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Posted on March 10, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
WHAT A DAY!
By Staff Reporters
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MARKETS: The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 653.61 points, or 2%, to end at 33,286.25.
The S&P 500 gained 2.6%, or 107.18 points, finishing at 4,277.88, its best daily percentage gain since June 5, 2020, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
The NASDAQ Composite Index advanced 3.6%, or 459.99 points, closing at 13,255.55, its best daily percentage gain since March 9, 2021.
The S&P 500 had dropped nearly 5% over the last four sessions.
LABOR DEPARTMENT: Will issue its inflation report, which economists expect will show that prices for U.S. consumers leapt 7.9% in February compared with a year ago, according to data provided by FactSet. That would be the biggest gain in four decades. Consumer prices jumped 7.5% in January from a year earlier. Shortages of supplies and workers, heavy doses of federal aid, ultra-low interest rates and robust consumer spending combined to send inflation accelerating in the past year.
Posted on March 9, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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MARKETS: Stocks finished lower losing steam late in the session, as investors remained focused on the surge in global crude prices and the broader commodity complex, as global markets continue to count the costs from Russia’ invasion of Ukraine.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 184.7 points, or 0.56%, to 32,632 while the S&P 500, which is down 11.75% for the year and fresh off its worst single-day decline in 17 months, lost 0.72%.
The NASDAQ Composite slipped 0.28% as 10-year Treasury note yields rose to 1.852%.
OIL: Futures ended higher Tuesday, with West Texas Intermediate crude for April delivery rising 3.6% to settle at $123.70 a barrel. That’s the highest front-month contract finish since August 1st, 2008, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
EUROPE: Rallied at the start of trade on Wednesday, buoyed by an interview from Ukraine’s president in which he appeared to make major concessions. The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 2.2% to 424.28, helped by a rally in the beleaguered banking sector. Gainers included BNP Paribas Adidas and Deutsche Post.
ASIA: At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 declined 0.30% to hit a new 52-week low. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Isuzu Motors, Ltd. (T:7202), which rose 7.91% or 102.00 points to trade at 1,391.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Fujitsu Ltd. (T:6702) added 5.54% or 840.00 points to end at 16,000.00 and Hitachi Ltd (T:6501) was up 4.78% or 228.00 points to 4,998.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (T:9501), which fell 7.00% or 25.00 points to trade at 332.00 at the close. Kikkoman Corp. (T:2801) declined 6.67% or 560.00 points to end at 7,840.00 and Ricoh Co., Ltd. (T:7752) was down 4.91% or 47.00 points to 910.00.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2034 to 1517 and 220 ended unchanged. Shares in Ricoh Co., Ltd. (T:7752) fell to 52-week lows; losing 4.91% or 47.00 to 910.00.
The Nikkei Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, was up 6.54% to 29.82 a new 1-month high.
Posted on March 8, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
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By Staff Reporters
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Stocks: Fell sharply as the economic fallout of Russia’s war in Ukraine rattled investors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell almost 800 points Monday to close with a loss of 2.4 percent. The NASDAQ plunged 3.6 percent lower and the S&P 500 index closed with a loss of 3 percent. Companies in the finance, travel, entertainment, retail and construction industries fell sharply as skyrocketing oil prices raised fears of an economic slowdown, while energy companies rallied on the prospect of higher prices. Stocks have fallen for weeks amid rising concern about inflation and the economic blow-back of the invasion of Ukraine. The Dow is down 10.3 percent, the S&P is down 12.4 percent, and the NASDAQ is down 19 percent since the start of 2022.
Oil & Wheat: Prices for oil, natural gas and wheat have also risen dramatically after the U.S. and allies imposed unprecedented sanctions on the Russian economy, which could limit their access to key Russian exports. Oil hit $120 barrel. But, some investors are betting on oil to surge even more dramatically, as bullish bets on crude futures increase. Since Friday, $150-a-barrel call options for Brent contracts in June have doubled. Amid new potential sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, oil briefly surpassed $130 a barrel overnight.
Economy: Economists warned that higher energy and food prices will likely slow growth in the U.S. through the first half of the year and fuel higher inflation. Prices rose 7.5 percent over the 12 months ending in January, according to US Labor Department data, the highest rate in more than 40 years.
Posted on March 8, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
What It Is … and Why?
[By Staff Reporters]
History
IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia.
The tradition sees men honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts.
In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother’s Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.
The Millennium
The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women’s and society’s thoughts about women’s equality and emancipation.
Many from a younger generation feel that ‘all the battles have been won for women’ while many feminists from the 1970’s know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality.
The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.
Celebrating the Positives
However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so, the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.
Annually on 8th March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.
Global Reach
Many global corporations have also started to more actively support IWD by running their own internal events and through supporting external ones. For example, on 8 March search engine and media giant Google some years even changes its logo on its global search pages. Year on year IWD is certainly increasing in status.
The United States even designates the whole month of March as ‘Women’s History Month’.
Assessment
So make a difference, think globally and act locally! Make everyday International Women’s Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.
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Posted on March 7, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
Markets: The war in Ukraine and upcoming Federal Reserve [FOMC] rate hikes took their toll on stocks—the DJIA took another licking for its fourth straight losing week and travel stocks were especially bludgeoned.
Energy: Due to the rapid run-up in oil prices, average US gas prices surged to $3.84 a gallon on Friday. At 11 cents higher than Thursday’s levels, it’s the fastest price increase since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
MARKETS
NASDAQ:13,313.44-1.66%
S&P: 4,328.87-0.79%
DJIA: 33,614.80-0.53%
10-Year 1.732%-11.2 bps
Bitcoin: $38,879.81-8.69%
Delta: $34.52-5.58%
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FUTURES: Dow futures lost 400 points, or 1.19%, while S&P 500 futures and NASDAQ 100 futures slid 1.5% and 1.91%, respectively.
OIL: West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the U.S. oil benchmark, traded as much as 10%, hitting $130 per barrel at one point before pulling back slightly. The international benchmark, Brent crude, traded 9% higher to $128.60, also the highest prices seen since 2008.
