The Long Term Investor

I am seeing some very nice results lately. My primary account is now at +21.18% versus the SP500 being at +19.04%.

This is how it works for the LONG TERM. You just NEVER know when the markets are going to take your account of a nice little ride. Think back to all the events of this year and the past month and a half. A nightmare for anyone that is trying to be a market timer.

I have lived it day after day....yet....I can barely believe where I am now year to date. The POWER of LONG TERM INVESTING. It is simply IMPOSSIBLE to predict what and when anything is going to happen short term.....so.....I stay fully invested all the time to catch the unexpected market moves that FAVOR the positive side.....sooner or later......and are usually UNANTICIPATED.

A very good start to the week. Lets make it two in a row for the week tomorrow.

 

It means that your portfolio is now in SYNC with the markets......for at least.......one day......as was mine. Lets see how we do tomorrow.

 

It is a good day in the...market....neighborhood. I had some business earlier today but knew the markets were in good hands with Emmett back posting. We are seeing a very strong and nicely....consistent.....day so far. So nice for a change to see the past five days of good returns.

EARNINGS!

 

The news of the day....partly responsible for the good stock markets by.....DISTRACTING....everyone from stocks and the negative themes of the past 6 months.

The first bitcoin ETF finally begins trading

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/19/investing/bitcoin-etf-proshares-bito/index.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"New York (CNN Business)Cryptocurrency investors finally got what they've been clamoring for as the first bitcoin-linked, exchange-traded fund launched Tuesday.

The ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF began trading at $40 a share under the ticker symbol "BITO" and quickly rose about 3%. The ProShares fund is the first of what is expected to be several ETFs that track bitcoin futures to debut on Wall Street.
VanEck, Invesco, Valkyrie and Galaxy Digital are among several investment firms that have applied with the Securities and Exchange Commission to launch bitcoin ETFs.

Bitcoin has surged in value this month in anticipation of the fund's debut and thanks to the fact that more big institutional investors are buying it. The cryptocurrency has rallied despite continued criticism from JPMorgan Chase (JPM)CEO Jamie Dimon, who recently dubbed it "worthless."

Prices topped $63,000 Tuesday morning, up from just below $44,000 at the end of September, a more than 40% surge.

Bitcoin is now within 3% of its all-time high of a little less than $65,000 earlier this year.
"The ETF approval is a watershed moment for the industry," Bitcoin Foundation chairman Brock Pierce said in a statement to CNN Business. "This moment is long-awaited, as numerous entrepreneurs and firms have sought approval from regulators since as early as 2013."

"Today begins an era where retail investors can invest directly into Bitcoin through the ETF, and serves as further validation of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies across the country and on a global basis," Pierce added.

Making bitcoin more available to the masses
Bitcoin bulls argue that having an ETF will make it easier for average investors to take part in the crypto market, without having to mine bitcoin themselves.

"We believe a multitude of investors have been eagerly awaiting the launch of a bitcoin-linked ETF after years of efforts to launch one," ProShares CEO Michael Sapir said in a statement Monday.
"BITO will open up exposure to bitcoin to a large segment of investors who have a brokerage account and are comfortable buying stocks and ETFs, but do not desire to go through the hassle and learning curve of establishing another account with a cryptocurrency provider," Sapir said.

It's important to note that the ProShares ETF — as well as any others that may get SEC approval going forward — invests in bitcoin through futures contracts. That means that investors buying into the fund will not own any actual bitcoin.

But another asset manager, Grayscale, announced plans Tuesday to file to convert its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), which was mainly geared towards high net worth accredited investors, into an ETF that would hold bitcoin at its spot (or market) price.
"We believe that if regulators are comfortable with ETFs that hold futures of a given asset, they should also be comfortable with ETFs that offer exposure to the spot price of that same asset," Dave LaValle, global head of ETFs at Grayscale Investments said in a press release. "GBTC proves that there's strong investor demand for physically-backed bitcoin investment vehicles."
Still, having any type of bitcoin ETF available could attract more new cryptocurrency investors. Some may have been staying on the sidelines, even though there are now more opportunities to trade cryptocurrencies through firms such as Coinbase or Robinhood.

