The above is.....LITERALLY.....all that is happening in the markets today. In other words...NOTHING. We appear to be in a little Summer doldrum. We are becalmed at sea. Lets see if this NOTHING market is going to last for a few days or if it is going to linger for a while. I suspect that EARNINGS will be a catalyst to move the markets....soon. We will see the first earnings....bank stocks as usual.....starting Next week on Tuesday, July 15. Actually earning reports are already happening this week....but they are being mostly ignored.
One of my kids will be participating in the search effort at the Camp Mystic area today and this week. Anyone reading this....PLEASE.....do not go to the area to help with the search without prior authorization....it is mostly PROFESSIONALS and authorized people only. The river area is very dangerous with all the debris.
That is about it for today. Perhaps there will be something interesting to talk about later in the day. For now...I will just give up.
I see this today......for what it is worth....since I do not ivnest according to Wall Street expectations or speculation. Wall Street is getting more bullish on stocks as trade uncertainty lingers https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wall...s-as-trade-uncertainty-lingers-143107383.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Fresh trade threats aren't stopping Wall Street strategists from raising their bets on stocks. Goldman Sachs (GS) raised its year-end S&P 500 (^GSPC) target to 6,600 late Monday, up from a prior estimate of 6,100, citing deeper Fed rate cuts, lower bond yields, and investors' willingness to look past near-term earnings weakness. Bank of America (BAC) followed with its own upgrade, raising its year-end S&P 500 target to 6,300 from the prior 5,600, a shift meant to catch up to what strategist Savita Subramanian described as the market's "meteoric run." But the new target reflects just 1.1% upside from Monday’s close, with Subramanian warning, "It's hard to identify a positive catalyst for the S&P 500 to continue its meteoric run into Q3." She pointed to mixed signals from earnings guidance and economic data, adding, "The meat of corporate profits, tech company earnings, are slated to decelerate." The bullish revisions come as Trump reignites global trade tensions, threatening 25% tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea. The renewed trade concerns sent stocks broadly lower on Monday Stocks have staged a historic comeback since Trump's initial "Liberation Day" tariff threats in April, which briefly triggered a sharp sell-off after he pledged sweeping duties on some of the US's largest trading partners. The White House later softened its stance, first granting a 90-day extension and then pushing the deadline again on Monday to Aug. 1. "I'll actually believe these [tariff] numbers when I see them," Adam Johnson, portfolio manager at Bullseye American Ingenuity Fund, told Yahoo Finance on Monday. He said the extension of the tariff deadline to Aug. 1 showed that the Trump administration is trying to negotiate. "It's the art of the deal playing out in real time," he said. "So we throw something out there that scares everybody, gets them off guard. It's a way of effectively trying to get a better deal from our trading partners. In other words, as Johnson was alluding to, that's the so-called TACO trade at work, an acronym for "Trump Always Chickens Out." The phrase captures a belief among some investors that the president often talks tough on tariffs but rarely follows through. That assumption has helped fuel a tailwind for markets in recent months as traders increasingly bet on last-minute policy pivots. But uncertainty still looms. "The shifting tariff landscape creates large uncertainty around our earnings forecasts, which are roughly in line with consensus in 2025 but below consensus in 2026," Goldman Sachs strategist David Kostin wrote in the firm's upgrade. "The key downside risk to our EPS forecasts is the ultimate level of tariffs and their impact on corporate profits." The uncertainty has been exacerbated by mixed economic signals, including a downward revision to first quarter GDP growth, a slight uptick in PCE inflation, and continuing jobless claims reaching their highest level since 2021, indicating some labor market softness. "There are some yellow flags in the economy but no clear red flags yet," Aditya Bhave, senior US economist at Bank of America, said on a call with reporters last week. "We're at a fork in the road," he said. "If something is going to break, it's going to break soon." MY COMMENT About the only thing that is slightly relevant above........is the increase in the SP500 targets. Of course I dont really care.....my SP500 target is STILL 6800 to 6900....by year end. AND....that is just a little game that I play with myself....I NEVER invest or do anything based on financial..... "targets".
I made back most of what I lost yesterday. Neither day had much excitement or enthusiasm. I had a small gain today. Compliments of three stocks in the green....NVDA, PLTR, aand AAPL. If I have to only have a few stocks up in a day...it really helps for two of them to be PLTR and NVDA. I also beat the SP500 today by 0.21%. Moving on......it is now basically a three day week.....since the first two days were a "push" for me.
