply of and demand for workers," Powell said. "This unusual situation suggests that downside risks to employment are rising," he added. "And if those risks materialize, they can do so quickly in the form of sharply higher layoffs and rising unemployment." Questions over the health of the US labor market appear to have pushed Powell toward backing a rate cut from the central bank, a move that had already been supported by two of his colleagues on the FOMC — a contingent that is set to grow this week too. The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to hold a nomination hearing on Thursday for Stephen Miran, Trump's nominee to replace Adriana Kugler, who stepped down from the Fed board on Aug. 8. Should Miran get through the Senate as expected, yet another voice likely to support more aggressive rate cuts will be in the room when the Fed's next policy meeting kicks off on Sept. 16. Whether Fed governor Lisa Cook will also be in attendance remains less clear. Cook sued President Trump this week after the president removed her from the Fed board due to alleged mortgage fraud. At a court hearing on Friday, the judge declined to make a ruling. The legal drama surrounding Cook, Trump, and the Fed isn't expected to have a near-term impact on where interest rates are headed this year. That answer still remains "lower." But as Mohamed El-Erian argued in an op-ed for Yahoo Finance earlier this week, the cracks in the foundation of the central bank's independence are starting to show. It's still a 'Magnificent' market With second quarter earnings season just about wrapped up — some 98% of S&P 500 companies have already reported results — we can say this remains a market dominated by the "Magnificent Seven" tech giants: Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Nvidia (NVDA), and Tesla (TSLA). Data from FactSet's John Butters published Friday showed earnings growth for the Magnificent Seven names during the second quarter came in at 26.6%, well outpacing the 8.1% annual earnings growth realized by the other 493 members of the index so far. Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nvidia's earnings were four of the top six contributors to the index's earnings growth during the quarter. Only Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), which reported net income that flipped from a loss of $3.6 billion a year ago to a gain of $1.03 billion in the latest quarter, and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which reported net income of $1.6 billion against a loss of nearly $10 billion a year ago, broke up what would've been a clean sweep for the Big Tech leaders. In his report on Friday, Butters noted that analysts expect earnings growth for the Magnificent Seven names to slow in the coming quarters. For the rest of the S&P 500, earnings growth is expected to reaccelerate in the first part of 2026. Both data points help explain why the stock market's rally has been so durable since the mid-April bottom. On April 9, Trump took the worst-case scenario for tariffs off the table. An easy case for why stocks should go up. But the fundamental backdrop for both the stock market's highest-profile names and the jumble of less flashy companies that make up the rest of the S&P 500 has also improved. Over the long run, nothing matters more to stock prices than earnings growth. Over the short run, nothing matters more to stock prices than the rate of change of that growth. When the second quarter earnings season began, investors were looking for the second quarter to mark a sharp slowdown from the first. By the time the second quarter earnings season started to wrap up, that slowdown was more modest. Between June 30 and Friday's close, the S&P 500 rose 5%. MY COMMENT YES.....another week with the same old short term issues and drama.