"The availability of a Bitcoin futures ETF is a big step for bitcoin awareness and regulation for the crypto industry," Christine Brown, chief operating officer at Robinhood Crypto, said in an email to CNN Business. "After the SEC previously rejected several applications for these types of funds, the ETF going live on brokerages opens the door for a new group of investors.""

MY COMMENT

This is certainly a VALIDATION and mainstream acceptance of Bitcoin.

I looked at my Coinbase account a day ago. I have a bit less bitcoin than I thought. I have about 1/60th of one coin. It is UP nicely but I will not have any REAL value in my little holding till the price gets up to at least $1.5 Million.....unless I add to it slowly. I was putting in a bit each month....about $100....but quit for a while.

 

I am posting this for the little bit of earnings information in this article.

Stock market news live updates: Stocks jump after more earnings top estimates

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-news-live-updates-october-19-2021-221347505.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"Stocks advanced on Tuesday as investors digested a slew of new earnings results that topped Wall Street's expectations, suggesting more companies were able to work through ongoing supply chain challenges and still generate solid profits.

The Dow gained about 100 points, or 0.3%, just after market open. Component stock The Travelers Companies (TRV) outperformed after the insurance company posted quarterly results that far exceeded expectations as underwriting revenue reached a record. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also headed toward a fifth straight day of gains.

Companies including consumer giants Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Procter & Gamble (PG) were among those to post quarterly results that exceeded estimates Tuesday morning, though the latter also flagged the impact of rising materials and shipping prices. P&G said it expected to see $2.3 billion in after-tax expenses during the current fiscal year due to rising commodity and freight costs.

Companies including Netflix (NFLX) and United Airlines (UAL) are set to report results after market close.

The latest quarterly results, guidance and executive commentary from the broad array of companies still left to report are set to help illustrate the extent of how labor shortages, increasing input costs and lingering pandemic-related concerns have weighed on companies – and whether some firms have managed to more nimbly navigate this confluence of challenges.

"We're dealing with supply chain challenges because of the unique situation that we're in right now, where we've unleashed a lot of demand before businesses were really ready for it. That may persist for some time, drive volatility, raise some concerns," Brian Levitt, Invesco global market strategist of North America, told Yahoo Finance Live on Monday. "But ultimately I think the supply-demand imbalances will moderate, enabling this cycle to move on further."

"What you want to hear from businesses are those that continue to believe that demand is going to be strong, and continue to believe that they have some ability to work through the supply challenges and pass on some of those costs to consumers," he added. "It's not a rising tide that lifts all boats type of environment. It’s an economy that’s likely to slow some in here, and pricing pressures are going to be with us a bit ... Those businesses that can pass on these costs are going to be the winners."

The companies that have so far reported third-quarter earnings results — including the big U.S. banks and an assortment of other names like Domino's Pizza (DPZ) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) — have largely posted better-than-expected profits. Heading into this week, 8% of S&P 500 companies had reported third-quarter results, and 80% of these firms topped consensus estimates, according to FactSet.

And as Savita Subramian, Bank of America's head of U.S. and equity quant strategy, pointed out in a note on Monday, many of these companies had relatively little foreign sales exposure, or less than one-fifth of their overall revenue from international sources. Forthcoming earnings reports from companies with greater reliance international sales may provide an even more comprehensive view of the impact of the global supply chain challenges.

"Supply chain concerns are very, very real," Wells Fargo CEO and President Charles Scharf told Yahoo Finance's Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer during a panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference on Monday. "Inventory levels are down, and people are finding ways to compensate for that. So profit levels overall are very, very strong because people are raising prices, so there is inflation how long that goes on for we can debate, but it is very real."

"The supply chain problems aren't going to get solved overnight," he added. "They will get solved, but until then, I certainly worry about the evenness of [whether] small businesses versus large businesses be able to continue on the same trajectory."

9:38 a.m. ET: Bitcoin futures ETF debuts on the NYSE, becoming the first to hit a U.S. public exchange
The ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) made its trading debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday to become the first-ever U.S. exchange-traded fund to offer investing in futures of the cryptocurrency.

As a derivatives-based product, the fund allows investors to bet on Bitcoin futures, or expected changes in the price of the token. While this gives traders exposure to the cryptocurrency's price action, it does not enable them to hold Bitcoin directly.