It is always hard for many beginners to get started investing. That is one BIG GOAL of this thread to encourage people to start investing. PLEASE....if you are a new investor....you are TOTALLY welcome to come on here and ask questions. WE....can be a good resource for you. Here is some other good content for you if you are thinking of starting out on your investing journey. 11 of the Best Investing Books for Beginners The best finance books for beginners break down important investing concepts in simple terms. https://money.usnews.com/investing/articles/best-investing-books-for-beginners (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Books can hold decades of earned knowledge in the span of a few hundred pages. When it comes to understanding finances, fewer decisions are easier, cheaper or more impactful than the move to educate yourself with a great investing book. Money touches everything we do, so learning how to properly invest early in life can make a huge difference in your ultimate success. It's important to learn investment terminology. You'll want to understand the difference between a stock and a bond, how cryptocurrency works, how inflation affects investments, the role of risk tolerance and how tax efficiency can increase a portfolio's return. It's equally important to understand what money does and doesn't do for a person seeking to grow wealth for future life events. That includes how we interact with money, how family experiences can shape our investment outlook and how significant debt can be a drag on our ability to achieve life goals. To assist you in this endeavor, here's a list of 11 great books that address multiple aspects of the investing process. The authors range from leading financial gurus of their time to female, minority and next-generation authors who shape new perspectives. Here are 11 of the best investing books for beginners: "The Intelligent Investor" "Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger" "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns" "A Beginner's Guide to the Stock Market: Everything You Need to Start Making Money Today" "Investing QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner's Guide to Successfully Navigating the Stock Market, Growing Your Wealth & Creating a Secure Financial Future" "Rich Dad Poor Dad" "How to Money: Your Ultimate Visual Guide to the Basics of Finance" "Get Good With Money: 10 Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole" "Broke Millennial Takes on Investing: A Beginner's Guide to Leveling Up Your Money" "The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness" "The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness" MY COMMENT Any or all these books will help to get you educated. BUT.....there is no need to delay or wait till you think you are educated. There is no reason you cant start out with a brokerage account invested in a simple SP500 ETF.....while you are learning. If you click on the first book you will be taken to a very good summary of each book.
In case you care. How major US stock indexes fared Tuesday, 7/8/2025 https://finance.yahoo.com/news/majo...NjkhKeeD921JNsfT7Iwaj_I5aN1VhcSltGk41SkL6KN6I
Well.....DUH. Markets becoming desensitised to Trump's tariff shifts, CGS International CEO says https://finance.yahoo.com/news/reut...NjkhKeeD921JNsfT7Iwaj_I5aN1VhcSltGk41SkL6KN6I
Futures....for what they are worth....are looking good today before the open. I am up early and reading my normal sources. Nothing has changed from the past couple of market days.....there is NOTHING out there in terms of news or other information of any relevance to the markets. As slow of a media day as I can remember. From the recent market action the past couple of days.....and probably today.....we are in a calm, low volatility, little market pause. The market is just siting and drifting....with little to nothing going on. It is good for the markets to pause and relax once in a while. It gives stocks and funds a chance to do some CONSOLIDATION. It gives investors a chance to also RELAX. It reminds me of the old days.......when the markets were not hammered every single day by the 24/7 media coverage. Probably just waiting for EARNINGS which kick off next week.
Perhaps we will now get some action in the housing market. Homebuyers finally responded, after mortgage rates hit lowest level in three months https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/09/homebuyers-finally-responded-as-mortgage-rates-dropped.html "Key Points The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances decreased to 6.77% from 6.79% Applications to refinance a home loan rose 9% for the week and were 56% higher than the same week one year ago. Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home also rose 9% for the week and were 25% higher than the same week one year ago." MY COMMENT If I was looking to buy and finance a house....I would be pissed at the FED. The greatest impact of their CRAZY refusal to cut rates is on house hunters and mortgage rates. if they had done their job......mortgage rates would be pushing down to about 6%.
The above is about it for now. NOTHING happening of any consequence to the markets.....again. BORING.
Good old.....NVDA. Basically siting at an ALL TIME HIGH right now at $160 per share. I would bet that ten years ago this company was basically....UNKNOWN....to most investors. And now.....it is the largest company in the world with MASSIVE upside potential for the next five to ten years. Imagine this....according to AI.....in 2014 NVDA's stock price was around......48Cents. A $1000 dollar investment ten years ago would have grown to $228,490.....a return of.....22,749%.
I will use the word....."LUCKY"......but.....I have been struck by lightning twice as an investor.....buying $80,000 of MSFT in 1990......and now....buying NVDA when I did. Other lesser......but still significant lightning strikes for me: PLTR...thanks to ZUKODANY and this thread. AND....buying the following companies very early in their corporate lives. SBUX NKE COST HD I will also add in being an investor in the MAGELLAN FUND during the Peter Lynch glory years.....although the amount of money that I had at that time was small as a young investor. BUT...in the end it is all about the LONG TERM and my portfolio as a whole. AND.....ALL the above buys were done with a focus on the LONG TERM. NONE were short term trading or speculative investing. It is amazing to look back at my lifetime investing journey in hindsight.....what a ride it has been. I have always tried to be on the right side of.....PROBABILITY......and have NEVER tried to be a TRADER.
