DAILY UPDATE: Stocks Fall on Last Day of a Strong 2023 Year

By Staff Reporters

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index fell 13.52 points (0.28%) to 4,769.83; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® was down 20.56 points (0.05%) at 37,689.54; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was down 83.78 points (-0.56%) at 15,011.35.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose nearly 2 basis points to 3.86%. 
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) finished nearly unchanged at 12.51, still near recent four-year lows.

The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average posted their ninth consecutive weekly advances, but the NASDAQ Composite finished slightly lower for the week, hurt in part by a soft performance from Apple (AAPL). The Russell 2000® Index (RUT) fell 1.18% on Friday but climbed 15% for the year.

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DAILY UPDATE: Another Health System Data Breach as the “Magnificent Seven” Stocks End Mixed

By Staff Reporters

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A health system in Michigan has experienced its second cybersecurity breach this year, affecting more than 1 million patients, according to state officials. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday there was a breach at HealthEC, a vendor that provides services to Corewell Health’s southeast Michigan properties. The breach exposed patients’ personal and medical information.

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With Nvidia and Tesla on the rise, acronyms like FAANG and MAMAA no longer cut it: The top tech giants (Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Meta, Google, plus Nvidia and Tesla) have now been dubbed the “Magnificent Seven.” Buoyed by the generative AI gold rush, they were responsible for 29% of the S&P 500’s total value.

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 1.77 points at 4,783.35; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 53.58 points (0.1%) at 37,710.10; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was down 4.04 points at 15,095.14.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up nearly 6 basis points at 3.844%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.03 at 12.46.

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and NASDAQ Composite are all on track for a ninth consecutive weekly advance. Other parts of the market Thursday turned in mixed performances. The Russell 2000® Index (RUT) fell 0.4% but is still on track for a seventh consecutive weekly gain and has climbed 17% for the year.

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DAILY UPDATE: 2023 Business Start-Up Failure Review with Stock Market Gains

By Staff Reporters

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3,200 business startups failed in 2023, according to PitchBook data. Those startups raised more than $27 billion combined, or roughly the 2022 GDP of Cambodia. (Business Insider).

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 6.83 points (0.1%) at 4,781.58; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 111.19 points (0.3%) at 37,656.52; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was up 24.60 points (0.2%) at 15,099.18.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield was down over 9 basis points at 3.791%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.49 at 12.50.

Small-cap stocks continued a strong finish to the year as the Russell 2000® Index (RUT) gained 0.3% to settle at its highest level since April 2022. Retailer shares were among the market’s strongest performers amid reports of strong holiday sales. The S&P Retail Select Industry Index (SPSIRE) rose 0.6% and ended near an 11-month high.

In other markets, the U.S. dollar traded around $1.11 versus the euro (EUR/USD), its weakest level since late July and a reflection of expectations that lower rates in the United States will prompt investors to seek higher returns elsewhere.

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DAILY UPDATE: Holiday Spending Solid as Stock Market Rally Continues

By Staff Reporters

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Consumer spending grew solidly this holiday season, rebuking concerns of a slowdown and reinforcing positive signals about the U.S. economy as it approaches the end of a tumultuous year.

Buying among shoppers rose 3.1% over the holidays compared to the same period last year, according to data released on Tuesday by Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online purchases from November 1st to December 24th across all forms of payment. The data is not adjusted for inflation.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended: 

  • The S&P 500 index was up 20.12 points to 4,774.75 up 0.42%; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 159.36 points at 37,54533, up 0.2% ; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was up 81.6 points to 15,074.57 up 0.54% to start the week.  
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down 1 basis point to 3.895%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.38% to 12.98.

Small-cap stocks continued to outpace their larger cousins, a common theme lately. The Russell 2000® Index rose Tuesday following six weeks of gains. Financials and real estate sectors were among strongest S&P 500 performers during the session, and the Russell 2000 has a heavy exposure to financials. In other markets, the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) extended its recent slide and now trades at five-month lows, reflecting ideas that potentially lower interest rates may prompt investors to seek higher returns elsewhere.