Bitcoin prices jumped amid the debut, clearing $63,000 to near its all-time high."

MY COMMENT

We are off to a GREAT start to earnings. We are seeing 80%+ beats and exceptional earnings. A long way to go but a nice beginning.

 

One of my stocks reported today....my ONLY old school big cap conglomerate that I have left. I used to have a whole portfolio of these MONSTER companies in the old days.

P&G earnings top estimates as price hikes help offset some costs. Warns more inflation ahead

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/19/procter-gamble-pg-q1-2022-earnings.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"Key Points

• Procter & Gamble topped Wall Street’s estimates for its fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue.
• P&G raised its forecast for inflation, predicting that higher commodity and freight costs could hit fiscal 2022 earnings by $2.3 billion, up from its prior outlook of $1.9 billion.
• Price hikes helped offset higher freight costs but couldn’t keep up with climbing commodity costs.

Procter & Gamble on Tuesday reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations, but higher costs weighed on the company’s profits.

The consumer giant also raised its forecast for commodity and freight costs for the remainder of the fiscal year, warning it believes inflation is still increasing.

Shares of the company fell 2.3% in premarket trading.

Here’s what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv:

• Earnings per share: $1.61 vs. $1.59 expected
• Revenue: $20.34 billion vs. $19.91 billion expected

P&G reported fiscal first-quarter net income of $4.11 billion, or $1.61 per share, down from $4.28 billion, or $1.63 per share, a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were expecting earnings per share of $1.59.

Net sales rose 5% to $20.34 billion, topping expectations of $19.91 billion. Organic revenue, which strips out the impact of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign currency, increased by 4% in the quarter.

Price hikes on some of P&G’s products, like Pampers diapers, contributed to organic sales growth by 1%. Higher prices offset increased freight costs during the quarter but couldn’t keep up with climbing commodity costs. P&G CFO Andre Schulten said on a call with reporters that the company would raise prices on certain products within the beauty, oral care and grooming categories to deal with inflation. However, he said the company isn’t intentionally prioritizing premium products because of supply chain constraints.

“As this pricing reaches store shelves we’ll be closely monitoring consumption trends,” Schulten said on the company’s conference call. “While it’s still early in the pricing cycle, we haven’t seen notable changes in consumer behavior.”

Schulten said the company will ramp up its productivity programs throughout the fiscal year and still plans to introduce innovation to improve value as the company raises prices.

P&G said that it now expects after-tax commodity costs of $2.1 billion and freight expenses of $200 million to weigh on its fiscal 2022 results. Last quarter, the company forecast that commodity and freight costs would hit its earnings by $1.9 billion.

“We base our forecast on spot rates, so we don’t expect any easing on commodity cost forecasts,” Schulten said.

Health care was the company’s top-performing segment this quarter. The business unit, which includes brands like Oral-B and Vicks, saw organic sales growth of 7%.

The company’s largest segment, fabric and home care, reported organic sales growth of 5%. The division includes Tide, Febreze and Mr. Clean products.

P&G’s grooming business, which includes Venus and Gillette razors, saw organic sales increase by 4% during the quarter.

The company’s beauty and baby, feminine and family care units both saw their organic revenue rise by 2%. The beauty segment, which includes Pantene and SK-II, saw higher organic sales across its hair-care and skin and personal-care divisions, driven by higher volume and innovation in hair treatments and conditioners. P&G said it saw more consumers buying its premium Pampers diapers and pants from the baby-care segment, but organic sales of Charmin toilet paper and Bounty paper towels fell as it spent more on promotions.

Despite higher costs, P&G reiterated its prior forecast for full-year earnings and revenue. P&G is calling for fiscal year sales to grow 2% to 4% from the prior year and core earnings per share to increase by 3% to 6%."

MY COMMENT

PG is my worst performing holding by far....but STILL a positive holding.....and on track to double my money in 6-7 years. I am NOT inclined to sell the stock since I want to have at least a minimum of one old school company to help anchor my portfolio. I am also very satisfied with my portfolio performance AS A WHOLE......so I am not inclined to make any changes.

Nice earnings report....but a bit weak on the NET INCOME. Lots of forward statements in the report so of course before the open the stock was getting punished. Last time I looked they were in the RED for the day....down by just shy of 2%.