The....MOB....of retail investors is still very active in the down weeks. Retail Investors Pour $867 Million Into Nvidia (NVDA) as Palantir (PLTR) Draws $300 Million https://www.tipranks.com/news/retai...vidia-nvda-as-palantir-pltr-draws-300-million (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Retail investors have been active in the market comeback this year, and new data from JPMorgan JPM +0.12% ▲ shows many are focused on Nvidia NVDA -3.32% ▼ heading into September. The stock attracted $867 million in net inflows from small investors over the past week, marking the largest imbalance among single stocks in the market. Meanwhile, nine other names also drew interest, though in far smaller amounts in comparison. Nvidia shares fell more than 2% during the week, even after the company reported earnings and revenue that beat forecasts and gave guidance above estimates. That dip gave retail buyers an entry point. JPMorgan said midday buying after the earnings call was four times higher than at the same point the day before. However, monthly flows into Nvidia have slowed. Goldman Sachs GS -0.26% ▼ noted that notional inflows peaked near $140 billion in 2024 but have since declined to around $50 billion. This trend suggests some cooling in the broad excitement around AI names. Other Tech Names Draw Attention JPMorgan’s analysts noted that retail activity outside Nvidia has eased in recent months compared to the first half of 2025. Still, retail investors have also purchased shares of Advanced Micro Devices AMD -3.53% ▼ and SoundHound AI SOUN +3.91% ▲ , alongside Palantir PLTR -0.89% ▼ , which drew notable interest, with over $300 million in retail inflows during the week, making it the second favorite name. Opendoor OPEN +4.22% ▲ , which has been tied to recent meme stock moves, was also high on the list. Beyond those, investors added shares of Walmart WMT +0.91% ▲ , CoreWeave CRWV +0.24% ▲ , and Snowflake SNOW -0.97% ▼ . Each received a lift from retail demand as traders spread funds across both tech and consumer names. Altogether, while enthusiasm for AI remains present, the pace of retail buying appears slower. The focus is still on Nvidia, but other stories are also drawing attention." MY COMMENT Retail investors continue to load up on stocks when they see a dip opportunity. Some are probably new purchasers but many are adding to positions. It is the front line of the battle between retail investors and institutional investors and traders. At this point with all the resources available to the retail investors online and with AI......I believe that any advantage that the big investors used to have is now gone. Of course the big investors still control the media and have the ability to manipulate the markets short term.
Yes, what would we do without some sort of economic report for the week? Seems there is a constant flow of information. I can’t think of ever using the information in a meaningful way. Obviously, we can research earnings and companies much easier, but I guess that is the trade off with all of the info and access to it. We get it all whether we need it or not.
I see that I have not missed anything today in the markets. I was out for the open to get some routine blood work done. Now I am waiting for my Board Meeting to start in about 45 minutes. Our family Oil and Gas corporation. We have had a lot of work going on lately with this since we are in the process of doing a special meeting for shareholders to ratify the board recommendation to sell all the assets and dissolve the corporation. The income from this in the form of royalties is minimal each year....about $1000 to $1500 maximum. BUT....the assets are more substantial.....although not HUGE....worth somewhere between about $600,000 and $1,000,000. My sister and I own 20% of the corporation stock. Once we get shareholder approval we will sell off all the mineral rights and the physical land that the company owns and distribute the proceeds to shareholders. I have been working with the attorney and land-man to get this all lined up and organized. My cousins and I have decided to end this now since soon the shares will end up being all divided up between children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and it will be a huge disaster trying to manage the company with so many minimal shareholders that really know nothing about this and dont care.