With just three trading days left in 2023, the S&P 500 and other major equity benchmarks are poised to turn in a strong year that may more than make up for 2022’s losses. With Tuesday’s gains factored in, the SPX is closing in on its all-time high close just below 4,800 posted in early 2022. Through Tuesday, the S&P 500 was up more than 24% for the year, after tumbling 19.4% in 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ Composite were up 13% and 44%, respectively, after losing 8.8% and 33% in 2022.

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What is the SANTA CLAUS Stock Market Rally?

LATE DECEMBER – EARLY JANUARY RISE

By Staff Reporters

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RALLY: A rally is a period of sustained increases in the prices of stocks, bonds or indices … An increase in prices during a primary trend bear market is called a bear market rally. A bear market rally is sometimes defined as an increase of 10% to 20%.

Now, a Santa Claus Rally describes a sustained increase in the stock market that occurs in the last week of December through the first two trading days in January. There are numerous explanations for the causes of a Santa Claus rally including tax considerations, a general feeling of optimism and happiness on Wall Street, and the investing of holiday bonuses.

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Another theory is that some very large institutional investors, a number of which are more sophisticated and pessimistic, tend to go on vacation at this time, leaving the market to retail investors, who tend to be more bullish.

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DAILY UPDATE: Happy “Festivus” with Drug Delays as the Stock Market Win Streak Continues

By Staff Reporters

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Festivus is a secular holiday on December 23rd as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas Season. Originally created by author Daniel O’Keefe, Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the focus of the 1997 Seinfeld episode which O’Keefe’s son, Dan,co-wrote.

The non-commercial holiday’s celebration includes a Festivus dinner, an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, practices such as the “airing of grievances” and “feats of strength”, and the labeling of easily explainable events as “Festivus miracles”. The TV episode refers to it as “a Festivus for the rest of us”.

It has been described both as a parody holiday festival and as a form of playful consumer resistance. Journalist Allen Salkin describes it as “the perfect secular theme for an all-inclusive December gathering”.

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(Bloomberg) — Drug-makers are slow-walking products to market to get around President Joe Biden’s plan to lower medication prices.

Companies from Roche Holding AG to biotech Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. are among those delaying or evaluating therapies in light of the government’s new ability to negotiate for lower prices. Firms that normally try to sell drugs as soon as possible are suspending clinical trials and shifting timelines, while patient groups are demanding change. 

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 7.88 points (0.2%) at 4,754.63, up 0.8% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 18.38 points at 37,385.97, up 0.2% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was up 29.11 points (0.2%) at 14,992.97, up 1.2% for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 1 basis point at 3.901%.
  • The CBOEe® Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.62 at 13.03.

Small-cap stocks continued a strong finish to the year. The Russell 2000® Index (RUT) rose 0.8% Friday to end at its highest level since April 2022 and rose 2.5% for the week, the small-cap benchmark’s sixth consecutive weekly gain. Regional banks and utilities were also among the strongest performers. In other markets, the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) extended its recent slide and dropped to its weakest level since late July, reflecting ideas an outlook for lower interest rates may prompt investors to seek higher returns elsewhere.

Finally, with just four trading days left in 2023, the S&P 500 and other major equity benchmarks are poised to turn in a strong year that may more than make up for 2022’s losses. Through Friday, the S&P 500 was up nearly 24% for the year, after tumbling 19.4% in 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ Composite were up 13% and 43%, respectively, after losing 8.8% and 33% in 2022.

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EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS: A Different Type of Holiday “Window Dressing”

END-OF-YEAR FINANCE

By Staff Reporters

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We’ve discussed end of year mutual fund “window-dressing” before on this ME-P. Essentially, with mutual funds, window dressing refers to the superficial changes a fund might make to its portfolio of holdings to appear more attractive to current and prospective investors. At a glance, a potential investor might be drawn in with what appears to be good performance. 

For example, a mutual fund management team might choose to sell losing stocks and buy winning ones at or around the end of a quarter. This strategy hides weak performance and gives investors a perception of impressive returns. 

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Window dressing in stocks is an example from another part of the world of finance, as public companies sometimes use window dressing when reporting earnings. Depending on the specifics, this practice can range from “creative accounting” to something bordering on or actually qualifying as fraud.