 

I was all green earlier in my account. Now I see that Amazon, Nike, and Proctor & Gamble have turned red. Still.....a nice moderate gain for the day although I am lagging the SP500 by a good amount. I will take it. Lots of time left in the day and I NEVER like to bitch about making money.

 

Fun is good....Emmett.

Speaking of fun....the market was fun today. It pretty much locked in early and just held there for the entire day. I was nicely green....not as much as yesterday....but still, it was good. The SP500 got me today....it beat me by 0.39%.

I am not sure where my ATH was previously.....but I am either above it or close. I LOVE EARNINGS season. I also love how everyone in the media and a lot of the market prognosticators talked....."dirty"......about earnings going to be down ahead of time and created LOW expectations. Of course....as usual....they were WRONG and their predictions are NOW driving the markets higher.

 

Posting this for the EARNINGS talk.......as well as a record of what occurred today.

Stock market news live updates: Strong earnings push stocks higher, S&P 500 ends with 5th straight day of gains

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-news-live-updates-october-19-2021-221347505.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"Stocks advanced on Tuesday as investors digested a slew of new earnings results that topped Wall Street's expectations, suggesting more companies were able to work through ongoing supply chain challenges and still generate solid profits.

The Dow gained nearly 200 points, or 0.6%, by the end of the trading day. Component stocks including The Travelers Companies (TRV) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) rose after posting stronger-than-expected earnings results, helping fuel the jump in the 30-stock index. The S&P 500 rose for a fifth straight session, marking its longest winning streak since August.

Consumer giant Procter & Gamble (PG) was also among the major companies to post estimates-topping quarterly results Tuesday morning, though the stock fell as the company also flagged the impact of rising materials and shipping prices. P&G said it expected to see $2.3 billion in after-tax expenses during the current fiscal year due to rising commodity and freight costs.

Companies including Netflix (NFLX) and United Airlines (UAL) are set to report results after market close.

The latest quarterly results, guidance and executive commentary from the broad array of companies still left to report are set to help illustrate the extent of how labor shortages, increasing input costs and lingering pandemic-related concerns have weighed on companies – and whether some firms have managed to more nimbly navigate this confluence of challenges.

"We're dealing with supply chain challenges because of the unique situation that we're in right now, where we've unleashed a lot of demand before businesses were really ready for it. That may persist for some time, drive volatility, raise some concerns," Brian Levitt, Invesco global market strategist of North America, told Yahoo Finance Live on Monday. "But ultimately I think the supply-demand imbalances will moderate, enabling this cycle to move on further."

"What you want to hear from businesses are those that continue to believe that demand is going to be strong, and continue to believe that they have some ability to work through the supply challenges and pass on some of those costs to consumers," he added. "It's not a rising tide that lifts all boats type of environment. It’s an economy that’s likely to slow some in here, and pricing pressures are going to be with us a bit ... Those businesses that can pass on these costs are going to be the winners."

The companies that have so far reported third-quarter earnings results — including the big U.S. banks and an assortment of other names like Domino's Pizza (DPZ) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) — have largely posted better-than-expected profits. Heading into this week, 8% of S&P 500 companies had reported third-quarter results, and 80% of these firms topped consensus estimates, according to FactSet.

And as Savita Subramian, Bank of America's head of U.S. and equity quant strategy, pointed out in a note on Monday, many of these companies had relatively little foreign sales exposure, or less than one-fifth of their overall revenue from international sources. Forthcoming earnings reports from companies with greater reliance international sales may provide an even more comprehensive view of the impact of the global supply chain challenges.

"Supply chain concerns are very, very real," Wells Fargo CEO and President Charles Scharf told Yahoo Finance's Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer during a panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference on Monday. "Inventory levels are down, and people are finding ways to compensate for that. So profit levels overall are very, very strong because people are raising prices, so there is inflation how long that goes on for we can debate, but it is very real."

"The supply chain problems aren't going to get solved overnight," he added. "They will get solved, but until then, I certainly worry about the evenness of [whether] small businesses versus large businesses be able to continue on the same trajectory."

2:50 p.m. ET: Global Fund Managers are the least bullish since Oct. 2020: BofA
Bullishness among global fund managers fell to its lowest level in a year as expectations for economic and corporate profit growth deteriorated, according to Bank of America's latest Global Fund Manager Survey for October.