Good advice for a day like today. This September, Tune Out ‘Worst Month’ Noise Calendars, as always, aren’t effective market indicators. https://www.fisherinvestments.com/e...ary/this-september-tune-out-worst-month-noise (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "With summer unofficially about to turn to autumn, many minds are on football season’s start, changing leaves and, we guess, pumpkin-spiced everything. But many pundits are fixated on something else: September, so the old adage goes, is the worst month for stocks. This year, fallout fear is especially pronounced, given sour sentiment and stocks’ steep post-correction rally. But before you fall prey to this “worst-month” chatter, remember: September is just a month, not a market driver. You are best blocking out seasonal market noise. Mind you, the old adage is technically true. Since 1926, September’s average return of -0.8% is indeed the worst of any calendar month. And stocks have fallen four of the last five Septembers, which could be contributing to today’s buzz.[ii] Coming amid widespread worries over tariffs, high valuations and allegedly narrow market breadth, many see the approach of the calendar’s worst month as a troubling sign. But there are some considerable issues with this “analysis.” To start, September’s negative average return is tied to a few lofty outliers. This includes 1931’s -29.6% fall (the S&P 500’s worst monthly return), 2008’s -8.9% and 2022’s -9.4% drop—among others.[iii] Simple average returns can relate a skewed story. One way to remove skew on both sides is by using median returns, or the midpoint of all monthly returns. And for September, this figure is essentially flat.[iv] Not great, but not negative, either. Oh, and from a frequency standpoint, September returns are positive 52% of the time—slightly more often than not.[v] There are other, more substantial issues, though. Namely, correlation doesn’t mean causation—as these large monthly drops illustrate. They didn’t happen because it was September. For example, take September 1931 (please). Amid the Great Depression, serial bank runs put immense pressure on the American banking system, hammering US markets. This pain wasn’t reflected solely in September, nor did it begin then. This period included many poor months for the S&P 500, including May 1931’s -13.2%, December 1931’s -13.8% and April 1932’s -19.8%.[vi] The calendar triggered none of these. The Great Depression did. Or consider chaotic September 2008, when the Federal Reserve forced Lehman Brothers to fail while the US government haphazardly responded to the global financial crisis. Here, too, poor S&P 500 monthly returns didn’t start with September—the bear market began almost one year earlier, in October 2007. The downturn featured several negative months, including October 2008, when stocks fell -16.8%—nearly twice as much as the previous September. February 2009’s -10.6% was another double-digit drop that followed.[vii] More recently, September 2022 fell near the end of a shallow bear market driven by a cornucopia of fears including recession, hot inflation, Fed rate hikes, Russia’s war in Ukraine and more. Herein lies the point: None of these drivers have anything to do with September as a month. Or Labor Day. Or, dare we say, pumpkin spice. The economic, political and sentiment drivers at the time explain them much better. Heck, 8 of the worst 10 Septembers came amid pre-existing bear markets.[viii] Those cyclical moves explain the bad months, not the other way around. More broadly speaking, seasonality just isn’t predictive. This becomes apparent when you look at other adages, like “Sell in May,” which urges you to dodge the “weak” summer months, returning on Halloween or St. Leger Day (a mid-September British horse race). But … this year selling on April 30 would have meant missing 14.8% S&P 500 gains thus far.[ix] Last year, US markets rose 12.3% over this period.[x] This doesn’t appear worth trying to dodge. Importantly, these aren’t outliers. Historically, summers have been fine for stocks, averaging positive returns. Thus, by following the Sell in May myth, you risk losing out on solid gains. Over time, these mistakes can pile up and cause you to veer from your long-term goals and objectives. This is the chief risk falling prey to seasonality presents. All in all, calendars just aren’t reliable market indicators. While stocks fell in four of the past five Septembers, they rose 2.0% last year.[xi] And they didn’t drop in any of the four Septembers from 2016 to 2019.[xii] Point being, all seasonal adages work some of the time, helping confirm the biases around them and lending to headlines’ chatter. But there is no market-predictive quality to the calendar—stocks aren’t crops, rotating with the season. The market is a complex and adaptive system that pre-prices widely known information. Time flies, but we doubt many are unaware the calendar is about to flip to September." MY COMMENT NO.....I dont invest based on what month it is.....or....based on superstition. I think I will start my own superstition......it is NOT the month of September that causes the markets to drop at this time of the year.....it is....GASP.....FOOTBALL. That is the common thread. College and pro football starts up every year at this time and.....BINGO.....like clockwork....the markets have a bad month. We also know how the Super Bowl winner is also touted as being predictive of the stock markets. SO....my theory is that it is....FOOTBALL....that is the controlling factor in the markets. I think I have discovered and unlocked the key to all investing....football. From now on the focus of this this thread will no longer be long term investing....it will be football. Makes about as much sense as the tired old....."month of the year".....superstitions.