For example, some economics researchers cite rounding as a manipulative form of window dressing. A firm might round $5.99 million in quarterly earnings up to $6 million because the round number can be more psychologically attractive.

MORE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/12/02/what-is-mutual-fund-window-dressing/

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The GM-owned self-driving car company Cruise will lay off 24% of its staff (~900 employees) as well as nine executives following a serious autonomous taxi crash in San Francisco in October 2023 and the vehicles’ subsequent banning in the state of California.

Cruise’s staff reduction appears mostly due to the safety concerns around the company’s robo-taxis, but it comes after a deluge of other high-profile companies made major cuts just before the holidays:

  • Etsy. The online marketplace said it was laying off 11% of its staff. CEO Josh Silverman blamed the macroeconomic environment and previous over-hiring despite gross merchandise sales remaining flat since 2021.
  • Hasbro. The toymaker laid off 1,100 workers (roughly 20% of its staff) after a period of less-than-stellar toy sales following a pandemic surge. This most recent layoff is in addition to the 800 jobs it cut earlier this year.
  • Spotify. The streaming giant announced its third round of 2023 layoffs earlier this month. The company cut 1,500 jobs, which equates to about 17% of staff.
  • Why do companies do this?

Pre-holiday layoffs might seem especially cruel, but sadly, they aren’t uncommon. December job cuts are the quickest way for companies to pad the balance sheet and EOY reports before they show them to shareholders. Plus, it means they’ll have to give out fewer end-of-year bonuses.

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DAILY UPDATE: Three Arrows Capital is Down as Stock Markets Rebound

By Staff Reporters

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Almost $1 billion in assets belonging to the founders of cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital have been frozen by a British Virgin Islands court, according to the firm’s liquidator. The court issued an order preventing co-founders Su Zhu and Kyle Davies, as well as Davies’ wife Kelly Chen, from transferring or selling assets worth up to $1.14 billion, the liquidator Teneo said in an emailed statement, adding that it estimates creditors are owed roughly $3.3 billion. 

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) was up 48.40 points (1.0%) at 4,746.75; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 322.35 points (0.9%) at 37,404.35; the NASDAQ Composite®(COMP) was up 185.92 points (1.3%) at 14,963.87.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 1 basis point at 3.89%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.02 at 13.65, after earlier rising to 14.49.

Among market sectors, Micron Technology’s gain helped send the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) up 2.8%. Retail and transportation shares were also among the strongest performers.

The Russell 2000® Index (RUT), which is largely small cap focused, rose 1.7% and is on track for a sixth consecutive weekly gain.

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Of Gray Rhinos & Other Financial Threats!

Rick Kahler MS CFP

By Rick Kahler MS CFP®

“There he is,” our South African guide whispered excitedly. About 200 feet away stood a black rhino, the rarest and most aggressive of the rhinos. The rhino focused his full attention on us as he repeatedly took a few steps and stopped. After several minutes, he moved so a bush blocked our view of him. “Ok, he is using the bush as a cover and is probably going to charge. We need to leave. Start walking backward and keep your eyes in the direction where you saw the rhino.”

As I started backing up as fast as I could, the guide barked in his loudest whisper, “Don’t run! If he charges drop to the ground; he won’t trample you.” I can’t say I was comforted by this bit of information.

This experience taught me a rhino on the horizon represents a real and present danger.

Ignoring it can result in paying a heavy price

At this year’s FPA Retreat, one of the speakers was Michele Wucker, author of The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Respond to the Obvious Dangers We Ignore. She said that when it comes to financial planning and investments, rhinos loom everywhere. Wucker described these dangers as different from elephants and black swans.

The elephant in the room is something we see but no one is going to do anything about. It’s not going anywhere, and we will construct our life to accommodate it. Common financial elephants that I see are adult children financially dependent upon enabling parents, a financially controlling spouse with a history of poor financial decisions, or a family member addicted to spending,

A black swan is unpredictable, something we don’t even see. It can be the loss of a job, the sudden death of a breadwinner, or the collapse of a highly rated financial institution.