Global growth expectations turned negative for the first time since March 2020, with the net percentage of survey participants expecting a stronger economy in the next 12 months coming in at negative 6%. Meanwhile, 15% of respondents said they anticipated profit growth would slow, representing the worst outlook since May 2020, BofA added.

Fund managers also set aside more cash amid the weakening outlook. Cash allocations reached a one-year high of 4.7%, according to Bank of America."

MY COMMENT

I LOVE the negative International sentiment above. TOTALLY BULLISH......for the long term health of the current Bull Market.

We are on a FIVE DAY run up for the SP500. I just love how these market bump-up periods seem to always come out of nowhere.

 

HERE is one of the awaited earnings reports.

Netflix posts solid beats on earnings and new subscribers

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/19/netflix-nflx-q3-2021-earnings.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"Key Points

• Netflix shares were up slightly after the bell Tuesday after the company posted third quarter results.
• The quarter’s subscriber growth of 4.4 million was a solid beat over the expected 3.84 million.
• Netflix also beat on earnings and came in line with revenue.

Netflix shares were up slightly after-the-bell Tuesday after the company posted third quarter results, showing investors the streamer can continue to attract new subscribers.

• Earnings per share (EPS): $3.19 vs $2.56 according to Refinitiv survey of analysts
• Revenue: $7.48 billion vs $7.48 billion, according to Refinitiv
• Global paid net subscriber additions: 4.4 million vs 3.84 million, according to StreetAccount

The quarter’s subscriber growth of 4.4 million was a solid beat over the expected 3.84 million. Analysts had expected users to flock to the streamer as it began to roll out a slew of content that was delayed to the back half of the year due to the pandemic.

The company said it expects to add 8.5 million subscribers in the fourth quarter. Netflix added it plans to have a more normal release schedule over the course of 2022, barring any Covid-related delays.

Netflix also announced it will use new metrics for reporting viewership. The company will start reporting hours viewed rather than the number of accounts that watched.

For example, the company’s current top film is “Extraction,” with 99 million accounts having watched at least two minutes of the title in its first 28 days on Netflix. Future reporting would put “Bird Box” as the top film, with 282 million total hours viewed in its first 28 days.

The company said in a letter to investors that the new metrics “matches how outside services measure TV viewing and gives proper credit to rewatching.”

Netflix will also release title metrics more regularly outside of its earnings report, it added.

The company also gave a nod to the top show of the quarter, “Squid Game.” Netflix said the South Korean dystopian series has become its “biggest TV show ever.” The company said 142 million member households globally watched the show in its first four weeks.

The company also pointed to the cultural relevance of the show.

“Like some of our other big hits, Squid Game has also pierced the cultural zeitgeist, spawning a Saturday Night Live skit and memes/clips on TikTok with more than 42 billion views,” the company said. Demand for consumer products related to the show is high, it added.

Netflix also updated investors on its push into gaming. The company said it’s begun testing its games in select countries, but “it remains very early days for this initiative.”

The games will be a part of Netflix subscriptions and will not include advertisements or in-app purchases.

Netflix still wants to grab more users’ attention, competing against activities like watching TikTok, playing Fortnite or reading. It shared some insight into that dynamic, saying that when Facebook experienced a global outage earlier this month, Netflix saw engagement increase 14% during that same time period.

Getting into gaming could bring Netflix users to spend more time on the platform, outside of watching traditional shows or films."

MY COMMENT

VERY nice earnings.....especially.....the HUGE beats on earnings per share and number of subscribers. I DO NOT own this stock and have no current pans to do so....but.....I count on stocks like this to help drive the markets going forward and help the stocks that I do own. Will this be enough to keep the markets GREEN tomorrow....who knows....since the markets like to totally discount good earnings.....and.....at the moment the stock is DOWN in after hours trading by 1.25%.

It looks like stock futures are strong at the moment....but irrelevant....since there is a long way to go till the open tomorrow.

 

A little warnings for those approaching retirement soon.

I failed at retirement. How to avoid my mistakes.

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/0624f909-c5af-3dd6-8124-44cfc1bb321b/i-failed-at-retirement-how.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"A warning for any that are about to retire.