Posted on March 6, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
Gas prices just keep climbing higher, and a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. will likely average $4 before the end of the weekend. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose to $3.92 Saturday, up from $3.84 on Friday, according to AAA.
Prices had risen 11 cents Friday, up from $3.73 on Thursday. That followed an 11-cent increase between Monday and Thursday. Prices averaged $3.60 a week ago and $3.44 a month ago. And, this week’s increases suggest it is likely the national average “could creep over $4/gallon tomorrow” .
Moreover, don’t look for gas prices to hold at $4 nationally. Many places are seeing gas of $5 or more already. The average price per gallon in California has surpassed $5 at $5.18, the most expensive market in the U.S., the AAA said.
Several other states have already surpassed the average $4 per gallon, according to AAA:
Posted on March 4, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Stocks fell and oil prices eased back after another bumpy day of trading on Wall Street as markets remained anxious about the broader impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Okta shares were down 8.06% while Snowflake plummeted 15.37%.
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INTEL: Intel stock (NASDAQ: INTC) fell 2.5% after Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Securities cut their targets to $47, according to StreetInsider. The stock fell to a low of $47.62, not far from its 52-week low of $43.63. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) analyst Joseph Moore also downgraded the stock to underweight from equal weight while BofA’s Vivek Arya maintained his under perform rating.
INDEXES: Major indexes veered up and down for much of the day before a late-day slide pushed them into the red. The S&P 500 shed a 0.7% gain to close 0.5% lower, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%. The NASDAQ composite fell 1.6%, weighed down by technology stocks, which accounted for a big share of the market’s decline.
The Dow is down 0.9% for the week, on track for its fourth negative week in a row. The S&P 500 is down about 0.5% for the week, while the NASDAQ Composite is down more than 1%.
BUYBACKS: In the third quarter of 2021, Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) led all S&P 500 companies with $20.4 billion in buybacks. Alphabet, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) was a distant second with $15 billion in buybacks, followed by Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: FB) with $12.6 billion.
Over the last decade, no company has come close to Apple in the buyback department. Apple has bought back $487.6 billion in stock since 2012. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is a very distant second with $147.1 billion in buybacks, followed by JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) with $146.2 billion.
Why Buybacks Matter: It should come as no surprise to investors that all three of the stocks that have been most aggressive in buying back shares over the last 10 years have outperformed the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY) total return by a wide margin in that period.
BONDS: Bond yields were mostly steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 1.85% from 1.86% late Wednesday.
Posted on March 3, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Economy: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told Congress that “it’s too soon to say” how the war in Ukraine will affect the central bank’s plans, but for now it’s not enough to derail the FOMC from hiking interest rates later this month.
Markets: Stocks rose across the board with strong corporate fundamentals outshining geopolitical worries…at least for a day. Intel had a strong showing after its CEO got a shout-out in the State of the Union address (to be fair, we have no idea if those two things are related).
Posted on February 27, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Microsoft: Microsoft Corp.’s stock dropped 2.6% on Wednesday to close at a seven-month low of $280.07. On Thursday, the software giant’s stock opened down 2.8% at $272.51, hit an intra-day low of $271.52, then bounced 8.5% off that low to close up 5.1% on the day at $294.59. The difference between Microsoft’s bullish engulfing and that of Twitter and Meta is that the downtrend has lasted only three months, since the stock closed at a record $343.11 on November. 19th. On Friday, the stock edged up 0.9% to $297.31.
Salesforce: Shares of Saleforce.com Inc. sank 2.4% on Wednesday to close at a 19-month low of $190.54, or 38.5% below its Nov. 8, 2021 record close of $309.96. Then on Thursday, it opened down 3.0% at $184.74, but bounced sharply to close up 7.2% at $204.29. The customer relationship management software company’s stock rose another 1.9% on Friday to $208.09, but remained the worst performer of the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s 30 components over the past three months with a loss of 26.8%.
AMAZON: The stock traded down roughly 9% across 2021and it’s down roughly 19% from the high that it hit last year. Lapping incredible, pandemic-driven performance, Amazon is facing some tough growth comparisons. Massive technology and infrastructure investments are also putting some pressure on earnings in the near term, but the business remains excellently positioned to win the future, and it will almost certainly be one of the most influential companies of the next decade [maybe]?
Posted on February 26, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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MARKETS: The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 834.92 points, or 2.5%, to close at 34,058.75, with the blue-chip gauge notching its best daily gain since early November 2020.
S&P 500 rose 95.95 points, or 2.2%, to end at 4,384.65.
NASDAQ Composite Index added 221.04 points, or 1.6%, to finish at 13,694.62.
For the week, the Dow dipped by less than 0.1% while the S&P 500 rose 0.8% and NASDAQ Composite climbed 1.1%. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ benchmarks wiped out losses from earlier in the week.
Posted on February 25, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
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WAR IS ON!
By Staff Reporters
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US Exchange: US stocks climbed out of a deep hole to close higher as investors piled into Big Tech names. One sector that got a boost from the war’s outbreak was cybersecurity: Firms like CrowdStrike surged in anticipation of more cyberattacks from Russia.
10 Year T-Bond: 1.971 down
Russian Exchange: The stock exchange in Moscow suspended trading yesterday but when dealing resumed, stocks went into free-fall. The MOEX index plunged as much as 45%, while the RTS index — which is denominated in dollars — was down more than 40% at 4.15 a.m. ET. The crash wiped about $75 billion off the value of Russia’s biggest companies.
Russian Banks and Oil: These companies were among the hardest hit in volatile trading, with shares in Sberbank — Russia’s largest lender — at one stage losing 57% of their value. Rosneft, in which BP owns a 19.75% stake, plunged as much as 58%. BP shares dropped 5% in London.
Posted on February 24, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
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By Staff Reporters
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OIL: Brent crude, the world benchmark, briefly climbed above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014. US crude jumped 3.3% to $95.15 a barrel.
U.S. stock indexes: All closed sharply lower with the DJIA narrowly avoiding a slip into correction, as U.S. officials warned that Russian troops were poised to attack, and are attacking, the Ukraine raising anxieties among investors who are also wrangling with changing monetary policy and surging inflation.