A fun little article to distract from all the ridiculous RED today. NVIDIA (NVDA) is How Big?? https://www.bespokepremium.com/interactive/posts/think-big-blog/nvidia-nvda-is-how-big (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "The largest company in the world -- NVIDIA (NVDA) -- reported quarterly earnings on Wednesday (8/27) after the close, and you can read our review of NVDA's conference call here if you're interested. While NVIDIA (NVDA) has historically averaged a one-day change of nearly +/-8% following earnings, its reaction to this quarter's report was a decline of less than 1%. As you can see in the chart below, bulls went into NVDA earnings hoping the stock would break out to new highs after a period of sideways action since mid-July. That breakout has yet to materialize, though, and today we're seeing shares head lower by 2-3% again. For now, new highs for NVDA appear to be on hold. Below are a few charts that highlight just how gigantic NVIDIA (NVDA) has become. The first stacks NVDA's market cap against the world’s largest economies. At $4.4 trillion, NVIDIA is now bigger than the entire equity markets of five of the seven G7 countries—Italy, Germany, France, the U.K., and Canada. Japan is the only non-US country in the G7 with a larger market cap. That means one U.S. company, riding the AI wave, is worth more than the combined value of every publicly traded company in several of the world’s most advanced economies. If you thought comparing NVIDIA to entire countries was wild, our next chart shows just how far ahead it is of some of America’s most iconic companies. With a market cap north of $4 trillion, NVIDIA is worth 6 Walmarts (WMT), 11 Costcos (COST), 20 McDonald’s (MCD), or 25 Citigroups (C). Taking it further, it could swallow 38 Nikes (NKE), 45 Starbucks (SBUX), or 50 Dells (DELL). At the extreme end, NVIDIA’s value equals about 60 UPS (UPS), 78 Chipotles (CMG), 94 Fords (F), 102 Targets (TGT), or 103 eBays (EBAY). Put simply, NVIDIA’s market cap isn’t just massive, it’s in a league of its own, making even household corporate giants look like small caps by comparison. Our last chart pushes the point even further: NVIDIA’s market cap doesn’t just dwarf corporate icons, it makes many popular consumer brands look minuscule. At today’s size, NVIDIA is worth the same as 119 Hersheys (HSY), 183 Lululemons (LULU), or 244 Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS). It could equal 290 Domino’s (DPZ), 358 Wynn Resorts (WYNN), or 458 New York Times (NYT). Stretch it further, and you get jaw-dropping multiples: 551 Gaps (GAP), 984 Shake Shacks (SHAK), 1,223 Macy’s (M), 2,090 Under Armours (UAA), 3,036 Kohl’s (KSS), or an incredible 3,451 Cracker Barrels (CBRL). When one company is worth thousands of other recognizable brands outright, it underscores just how unprecedented NVIDIA’s dominance has become. MY COMMENT That is one BIG company.
A BLOOD-BATH in the big tech world today....for absolutely no reason. The headline says it all. DUMB stuff being pushed by the media and market manipulators. Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq sink as Treasury yields jump amid tariff, Fed uncertainty https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live...mp-amid-tariff-fed-uncertainty-235520274.html SAME....tired old BS....but it continues to generate clicks and panic....at least among the traders. I am sure many long term investors are taking advantage of this dip to....buy, buy, buy. The timing is good for me. I am expecting a check for $10,000 this week some time from the family Oil and Gas company....and that money will go right into the markets in my account. So bring on the BIG RED......no not the drink.....the markets. I want some great entry prices to take advantage of. Of course the bank will probably put a hold on the check and when it clears that market will be booming.
The irrelevant....to me...economic news of the day. US manufacturing activity contracts for sixth straight month in August: 'It's survival' https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-m...t-month-in-august-its-survival-151934968.html Hopefully another indicator for a.....rate cut....by the fickle FED.
AND......under the BS of creating shareholder value....we see another big conglomerate being dismantled. they are not doing anything for shareholder value....they are simply ditching part of the company so management can look good with the.....good part....of the company going forward. Who will benefit.....well the management....as they will no doubt see much higher bonus money in the near future as they dump half the company to jack up the numbers. SHORT SIGHTED....but this is how the business world works now. Warren Buffett says he is ‘disappointed’ in Kraft Heinz split; shares fall 5% https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/02/warren-buffett-says-he-is-disappointed-in-kraft-heinz-split.html "Warren Buffett told CNBC on Tuesday that he is disappointed in the Kraft Heinz split that unwinds much of the blockbuster merger he masterminded a decade ago........ Buffett told CNBC’s Becky Quick on Tuesday that the merger didn’t turn out to be a brilliant idea, but he does not think that taking the company apart will fix its problems."
Is there anyone alive in the world....that REALLY thinks the big NVDA earnings and BEAT....justifies this 8% drop in the stock? I dont. BUT...I have seen a HUGE number of negative articles about the future of NVDA over the last 4-6 days all over the financial media. A coordinated attack on the company by........someone. Off to my meeting.
OK....good to move on today. I had only TWO stocks in the green.....WMT and PLTR. I also had a hefty, medium size, loss. I got beat by the SP500 by 0.48% today.