It’s embarrassing to admit in a public forum that I failed at retirement. But I’m doing so — because I think people can learn from me, and thereby avoid making the same mistakes.

I spent my entire 38-year career in the banking industry. Naturally, I learned a lot about money and investing. I helped thousands of clients save for their own retirement. On top of that, my wife is an investment adviser.

But despite all that knowledge and expertise — and having enough money to retire comfortably — I still managed to find my way into retirement hell. And believe me: If it can happen to me, there’s no reason it couldn’t happen to you.

Following are the five biggest mistakes I made. Please learn from them, so you can avoid the stress and anxiety I experienced figuring this out for myself.

Mistake No. 1: Focusing only on the money, and believing that the quality of my retirement depended on how much I had.

Looking back, I now realize that many of my beliefs about retirement were wrong — because they were all linked to the money aspect of retirement. I’ve learned you don’t just fall into a happy retirement because you have a lot of money. You need financial security, of course, but designing a satisfying life takes thought, time and planning. You need to know your needs and values, and what makes you happy, and then you have to find ways to satisfy these aspirations on a regular basis.

Mistake No. 2: Thinking retiring would be easy. It’s not.

Quitting the workforce is considered one of the 10 most stressful events a person will ever experience. That stress is caused by all the change and the feelings of loss. It was stressful to slam on the brakes and suddenly stop what I’d been doing for 38 years — even though I didn’t like my job. How crazy is that?

Mistake No. 3: Believing the retirement commercials of the financial-services companies.

I blindly accepted the advertisers’ narrative — that, when I retired, I could slow down and just take it easy for the next 20 to 30 years. Just like the people in those retirement commercials. I learned that playing golf, frolicking on a beach, taking care of the grandkids and volunteering one day a week wasn’t enough to fulfill a goal-driven retiree like me.

Mistake No. 4: Believing that retiring would make all my problems magically go away.

I imagined that, by retiring, my life would turn around, and I would be happy and less stressed. But I was wrong again.

Retirement will not change you. You will still be the same person you were the day before you retired, so you will have the same problems, too.

Most near-retirees mistakenly believe that once they get their freedom back, once they feel less stressed, all their bad habits will vanish. They will magically transform into that happy person they always wanted to be. They will hit the gym daily, eat healthier, travel to exotic places, write a book, learn to play the guitar, start a business, and spend more time with family and friends.

It’s a great dream. But it can’t happen without a deliberate plan that you execute on. Falling into retirement, with only vague ideas about what your life is going to be like, will cost you. When your dream turns into a nightmare, you’ll start questioning your decision to retire in the first place.

Mistake No. 5: Now, we get to my biggest mistake: not having something to retire to.

When we retire, our sense of purpose takes a major hit. Suddenly, I was waking up to days with no meetings and deadlines. My identity was slipping away. I needed to fill the big hole created when I was forced to retire. Until I filled it, I felt that something was missing in my life.

How did I fill that void? I went back to work, but I did it my way this time, not for the money but more for the pleasure of working. I became an author, a retirement coach and public speaker. I love running my own business. My new work gives me the autonomy and flexibility I’ve always craved.

Will these things fill your retirement void? Probably not. You’ll need to figure this one out for yourself — which may involve a lot of soul searching and careful thought.

We’re all wired to want purpose and meaning. We all need something to live for. When you retire, you’ll need to find these things again. Without them, you risk your health, happiness and longevity. Retiring to nothing is equivalent to digging a premature grave.

Having a sense of purpose is something we all need until our last breath. Having a lot of money will never change that.

It’s easy to see that my retirement mistakes had nothing to do with money. Yet most retirement planning is focused on the financial. I’ve learned the hard way that preparing for the emotional challenges is just as vital. Bear that in mind when preparing for your own retirement.""

MY COMMENT

How true. OK....you have the money and the plan....but do you have the mental toughness to deal with retirement? The emotional and psychological side of this part of life are significant.

I was LUCKY.....I played music as a professional musician all my life and have continued to do so. It keeps me active, keeps me thinking, is physical work, as well as emotional work. Not to mention it brings in additional money. I no longer tour nationally or internationally.....but I do still play on a regional level. I am around many people that are significantly younger than me. It keeps me in touch with all manor and ages of people in my daily interactions. I dont know what I would do with myself in retirement if I did not continue to play music.