How did stock indexes trade? The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 464.85 points, or 1.4%, to end at 33,131.76. A finish below 33,119.69 would mark a 10% decline from the Dow’s Jan. 4 record close, meeting the commonly used definition of a correction. The S&P 500 index fell 79.26 points, or 1.8%, to around 4,225.50, deepening its stumble into correction territory. The NASDAQ Composite Index declined 344.03 points, or 2.6%, at 13,037.49, with 12,845.95 representing the level that would represent a bear market for the technology-laden index.
Asia: Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 3.2%. Korea’s Kospi dropped 2.7%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 2.4% after coming back from a holiday. China’s Shanghai Composite moved 0.9% lower.
Posted on February 22, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
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By Staff Reporters
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Markets: The domestic markets were closed yesterday as stocks around the world tumbled.
Crypto: Bitcoin was trading at $36,649 at 2:30 a.m. ET, falling nearly 6.5% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinDesk. The world’s most valuable cryptocurrency fell below $40,000 over the weekend, and has continued to slide as the Ukraine crisis intensifies. The currency has lost almost half its value since its November high of $68,990 due to geopolitical tensions, the prospect of interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve and curbs by some major economies on digital assets. Bitcoin’s peers have also been faring poorly. Ethereum, the world’s second most valuable cryptocurrency, fell over 8% in the last 24 hours and was trading at $2,520.
Putin: Russian President Vladimir Putin dramatically escalated the Ukrainian conflict. He recognized two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent and ordered Russian troops to enter those areas, which may provide the pretext for an invasion of other parts of the country. Western leaders condemned the move as a violation of international law and the US said it will impose sanctions on those regions.
Posted on February 21, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
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By Staff Reporters
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Wall Street trading is closed for Presidents Day holiday. But stock futures were ceding earlier stronger ground, while havens such gold pared losses, after a Kremlin spokesman said no concrete plans for a summit between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin had been made.
MARKETS: IHS Markit’s flash euro area composite PMI (purchasing managers’ index) reading, seen as a reliable gauge of overall economic health, came in at a five-month high of 55.8 in February. The U.K.’s composite PMI came in at an eight-month high of 60.2 in February, up from 54.2 in January and well above forecasts.
European markets were choppy today today as investors monitored the Russia-Ukraine situation and unexpectedly strong economic data from the euro zone and U.K. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was down 1% during afternoon trade, having gained as much as 0.6% at the start of the session. And, tech stocks dropped 2.4% as most sectors and major bourses slid into the red.
OIL: According to Sonali Paul of Reuters – Oil prices gained more than $1 in early trade on Monday from rising jitters over potential conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with the United States and European Union making clear Russia would face sanctions if it invaded its neighbor. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia would be cut off from international financial markets and denied access to major exports needed to modernize its economy if it invaded Ukraine.
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Brent crude futures were up $1.34, or 1.4%, at $94.88 a barrel at 2312 GMT after hitting a high of $95.00 in early trade.
NIKKEI: Shares in Asia-Pacific fell in Monday morning trade, as investors continue to watch the situation surrounding Ukraine.The Nikkei 225 in Japan slipped 2% in early trade while the TOPIX index shed 1.8%. South Korea’s KOSPI shed 1.64%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.82% in morning trade. And, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan traded 0.36% lower.
Posted on February 20, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
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By Staff Reporters
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues can expect to see their upcoming key inflation metric accelerate this week to a fresh four-decade high last seen when Paul Volcker led the U.S. central bank.
The personal consumption expenditures price index, which the Federal Reserve uses for its inflation target, likely jumped 6% in January from a year earlier, according to the median of a Bloomberg survey of economists. The core measure, which excludes food and fuel, is forecast to climb 5.2%.
And, less than a month before the FOMC’s next policy meeting, a sharper-than-projected advance in the price gauge could turn up the heat for a half-point increase in the benchmark interest rate. January’s consumer-price index rose more than forecast, with broad advances in the costs of goods and services.
Posted on February 19, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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MARKETS: Stocks closed down for a second straight week in the US— and sunk deeper into the red for 2022 so far — as investors assess the risks from escalating tensions in Ukraine and a shift in monetary policy by the Federal Reserve.
And, after another day of turbulence, the Dow and the S&P 500 both fell 0.7% (with the Dow ending Friday at 34,079) and the tech-heavy NASDAQ composite declined 1.2%. The NASDAQ has fallen farthest of the three major U.S. stock indexes to date, down 13.4% for the year, while the S&P 500 is off 8.8% and the Dow is down 6.2%.
Specifically, Intel’s shares declined $2.47, or 5.2%, while those of Boeing were off $4.38 (2.1%), combining for a roughly 45-point drag on the Dow. Salesforce.com Inc. Caterpillar and Honeywell International Inc. also contributed significantly to the decline.
STOCKS:
Shopify, which represented the Covid e-commerce boom, is down 62% from its peak.
Roblox, which represented the Covid gaming boom, is down 63%.
Netflix, which represented the Covid streaming boom, is down 43%.
Noteworthy: A $1 move in any of the Dow’s 30 components equates to a 6.59-point swing.
UKRAINE: Investors watched the latest developments in Ukraine, where Russia has been amassing troops on the border. The tensions are yet another concern for investors as they also try to determine how the economy will react to rising inflation and looming interest rate hikes.
Posted on February 18, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
GLOBALMARKETS: Stabilized on Friday after the threat of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine propelled the Dow to its worst day of 2022. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 and Japan’s benchmark Nikkei closed down 1% and 0.4%, respectively, while South Korea’s Kospi was little changed. Chinese markets were mixed. As the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.7%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 1.9%. In Europe, stocks were little changed at the open. London’s FTSE 100 and France’s CAC 40 each rose 0.2%, while Germany’s DAX ticked up 0.1%.
DOMESTIC MARKETS: The Dow plummeted 622 points, or 1.8% — hitting its lowest level so far this year in the process. The S&P 500 fell 2.1% and the NASDAQ was down 2.9%. All three indices are now in the red for the week. Finally, US futures pointed up slightly with Dow futures, S&P 500 futures and NASDAQ futures rising 0.6%, 0.7% and 0.8%, respectively.