Good news for us owners of GOOGL. Google gets to keep Chrome but is barred from exclusive search deals, judge rules https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/02/google-antitrust-search-ruling.html "Key Points A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Google can keep its Chrome browser but will be barred from exclusive contracts. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling comes nearly one year after he ruled Google illegally held a monopololy in internet search. Google argued that it has plenty of competition and that any change to the company as a whole would have potential national security implications.Google pays Apple billions of dollars per year to be the default search engine on iPhones. Shares rose 4% after hours."
A little secondary reaction by AAPL. Apple shares rise after judge rules Google can continue preload deals in antitrust case https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/02/apple-shares-rise-after-decision-in-google-antitrust-case-.html "Key Points A federal judge ruled on Tuesday in a search monopoly trial that Google may continue making payments to Apple to preload Google Search on the iPhone, Mac and iPad. Apple shares rose 3% in extended trading. “Google will not be barred from making payments or offering other consideration to distribution partners for preloading or placement of Google Search, Chrome, or its GenAI products,” the decision states."
Nearly 5% on 30 year Treasuries today. If I was looking to lock in some long term safe money......this is probably where I would go. Treasury yields jump on prospect of U.S. having to refund tariff money; 30-year yield tops 4.97% https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/02/us-treasury-yields-investors-look-to-key-jobs-report.html
This will be a big help to get our first FED cut of the year. US job openings decline in July; hiring lackluster https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-j...NjkhKeeD921JNsfT7Iwaj_I5aN1VhcSltGk41SkL6KN6I "WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. job openings fell more than expected in July and hiring was moderate, consistent with easing labor market conditions. Job openings, a measure of labor demand, dropped 176,000 to 7.181 million by the last day of July, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 7.378 million unfilled jobs." MY COMMENT As usual this data is totally corrupt and unreliable. BUT.....it will push the FED.
A nice article and some good advice for investors. 7 Reasons to Stop Freaking Out Over the Fed Don’t overstate the importance of the Fed—or even the impact of interest rates—when making investment decisions. https://www.morningstar.com/markets/7-reasons-stop-freaking-out-over-fed
Just a HUGE number of negative articles out there right now on NVDA. A concentrated and coordinated attack.
The markets have now become basically....just a casino. All the various types of "futures" you can buy right now is CRAZY. Polymarket returns to US after CFTC clears regulatory hurdles https://www.reuters.com/sustainabil...er-cftc-clears-regulatory-hurdles-2025-09-03/ (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Sept 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Wednesday approved Polymarket, the world's largest prediction market, to relaunch in the United States, more than three years after its exit. The decision comes amid a debate in the financial sector, with some experts highlighting prediction markets as superior to traditional polls, while others argue that these markets are little more than "digital casinos." Polymarket allows users to profit from predictions on a wide range of events, including sports, entertainment, politics and the economy. Since the U.S. presidential election last year, trading in such event contracts has surged in popularity. The regulatory body's decision follows Polymarket's $112 million acquisition of QCEX, opens new tab, a CFTC-licensed derivatives exchange and clearinghouse, a move that provides the necessary framework for the company to operate legally in the U.S. The CFTC issued a no-action letter granting relief to the derivatives exchange and clearinghouse on certain recordkeeping and reporting requirements for event contracts. Polymarket is set to return to the U.S. more than three years after agreeing to block American users from its platform, following a settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for operating an unregistered derivatives trading platform. "Credit to the Commission and Staff for their impressive work. This process has been accomplished in record timing," said Polymarket's CEO Shayne Coplan in a post on X. Polymarket's return also follows peer Kalshi's successful court challenge last year against the CFTC, after which it gained approval to list contracts related to the White House race. These markets have already gained investors' interest, with Kalshi securing a $2 billion valuation from a $185 million raise earlier in the year. Polymarket also secured an investment last week from Donald Trump Jr.-backed venture capital firm 1789 Capital." MY COMMENT This is basically nothing more than GAMBLING.....in the from of being a commodity or a futures contract. No doubt.....the future of how many will view investing. Too bad for....them.