Some good food for thought above for anyone nearing retirement. You need to make a LIFE PLAN as well as a money and financial plan.

 

One thing about investing Zukodany.....NEVER second guess a decision to sell and take a nice profit. Most people have trouble making sell decisions and end up holding a stock longer than might good. Whether buying or selling or any other sort of investing decision......you do it and move on....no regrets. It is too easy to second-guess yourself to death.

 

I like this little article for the EARNINGS content....it supports some of my earnings comments in posts lately.

Stock market news live updates: Stock futures drift higher as earnings roll in

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-news-live-updates-october-20-2021-222327887.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"Stock futures traded slightly higher Tuesday evening as investors eyed a batch of stronger-than-expected earnings results with increasing optimism over the trajectory of corporate profits even in the face of supply chain constraints.

Contracts on the S&P 500 edged up. The blue-chip index closed out a fifth straight session in positive territory on Tuesday, marking its longest winning streak since August. Bitcoin (BTC) prices topped $64,000 per share and closed in on an all-time high, after the first-ever Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund, or the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO), rose by. nearly 5% in its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange.

Shares of Netflix (NFLX) fluctuated between gains and losses in late trading despite posting third-quarter earnings and subscriber growth that exceeded Wall Street's expectations. United Air Lines (UAL) shares rose after the carrier posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss and revenue that topped expectations, albeit while remaining some 32% below 2019 levels.

These better-than-feared earnings results — in addition to those from earlier reporters including the big banks last week, and Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson Tuesday morning — have helped assuage traders' concerns that corporate profits would slow dramatically after a second-quarter surge. Investors have been nervously monitoring inflation data showing prices jumping by the most in decades, on top of a myriad reports over persistent labor and materials shortages and delivery issues. All of these factors were expected to weigh heavily on corporate profits.

"We think investors have been too pessimistic on earnings expectations," Jon Adams, BMO Capital Markets senior investment strategist, told Yahoo Finance Live. "It does look like Q2 was likely the peak, but Q3 is going to be strong, probably above 30% year-over-year [growth]."

"We think the strength will continue into the fourth quarter, we're not overly concerned about profit margins," Adams added. "We are closely monitoring supply chain issues and increasing wage pressures but still think that profit margins are at healthy levels, and that there's more upside to come."

Other pundits also suggested price pressures may begin to ease over the coming quarters.

"I do think that as these supply chain issues subside throughout the course of 2022, we're also going to start to see inflation moderate from these elevated levels," Meera Pandit, global market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, told Yahoo Finance Live. "It won't be completely transitory. Things like housing, things like food – we've seen wages come a little bit higher. So we're going to see higher inflation than we did during the last expansion. But it's going to come down and moderate from these levels." "

MY COMMENT

Moderation but a bit higher inflation......fine with me. I would prefer to see inflation settle in between about 2% and 4% on average for the longer term.

YES....it certainly looks like everyone was too pessimistic about earnings. Q3 is going to be STRONG....just as expected.

 

Well it is another nice open today. If it holds the market streak will continue for a 6th day.

I am SLIGHTLY green to start the day. Just a few hundred dollars....but green is green....and there is plenty of time for me to build from here to the close. Of course when I say...."build from here".....it is not like I am actually going to do anything. my stocks and entire portfolio just sits there PASSIVELY as usual.

Looks like my BIG TECH stocks are sleeping in today. Perhaps they partied too hard last night....who knows. They are all sleeping in and doing NOTHING so far today. YES.....they are all in the red so far today. I suspect at least some of them will wake up as they proceed into the middle to the end of the day....and get beyond the early morning short term traders and profit takers.

 

Posting this for the EARNINGS and BITCOIN content.

Stock market news live updates: Stocks drift higher as earnings roll in, Bitcoin sets all-time high

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-news-live-updates-october-20-2021-222327887.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"Stocks extended gains on Wednesday as investors eyed a batch of stronger-than-expected earnings results with increasing optimism over the trajectory of corporate profits, even in the face of ongoing supply chain constraints.

The S&P 500 rose by about 0.3% Wednesday morning The blue-chip index closed out a fifth straight session in positive territory on Tuesday, marking its longest winning streak since August.