FOMC: Jim Bullard, the president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve and member of the Federal Open Market Committee, said that the Federal Reserve wants to pursue the best policy as members debate how quickly they should raise interest rates. He called for a full percentage point interest rate hike by July, 2022. And, billionaire investor Carl Icahn predicts the Fed’s money-printing party will end badly because the government can’t control inflation
Posted on February 17, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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BIOTECHNOLOGY: According to Bloomberg, former high flying biotechnology favorites Mirati Therapeutics Inc. and Sage Therapeutics Inc. have lost more than half their value from record highs, hurt by growing pessimism on new medicines as well as the higher rate environment damaging most stocks.
MARKETS: Stocks went down, then back up, and closed pretty much where they started. The e-commerce platform Shopify is another pandemic winner that’s been absolutely crushed during the “reopening”: Its stock has fallen to its lowest level since June 2020.
PPI: The producer price index rose 1% over the prior month.
Covid: Dr. Zayid Al-Aly reported that even a mild COVID-19 infection increasedthe risk of having cardiovascular problems — including heart rhythm irregularities, potentially deadly clots in the legs and lungs, heart failure, heart attack and stroke, within a year after being infected.
MICROSOFT: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is on a major shopping spree. The company’s planned purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard, with a price tag of nearly $70 billion, is Microsoft’s biggest and boldest acquisition. But it’s hardly the only notable deal in the Nadella era. Microsoft scooped up advertising tech business Xandr from CNN owner AT&T late last year for a reported $1 billion. The company also shelled out nearly $20 billion for cloud software firm Nuance earlier in 2021. That’s on top of numerous other billion dollar deals Microsoft has made since Nadella took the helm in 2014, including the acquisitions of Minecraft developer Mojang, Bethesda games studio owner ZeniMax Media, open source coding site GitHub and business social media network LinkedIn. The LinkedIn deal was previously Microsoft’s largest, with a value of $26.2 billion. Now there are reports Microsoft is looking to buy Mandiant, the cybersecurity software firm formerly known as FireEye that is currently valued at about $4.5 billion.
Posted on February 16, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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MARKETS: The Dow jumped 422 points, or 1.2%. The S&P 500 surged 1.5% and the NASDAQ was 2.5% higher.
OIL: US oil futures tumbled 3.7% to just under $92 a barrel. That’s despite the fact that Russia stressed that major military exercises would continue.
CPI: The Producer Price Index rose 1% last month, marking a significant acceleration from December’s 0.2% jump.
Meta: As Varietyreports, the company has agreed to pay $90 million to settle a 2012 class action lawsuit accusing it of violating users’ privacy. Facebook allegedly overstepped its bounds in 2010 and 2011 by using tracking cookies that monitored browsing after users signed out despite promises to the contrary.
MODERNA: Moderna Inc (NASDAQ: MRNA) shares were down more than 40% since the start of the year and continues to trend lower. Vaccine stocks are facing selling pressure as the COVID-19 omicron variant fades, but Moderna investors have been expressing concerns about recent stock sales from CEO Stéphane Bancel, as well as the presumed deletion of his Twitter account.
Posted on February 15, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
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By Staff Reporters
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MARKETS: Stocks ticked lower as investors fretted over an upcoming interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve and a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. With all the chatter of conflict in Europe, everyone’s watching whether oil prices will hit $100 a barrel—they didn’t budge yesterday.
CRYPTO: SEC Chair Gary Gensler said thr crypto firm BlockFi would pay $100 million to the SEC and 32 states over charges that it had violated securities law. The penalty is the agency’s largest ever against a cryptocurrency company. BlockFi, a banklike crypto company backed by Peter Thiel, didn’t admit or deny the SEC’s findings but did agree to stop opening new lending accounts to customers in the US.
METAVERSE: For doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals who’ve spent the last few years hunched over laptops smiling pleasantly into a Zoom meetings, burnout has been pervasive. Zoom fatigue is now a widely recognized work-induced malady studied by university researchers, and many remote workers say they have trouble balancing work and their personal lives. With images on screens surrounding remote healthcare workers like a labyrinthine maze of fun-house mirrors, it might seem like the last thing a burned out medical provider needs is to strap on a VR headset to detach from the rigors of the digital medical workplace.
Nevertheless, some health care organizations are transporting their workers to the metaverse—a network of connected, 3D, virtual environments where people can interact through avatars and spatial audio—as a means of combating stress. But, for any organization curious about the metaverse, Jeremy Bailenson, a professor of communication and the founding director of the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University, advises having a specific task in mind, such as addressing burnout or building camaraderie. “VR wins when it solves a hard problem,” he said.
The broader question of how organizations will further incorporate virtual reality into their mental health programs and rapport-building exercises is largely unanswered at this point, he added. Bailenson believes VR is a “home run for clinical use cases.” But “for this general burnout, it’s probably going to be a good tool for some people, but not a magic pill.”
Posted on February 14, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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OIL: The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is shaking up a fragile global oil market, pushing prices to $94 barrel as supplies will struggle to cushion the effect from any significant disruption in Russian fossil fuel exports. The headlines that moved markets last week—the Fed’s response to inflation, corporate earnings, tensions in Ukraine—will remain top of mind for investors this coming week. Analysts predict that if Russia were to invade Ukraine, oil could top $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014. And, the average national gasoline price is about $3.50/gallon.
DOMESTICMARKETS: Walmart, Airbnb, Nvidia, Roblox, and DraftKings will close out one of the most volatile earnings seasons in recent memory.
ASIAN MARKETS: Major Asian stock markets opened lower as investors sought safer bets ahead of a possible Russian military attack on the Ukraine. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index dropped roughly 2 percent in the first hours of trading. South Korea’s KOSPI fell by a similar amount. And, while China’s big tech firms are under much regulatory pressure, they are also facing strong competition.
INVESTMENT BANKING: Roger Ng, the former head of investment banking in Malaysia for Goldman Sachs, will stand trial in New York beginning today. He’s accused of playing a prominent role in a massive laundering scheme that plundered billions from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB. Embezzled funds were used to buy a Beverly Hills hotel, a $200 million super-yacht, and even to help finance the film, Wolf of Wall Street.