AMAZING. Nvidia hits $4 trillion market cap, first company to do so https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/09/nvidia-4-trillion.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Key Points Nvidia shares jumped more than 2% on Wednesday and topped a $4 trillion market cap for the first time ever. The chipmaker is the first company to achieve this milestone and has benefitted from the generative AI boom. Nvidia shares jumped more than 2% on Wednesday, topping a $4 trillion market cap for the first time as investors scooped stock in the tech giant building the hardware for the generative artificial intelligence boom. The chipmaker is the first company to ever achieve this market value. Nvidia is the world’s most valuable company, surpassing Microsoft and Apple, both of which hit the $3 trillion mark before Nvidia. Microsoft is also one of Nvidia’s biggest and most important customers. The California-based company, which was founded in 1993, first passed the $2 trillion mark in February 2024, and surpassed $3 trillion in June. Nvidia has profited heavily off of growing demand for artificial intelligence hardware and chips since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. The company has positioned itself as the decisive leader in creating the graphics processing units that power large language models. The surge in demand has boosted shares in the chipmaking behemoth more than fifteenfold over the last five years. Shares are up more than 15% over the last month and 22% since the start of the year. The recent rally in Nvidia shares has come despite geopolitical tensions and ongoing chip curbs that have limited the company’s operations in China. Last month, Nvidia said that a recent export restriction on its H20 chips created for China would cost it $8 billion in lost sales. “The $50 billion China market is effectively closed to U.S. industry,” Huang said during a May earnings call . Huang previously told CNBC that getting blocked from selling chips in China would be a “tremendous loss” for the company." MY COMMENT CONGRATULATIONS.....to "us" shareholders.
As a long term NVDA owner I appreciate all they have done. All my accounts are at ATH's and I think there is some more room to run. I did cash out a little at tax time to cover 2024 taxes and will cash out some more here shortly to fund some life choices and pad the savings a little.
Nice strong finish today. Even PLTR came up from the depths to gain a few bucks. The wife's account I started this year is up 27%. Her response to that was 'Is that good?'... Her parents did me no favors in financial literacy. She's a great little saver and doesn't have any bad spending habits but I need her to know enough so if I become un-alived she can properly handle the finances.
I left for San Antonio after the open so I missed the entire day....although I did keep track of what was going on with my phone. On the way there we crossed the Guadalupe River.....we could see the flood damage from the road. I had a big gain today......an ALL TIME HIGH. I also beat the SP500 today by....0.74%. I had two stocks in the RED....WMT and COST. A good day.
WOW.....Bitcoin is up there at....$112,000. I better check my little 1/100 of one bitcoin and see how it looks. This is all I have left over from my single Bitcoin....which I sold a while back. I have this small fraction left worth about $1150. I finally got around to closing out my Coinbase account and I put that little bit of bitcoin into a Bitcoin ETF in my Schwab account so I can keep track of it over the years and I can add to it by buying shares if I decide to put more into it in the future. At some point I might decide to add one share when I pay my bills each month....at the same time I buy my monthly ONE share of PLTR and NVDA.
A new all time high for NVDA and the first company in history to hit a market cap of.....DRUM ROLL PLEASE.......FOUR TRILLION. What a huge accomplishment. Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq jump as Nvidia's surge to milestone boosts tech https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live...surge-to-milestone-boosts-tech-200132610.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what i consider important content) "US stocks rose on Wednesday as Nvidia (NVDA) shares jumped to a fresh all-time high, with the AI chip maker becoming the first company to ever cross a $4 trillion market cap. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose nearly 0.5%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) gained 0.6%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose 0.9% to close at a fresh record of 20,611.34. Nvidia (NVDA) stock also closed at a new record after taking the crown of the most valuable company in history. It crossed the $4 trillion market cap level early in Wednesday's session but ended the day slightly below the milestone level. Markets edged higher in the face of ramped-up trade rhetoric from President Trump. It stood in contrast to the reaction on Monday and Tuesday, which saw the S&P 500 drop after Trump posted letters outlining new tariff rates on Japan and 13 other countries. On Wednesday morning, Trump unveiled more notices with tariff rates ranging from 20%-30% to countries such as the Philippines, Libya, Algeria, and Iraq ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline to reimpose country-specific tariffs. Trump has said "no extensions will be granted" to countries that have not struck deals before then. Meanwhile, US copper (HG=F) prices retreated after soaring to a record on Tuesday as Trump said he expects to put a 50% tariff on copper and threatened to place 200% duties on pharmaceuticals. Fed minutes released on Wednesday afternoon showed only "a couple" of Federal Reserve officials at the June meeting supported interest rate cuts as soon as this month. At the June meeting, policymakers held interest rates steady, leading traders to bet that two rate cuts this year are likely." MY COMMENT YES.....I love it and the NASDAQ closed at a new all time high. BOOM.