Bitcoin (BTC) prices rose above $65,000 to set a fresh all-time high. The cryptocurrency held onto gains from earlier this week, after the first-ever Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund, or the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO), rose by nearly 5% in its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

Shares of Netflix (NFLX) fell in early trading despite posting third-quarter earnings and subscriber growth that exceeded Wall Street's expectations. United Air Lines (UAL) shares rose after the carrier delivered a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss and revenue that topped expectations, albeit while remaining some 32% below 2019 levels.

These better-than-feared earnings results — in addition to those from earlier reporters including the big banks last week, and Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson earlier this week — have helped assuage traders' concerns that corporate profits would slow dramatically after a second-quarter surge. Investors have been nervously monitoring inflation data showing prices jumping by the most in decades, on top of a myriad reports over persistent labor and materials shortages and delivery issues. All of these factors were expected to weigh heavily on corporate profits.

"We think investors have been too pessimistic on earnings expectations," Jon Adams, BMO Capital Markets senior investment strategist, told Yahoo Finance Live. "It does look like Q2 was likely the peak, but Q3 is going to be strong, probably above 30% year-over-year [growth]."

"We think the strength will continue into the fourth quarter, we're not overly concerned about profit margins," Adams added. "We are closely monitoring supply chain issues and increasing wage pressures but still think that profit margins are at healthy levels, and that there's more upside to come."

Other pundits also suggested price pressures may begin to ease over the coming quarters.

"I do think that as these supply chain issues subside throughout the course of 2022, we're also going to start to see inflation moderate from these elevated levels," Meera Pandit, global market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, told Yahoo Finance Live. "It won't be completely transitory. Things like housing, things like food – we've seen wages come a little bit higher. So we're going to see higher inflation than we did during the last expansion. But it's going to come down and moderate from these levels."

10:20 a.m. ET: Adobe expects a record U.S. online holiday shopping season despite widespread supply shortages
U.S. e-commerce sales over the holidays are predicted to hit a record this year, according to Adobe's annual online holiday shopping forecast. However, widespread shortages may keep some companies from keeping pace with surging consumer demand.

The firm expects holiday-period online sales to reach an all-time high of $207 billion from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 in the U.S. That would represent a jump of 10% compared to the same period in 2020. Worldwide online sales online are expected to grow 11% over last year to reach $910 billion, Adobe added.

Though demand is still strong, supply-chain challenges have weighed on companies heading into the holiday shopping period.

"Compared to a pre-pandemic period (Jan 2020), the prevalence of out-of-stock messages has risen a whopping 172%going into the holiday season," Adobe said in its press statement. "Adobe expects it to remain at this level, increasing for certain products throughout the season."

The firm added apparel was currently experiencing the highest level of out-of-stocks, followed by sporting goods, baby products and electronics.

9:20 a.m. ET: Mortgage rates jump to highest level in 6 months: MBA
Mortgage rates jumped to their highest level in six months amid a march higher in benchmark interest rates, with inflation expectations increasing alongside a rise in prices for a broad array of goods and services.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased to 3.23% for the week ended Oct. 15, according to a weekly update from the Mortgage Bankers Association. This compared to 3.18% during the prior week.

The latest rate marched the highest since April, and a jump of more than 0.25 percentage points since late July.

For the latest week, mortgage application volume also tumbled 6.3%, with the rise in rates deterring many potential home buyers from entering the market. During the previous week, mortgage applications had risen by 0.2%. "

MY COMMENT

SHOCKING.......absolutely shocking....mortgage rates have SKYROCKETED to the highest in six months......3.23%. Yes.....sarcasm....anyone that is worried about this rate jump to the highest level in six months is absolutely out of touch with REALITY.....or at least history. The current rates and those of the past cople of years are the lowest rates.....BY FAR.....that I have ever seen in my entire lifetime. NORMAL rates would be in the 5-7% range. How spoiled we now are. It is going to be a HUGE shock to younger people when the mortgage rates get back to normal. Sooner or later it WILL happen. If yu can....and the time is right for you.....it is a good time to consider buying a house. I saw some data the other day that MILLENIALS are still POURING into the housing market as buyers.

EARNINGS and BITCOIN....doing just what you would expect.