Posted on February 11, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Bonds: The 10-year US Treasury bond yield touched 2% for the first time since the summer of 2019 and stocks traded sharply lower after a key inflation figure rose to its highest level in nearly 40 years. The last time the 10-year yield was above 2% was in July 2019. Bond yields and prices move in opposition to each other.
CPI:The Consumer Price Index’s 7.5% annual surge at the start of 2022 was the biggest leap since 1982 and topped already elevated expectations for a 7.3% rise, based on Bloomberg consensus data. On a month-over-month basis, the CPI unexpectedly posted a 0.6% increase for a back-to-back month, whereas economists had been looking for a deceleration. Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, also exceeded estimates, showing a 6.0% year-over-year jump in January.
Markets: The Dow was down 526 points while the broader S&P 500 fell 87 points. The NASDAQ Composite was also down 305 points.
Bonds: A bond selloff eased up a day ahead of an eagerly anticipated inflation report as investors absorbed another batch of earnings reports. The DJIA rose 300 points higher, but tech-related stocks lead the rally on Wall Street as bond yields stabilized and treasury yields paused their run higher ahead of the red-hot inflation report estimates.
Markets: The S&P 500 closed as a rally in Facebook-parent Meta helped the broader tech sector build on recent gains just as the S&P 500 rose 1.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.8%, or 306 points, the NASDAQ jumped 2.1%. And, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: FB) jumped more than 5% as investors appeared to the buy the dip in the social media company, which hit fresh 52-week lows a day earlier. For the second-straight day, a rally in semiconductor stocks also pushed tech higher, with Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) racking up a 5% gain as analysts downplayed the $1.25 billion hit to the company after its deal to acquire UK chip-maker ARM fell through.
Posted on February 9, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
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By Staff Reporters
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Markets: Solid corporate earnings boosted Wall Street and all the major indexes are now higher for the week. Pfizer dipped after posting lower-than-expected Q4 revenue but it did bring in $36.8 billion in sales in 2021.
Economy: The US trade deficit rose to a record $859 billion in 2021 (up 27% from the year prior) due to a surge in imports and higher prices for those imports.
Bitcoin: Authorities arrested a husband and wife accused of attempting to launder 119,754 stolen bitcoin—valued at $4.5 billion. Along with the arrest of the couple, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, the Justice Department announced that it had seized more than 94,000 of the allegedly stolen bitcoin, valued at $3.6 billion—the largest financial seizure in the agency’s history.
Apple: Announces Tap to Pay. In a bid to encourage more smartphone intimacy, the company is releasing a feature that allows customers to spend money by simply tapping an iPhone against a merchant’s iPhone—effectively turning the device into a checkout register.
Posted on February 8, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
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By Staff Reporters
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Markets: Stocks were mixed but Bitcoin rallied for the fifth-straight day as investors may be warming up to riskier assets again. And, Nvidia overtook Meta to become the seventh-largest US company by market cap (it’s reportedly abandoning its $40 billion megadeal to acquire the chip designer Arm).
Housing:The median home-sale price reached a record high of $365,000 in January, according to Redfin. That’s a 16% jump from the previous January and a 28% increase from January 2019.
IRS: After receiving backlash from privacy advocates and bipartisan lawmakers, the IRS is abandoning its use of third-party facial recognition software ID.me.
GAS: Prices up 8% since last week and 12% more than a month ago.
Posted on February 7, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Markets: Major stock market indexes, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ posted their best week so far this year. And, potential buyers for Peloton include Amazon, Nike, Apple, Google, Netflix, Microsoft, or a private equity firm.
Inflation: The monthly inflation report will drop on Thursday, and consumer prices are projected to have jumped 0.5% from the previous month and 7.3% over the past year—the biggest increase since 1982.
Earnings: From Snap’s 59% gain to Meta’s 26% wipeout. the companies reporting this week—Pfizer, Disney, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Twitter and Zillow know that any small stain on their financials could lead to a stock plunge.
Oil: The big news is that US oil prices topped $90 for the first time since 2014, despite attempts by the Biden administration to keep them down. Gas prices are back up to their highest levels in more than seven years.
Covid: The US death toll from Covid-19 has now surpassed 900,000. And, Omicron has gotten more people around the world sick at the same time than at any point since the 1918–1919 flu pandemic, the WSJ points out.
Economy: The jobs report stunned experts by adding 467,000 jobs last month, far more than expected and a sign of an extraordinarily strong labor market.
Posted on February 6, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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It’s February – American Heart Month – a time when the nation spotlights heart disease, the No. 1 killer of Americans.
President Lyndon B. Johnson, among the millions of people in the country who’d had heart attacks, issued the first proclamation in 1964. Since then, U.S. presidents have annually declared February American Heart Month.
Throughout the month, the American Heart Association’s “Heart to Heart: Why Losing One Woman Is Too Many” campaign will raise awareness about how 1 in 3 women are diagnosed with heart disease annually.
The first Friday of American Heart Month, Feb. 5, is also National Wear Red Day as part of the AHA’s Go Red for Women initiative. Coast to coast, landmarks, news anchors and neighborhoods go red to raise awareness and support for the fight against heart disease. For more information on the event and other activities during the month, visit goredforwomen.org.
This year, the federally designated event is even more important due to the impact of the coronavirus on the public’s heart health, including potential harmful effects on the heart and vascular system, according to recent research.
Also, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have delayed or avoided going to hospitals for heart attacks and strokes – netting poorer outcomes and prompting the AHA to create “Don’t Die of Doubt,” a national awareness campaign that reminds people that hospitals are the safest place to go when you have symptoms.
And while in lock-down, more people have engaged in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as eating poorly, drinking more alcohol and limiting physical activity, that can contribute to heart disease.
Meanwhile, heart disease continues to be the greatest health threat to Americans and is still the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the AHA’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2021 Update.
The update, published in the association’s flagship journal Circulation, reports that nearly 18.6 million people across the globe died of cardiovascular disease in 2019, the latest year for which worldwide statistics are calculated. That’s a 17.1% increase over the past decade. And 523.2 million cases of cardiovascular disease were reported in 2019, a 26.6% increase over 2010.
During American Heart Month, the AHA and other organizations reinforce the importance of heart health, the need for more research and efforts to ensure that millions of people live longer and healthier.
In most cases, heart disease is preventable when people adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, treating high blood pressure, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week and getting regular checkups.
Posted on February 5, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Markets: The stock market was downright crazy last week. A day after Meta [Facebook] suffered the worst one-day drop in value in US stock market history (losing more than $230 billion), Amazon set the record for the biggest one-day gain on Wall Street (adding $191 billion). As for the major indexes, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ posted their best week so far this year.
Economy: The jobs report stunned experts by adding 467,000 jobs last month, far more than expected and a sign of an extraordinarily strong labor market. In even better news, the government said it had under-counted the number of jobs added in November and December by more than 700,000.
But, Snap Inc. and Pinterest Inc. came roaring back after upbeat results eased fears that a slowdown at rival Facebook reflected an industry-wide social media slump.
IRS: Regardless of the stock markets, the IRS just assembled a ‘surge team’ of 1,200 staffers to tackle filing backlogs and the busy tax season this year.
COVID-19: Medicare to start paying for at-home tests.
JOBS: The January jobs report due this morning will have several Covid issues that will make the numbers extremely confusing to interpret (folks out sick with Omicron, for example).
Posted on February 3, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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This is just the fourth National Women Physicians Day, on February 3rd . The event celebrates Elizabeth Blackwell’s birthday; she was the first female medical doctor in the U.S. It’s a time to honor women doctors across the country, and the progress they’ve made since Blackwell’s time.
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Nationally, there are still fewer female doctors than male doctors, but the progress is steady. In 2017, for the first time in history, women made up more than half of all those in medical schools.
Posted on February 3, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Stock Markets: S&P 500, DJIA and NASDAQ booked their 4th straight day of gains with technology shares in focus.
And, Facebook rattled investors by posting a rare profit decline, driven by the company’s heavy spending on its vision for a so-called Metaverse while simultaneously confronting advertising challenges on its existing services. The company, formerly known as Facebook, posted net income of nearly $10.3 billion in the final three months of last year, a decline 8% from the same period in the prior year and below Wall Street analysts’ projections. For Meta, the disappointing earnings add to its challenges. It’s in the middle of a number of regulatory fights and also looking to justify its strategic shift to bet on an immersive internet known as the metaverse. Meanwhile, other platforms like TikTok and YouTube are gaining ground with younger users.
Several other social media companies also fell hard after the bell, including Twitter, Pinterest and Spotify, which also released disappointing results. And PayPal fell hard, too!
IRS: The Internal Revenue Service is adding about 1,200 employees to its rolls to help the agency navigate what will likely be one of the most challenging tax filing seasons in years.
Mike Milken: Is headed to the latest power base for U.S. financiers and politicians: South Florida. The income tax-free, palm tree-lined oasis is where New York’s ultra-wealthy have long decamped for the winter, but are increasingly making their permanent home. The 75-year-old billionaire kicks off the first Milken Institute South Florida Dialogues on Friday. The six-day preliminary agenda of island and mansion hopping has Ken Griffin talking national security in South Beach, and Sonia and Paul Tudor Jones hosting tennis matches at their oceanfront Palm Beach estate Casa Apava. The format is similar to the dialogues he’s presented in the Hamptons for years.
Posted on February 2, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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STOCK MARKET: Alphabet Inc., announced a 20-for-1 stock split in the form of a one-time special stock dividend, aiming to draw a wider audience for its shares.
Covid: Pfizer asked the FDA to authorize its two-dose Covid shot for children under 5 years old. Those 19 million children represent the only age group that isn’t currently eligible to get a Covid vaccine.
NHTSA: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has cited more reckless driving since the pandemic began, including drivers not wearing seat belts and blowing through speed limits.
Posted on February 1, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Stock Markets: Despite the big gains yesterday, the S&P and NASDAQ still wrapped up their worst month since March 2020 (history suggests stocks will rebound, though)?
Posted on January 31, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Ann Miller RN MHACMP®
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Posted on January 31, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Markets: Stocks just finished a period of high volatility and biotech companies in particular are feeling unsteady. The sector is off to its worst start to a year since 2016 and Moderna is the worst performer in the S&P 500.
Social Media: More than 95,000 people lost a collective $770 million due to fraud on social media last year, a new FTC report found. That represents 25% of all reported losses to fraud in 2021 and a breathtaking 18x increase over social media scam losses in 2017. Driving the surge was bogus cryptocurrencies. In fact, investment-related scams were the most prevalent type of fraud on social media, accounting for 37% of all losses. Romance scams (24%) were No. 2, and online shopping scams (14%) won the bronze medal.
Employment: The January employment rate dropped, but with Omicron forcing so many Americans to call out sick last month, the data may be specious. Economists polled by Dow Jones are estimating the economy added 200,000 jobs last month.
Posted on January 30, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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StocksMarkets: The stock indexes surged higher—and the Dow [DJIA] had its best day of 2022. Just how volatile was the market this week? The S&P swung at least 2.25% every single day…and ended up on Friday afternoon around where it will start today Monday morning.
Economy: New data showed that overall compensation climbed 4% annually last quarter, the biggest jump in two decades. That’s still not enough to keep up with inflation, which is climbing at its fastest pace since 1983.
PANDEMIC: Americans are not OK during the pandemic. According to the General Social Survey, the share of people who said they were “very happy” plunged from 31% in 2018 to 19% in 2021, while the share of people who were “not too happy” surged from 13% to 24%. Over the past few decades, the very happy people had outnumbered the not-too-happies by about three to-one.
Posted on January 29, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Stock Market: US stocks jumped yesterday with the NASDAQ 100 surging more than 3% as a wave of corporate earnings results helped investors overcome fears of a hawkish Federal Reserve.
Federal Reserve: Friday’s action helped the broader stock market indices end the week mostly flat after a series of volatile trading sessions sparked by the Federal Reserve’s Wednesday meeting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average recorded a swing of 1,100 points on Monday alone.
Economy: Americans are the most pessimistic about the economy they’ve been in a decade — with spirits even lower than in the early pandemic lock-downs in spring 2020. The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index sank to 67.2 from 70.6 in January, according to data published Friday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected sentiment to slide to 68.7. The final January figure is the lowest since November 2011 and sits 11.8 points below levels seen one year ago.
Cyber-Crime: Lazarus, a known cyber-crime group with ties to the North Korean government, has managed to abuse the MSFT Windows Update Client to distribute malware, cybersecurity researchers from Malwarebytes have found. In a blog post detailing their findings, the researchers said they were investigating a phishing campaign impersonating Lockheed Martin, an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation.
Posted on January 28, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Markets: Volatility continued on Wall Street, with stocks giving up big gains early in the day to close lower. Netflix avoided the sell-off thanks to billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who bought a stake in the company worth nearly $1.1 billion. And, Robinhood stock fell 12% after hours Thursday when it revealed a wider loss than expected.
Supreme Court: Justice Stephen Breyer formally announced his retirement at the White House yesterday, and President Biden affirmed his campaign promise to appoint the first-ever Black woman to the highest court in the land.
FCC: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously yesterday to require the Comcasts and Verizons of the world to create broadband “nutrition labels” that lay out cost, speed, and data allowances of internet offerings more clearly for consumers as early as November.
Posted on January 26, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Maestro Health: Top 5 Ranked Risk Areas
Maestro Health surveyed 600 U.S.-based HR professionals. Survey respondents anticipate their company’s medical costs will increase. The top areas at risk are:
• Decreases in annual physicals/screenings: 62% • Increased pharmaceutical costs: 49% • Unvaccinated employees: 47% • More elective surgeries: 46% • Increased urgent care costs: 45%
Posted on January 25, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Average Medical Trend in the U.S. is Projected at 7.6% in 2022
The 2022 Global Medical Trends Survey shows variation in healthcare cost increases. Increases across different regions next year are expected to range from:
• 14.2% in Latin America • 10.6% in the Middle East • 10.6% in Africa • 7.6% in Asia Pacific • 6.7% in Europe • 7.6% in the U.S.
Posted on January 25, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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StockMarkets: The major equity indexes staged a thrilling comeback to close solidly in positive territory. At one point, the NASDAQ was down nearly 5% and the S&P entered correction territory.
Mark Cuban: The billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks just launched an online pharmacy for generic drugs that looks to cut out middlemen and combat pharmaceutical industry price gouging by offering steep discounts. Set up as CostPlusDrugs.com with 100 generic drugs to treat conditions like diabetes and asthma. Cost Plus will not accept health insurance but claims its prices will still be lower than what people would typically pay at a pharmacy. “All drugs are priced at cost plus 15%!” Cuban tweeted.
Posted on January 25, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
FOR PHYSICIANS AND ALL OF US!
Br. Dr. David E. Marcinko MBA
By Staff Reporters
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It’s been announced that January 24th 2022 is the official start of the tax filing season. This means it’s that time of year again to buy some pricey tax software and prepare your return on your own, hire a tax prep pro, CPA, or take advantage of the Free File Program from the IRS.
A Capital Gain [CG] occurs when you sell something for more than you spent to acquire it. This happens with investments, but it also applies to personal property, such as a car. Every physician and taxpayer should understand these basic facts about capital gains taxes.
Capital gains aren’t just for doctors or rich people
Anyone who sells a capital asset should know that capital gains tax may apply. And as the Internal Revenue Service points out, just about everything you own qualifies as a capital asset. That’s the case whether you bought it as an investment, such as stocks or property, or for personal use, such as a car or a big-screen TV.
If you sell something for more than your “basis” in the item, then the difference is a capital gain, and you’ll need to report that gain on your taxes. Your basis is usually what you paid for the item. It includes not only the price of the item, but any other costs you had to pay to acquire it, including:
Sales taxes, excise taxes and other taxes and fees
Shipping and handling costs
Installation and setup charges
In addition, money spent on improvements that increase the value of the asset—such as a new addition to a building—can be added to your basis. Depreciation of an asset can reduce your basis.
In most cases, your home is exempt
The single biggest asset many people have is their home, and depending on the real estate market, a homeowner might realize a huge capital gain on a sale. The good news is that the tax code allows you to exclude some or all of such a gain from capital gains tax, as long as you meet three conditions:
You owned the home for a total of at least two years in the five-year period before the sale.
You used the home as your primary residence for a total of at least two years in that same five-year period.
You haven’t excluded the gain from another home sale in the two-year period before the sale.
If you meet these conditions, you can exclude up to $250,000 of your gain if you’re single, $500,000 if you’re married filing jointly.
Length of ownership matters
If you sell an asset after owning it for more than a year, any gain you have is a “long-term” capital gain. If you sell an asset you’ve owned for a year or less, though, it’s a “short-term” capital gain. How much your gain is taxed depends on how long you owned the asset before selling.
The tax bite from short-term gains is significantly larger than that from long-term gains – typically 10-20% higher.
This difference in tax treatment is one of the advantages a “buy-and-hold” investment strategy has over a strategy that involves frequent buying and selling, as in day trading.
People in the lowest tax brackets usually don’t have to pay any tax on long-term capital gains. The difference between short and long term, then, can literally be the difference between taxes and no taxes.
Capital losses can offset capital gains
As anyone with much investment experience can tell you, things don’t always go up in value. They go down, too. If you sell something for less than its basis, you have a capital loss. Capital losses from investments—but not from the sale of personal property—can be used to offset capital gains.
If you have $50,000 in long-term gains from the sale of one stock, but $20,000 in long-term losses from the sale of another, then you may only be taxed on $30,000 worth of long-term capital gains.
$50,000 – $20,000 = $30,000 long-term capital gains
If capital losses exceed capital gains, you may be able to use the loss to offset up to $3,000 of other income. If you have more than $3,000 in excess capital losses, the amount over $3,000 can be carried forward to future years to offset capital gains or income in those years.
Business income isn’t a capital gain
If you operate a business that buys and sells items, your gains from such sales will be considered—and taxed as—business income rather than capital gains.
For example, many people buy items at antique stores and garage sales and then resell them in online auctions. Do this in a businesslike manner and with the intention of making a profit, and the IRS will view it as a business.
The money you pay out for items is a business expense.
The money you receive is business revenue.
The difference between them is business income, subject to employment taxes.
Whether you have stock, bonds, ETFs, cryptocurrency, rental property income or other investments, this info is vital to increase your tax knowledge and understanding all while doing your taxes.
Posted on January 24, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
BY STAFF REPORTERS
Optum recently conducted a survey of 500 senior health care executives. Respondents said they are excited about the potential for AI in improving patient outcomes in multiple ways:
• Virtual patient care (41%) • Diagnosis and predicting outcomes (40%) • Medical image interpretation (36%)
Posted on January 24, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
Stock Markets: The S&P is off to its worst start to a year since 2016. The NASDAQ is in a correction. And the week ahead features a busy earnings slate and a Federal Reserve meeting.
CovisPandemic: Tony Dr. Fauci said he is “confident as you can be” that the Omicron wave in the US will peak by mid-February. In a growing number of states, that peak has already come and gone and cases are plunging in states like New York and Florida. Other states, such as Oklahoma, Idaho, and Wyoming, are still reporting an uptick in new Covid cases.
Crypto-Currency: Crypto investors, meanwhile, wish they got the weekend off like stock traders, because bitcoin, ethereum, and other digital tokens continued to sink.
Federal Reserve: Federal Reserve officials will get together on Tuesday and Wednesday against the backdrop of quaking markets. Investors will want to hear an update on Chair Jerome Powell’s views on inflation. This Fed meeting will likely be the last before an anticipated interest rate hike in March. And, a blizzard of companies will report including nearly half of the Dow’s 30 giants (American Express, 3M, IBM, and more) and tech heavyweights such as Apple, Microsoft, and Tesla.
Tax Season: The income tax filing season opens today and government officials warn it could be bumpy due to a depleted IRS. The Treasury says to file early, file online, and request your refund via direct deposit to avoid the severe headaches.
Posted on January 22, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATIONS
By Staff Reporters
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42.7% of physicians in practices that participated in a commercial ACO
An AMA survey of 3,500 physicians finds steady growth of physician participation in accountable care organizations (ACO) and medical homes:
• Nearly one-third of doctors worked in practices participating in medical homes in 2020, up from 23.7% in 2014 • 42.7% of physicians were in practices that participated in a commercial ACO in 2020, up from 31.7% in 2016 • 29.5% of physicians were in practices took part in a Medicaid ACO, up from 20.9% in 2016 • Share of physicians in practices involved in Medicare ACOs has risen from 28.6% in 2014 to 36.7% in 2020 • 32.3% of doctors worked in practices participating in medical homes in 2020, up from 23.7% in 2014
Posted on January 22, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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Stock Markets: The S&P and NASDAQ suffered their worst week since the pandemic began, tumbling 5.7% and 7.55%, respectively. But Peloton bounced back after Thursday’s wipe-out when CEO John Foley assured employees that execs “feel good about right-sizing our production.”
Covid Pandemic: A third dose of either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid vaccine provided significant protection against severe disease in the US, according to three real-world reports that dropped yesterday. One analysis showed that the boosters were 90% effective at preventing hospitalization.
Posted on January 20, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
BY STAFF REPORTERS
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StockMarkets: The NASDAQ made it official, closing in correction territory yesterday (meaning a 10% drop from a recent high). Meanwhile, Microsoft’s massive deal to acquire Activision Blizzard rippled across markets: Gaming company Take-Two Interactive got a bump (perhaps because it, too, could be a takeover target), while Microsoft rival Sony plunged nearly 13% in Tokyo trading.
Economy: President Biden has overseen a historic recovery in the labor market, where the unemployment rate has plunged to 3.9% from a pandemic high of 14.8%. The problem is there is currently too much money chasing too few goods. Inflation hit its highest rate since 1982 in December, while wages haven’t kept up with price growth.
Covid: The pandemic continues to rage despite the availability of vaccines. More people died of Covid in the US in 2021 than in 2020. Getting Americans vaccinated has proven to be a major challenge. President Biden’s vaccine mandate on large employers was blocked by the Supreme Court, and only 63.8% of Americans are fully vaccinated putting it behind virtually all of its wealthy peers.
Posted on January 19, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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StockMarkets: The prospect of higher borrowing costs has pummeled tech companies this year, and that didn’t change even after the market’s day off Monday. The 10-year yield jumped to its highest level in two years yesterday, pushing stocks (especially the tech-heavy NASDAQ) lower.
OilEnergy: Oil prices jumped to a 7-year high after an attack in the UAE raised concerns about a supply squeeze. Goldman Sachs predicts that Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, will top $100 a barrel this year because the pandemic hasn’t hurt demand for fuel as much as expected.
Gaming: An Activision Blizzard takeover would also be the biggest deal in the history of gaming, easily topping Take-Two’s purchase of Zynga for $12.7 billion last week. And, with the help of Activision’s impressive portfolio of titles including Call of Duty,World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and Candy Crush, Microsoft will try to galvanize its monthly subscription business, Xbox Game Pass, as the “Netflix for games.”
Pandemic: New Covid cases have peaked in US regions that were hit hardest by the highly contagious variant, like the Northeast. For example, in New York City, the 7-day average of daily new cases has fallen to less than 20,000 from a high of almost 43,000 earlier this month. And, in the capital of Washington, DC, case numbers are down 20% over the last 14 days. Still, because hospitalizations tend to lag case growth by a few weeks, health care facilities are still treating more Covid patients. The average number of Covid hospitalizations has jumped 54% in the last two weeks, to 157,000.
Posted on January 18, 2022 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
By Staff Reporters
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75% of Hospitals Seeking Temporary Allied Healthcare Professionals
• 96% have used allied healthcare professionals of various types to fill temporary assignments during the last 12 months. • 75% of hospitals and other healthcare facilities currently are seeking temporary allied health care professionals. • 73% of facilities surveyed, cited a need to fill gaps while permanent workers are being sought. • 71% of facilities surveyed, cited that it is to prevent the burnout of existing staff.
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