The grey rhino is something you know is stalking you. You know it is coming, but you don’t know when. The trick to avoiding a rhino is recognizing and acting on the obvious dangers we ignore.

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Ex-Cathedra black swan

[Black Swan]

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There are a lot of grey rhinos in the financial world

Here are a few common ones:

1. The next stock market crash. I guarantee you the stock market will crash at some time in the future. The best plan I know is to prepare yourself to do nothing, so you don’t panic and sell.
2. Death. It is certainly inevitable, yet the majority of Americans don’t have a will.
3. Health costs. At some point in your life you will need health care, and good health care is, and will always be, expensive.
4. House and vehicle repairs. Normal wear and tear should come as no surprise.

Yet another critter lurks around the financial landscape: the bat. Where I live, bats show up every evening at dusk, without fail. Financial bats are equally predictable.

These are future events or expenses that we know are coming, such as:

1. College. Subtract each minor child’s age from 18. That’s the number of years you have to save to fund their college education.
2. Retirement. Subtract your age from the age at which you want to quit working. This is how many years you have to accumulate enough wealth to replace your salary.
3. Taxes. We even know the day and the hour on this one.
4. Birthday and Christmas gifts. These come every year, just as reliably as the bats.

Assessment

What’s the best way to cope with this financial zoo? I suggest emulating another animal—the lowly ant from Aesop’s fable. Unlike the happy-go-lucky grasshopper, the ant put away resources so it was prepared for future hardships.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™8Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™

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DAILY UPDATE: First Day of Winter as FedEx and the Stock Markets Crash!

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE

By Staff Reporters

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Astronomical winter begins at the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. This means days get longer during winter—very slowly at first, but at ever-larger daily intervals as the March Equinox approaches, heralding the start of spring.

Locations closer to the poles experience larger differences in day length throughout the year, so winter days are shorter there. In Toronto, the shortest day is just under 8 hours and 56 minutes long; in Miami, roughly 2000 kilometers or 1200 miles farther south, it lasts about 10 hours and 32 minutes.

Places within the polar circles experience polar night during all or part of the winter season when the Sun does not rise at all.

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index (SPX) was down 70.02 points (1.5%) at 4,698.35; the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) was down 475.92 points (1.3%) at 37,082.00; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was down 225.28 points (1.5%) at 14,777.94.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 6 basis points at 3.858%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 1.14 at 13.67.

Shares of semiconductors and banks were among the weakest performers Wednesday, giving back some recent gains after ranking among upside leaders during the recent rally.

Transportation shares also slumped behind weakness in FedEx. The Dow Jones Transportation Index (DJT) fell 1.5% and ended at its lowest level in a week. 

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DAILY UPDATE: IRS Zaps Debt as Stock Markets Ascend!

By Staff Reporters

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Americans who owe back taxes will be given an incentive to pay up after the Internal Revenue Service it would waive nearly $1 billion in late-payment penalties. Roughly 4.6 million individual taxpayers who owe for tax years 2020 and 2021 will be eligible for the penalty relief. The IRS is extending the olive branch because it stopped sending out many collection letters during the pandemic. It hoped the letter halt would help struggling taxpayers and reduce its backlog. The long absence of these computer-generated letters had big consequences for taxpayers. Americans’ debt on unpaid back taxes had been growing with interest and penalties, and many were likely in the dark about just how much they owed.

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 27.81 points (0.6%) at 4,768.37; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 251.90 points (0.7%) at 37,557.92; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was up 98.03 points (0.7%) at 15,003.22.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 3 basis points at 3.924%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.03 at 12.53.

Energy shares extended an early week rally behind a continued rebound in WTI Crude Oil futures (/CL), which rose for a fifth straight day and ended near a three-week high above $74 per barrel.

Banks and retailers were also particularly firm. The S&P 500 Retail Select Industry Index (SPSIRE) surged over 2% and ended at its highest level in over 10 months.

And, Tuesday’s big winner was Affirm, whose shares skyrocketed 15% after the buy now, pay later company announced it’s expanding its Walmart partnership to include the retailer’s self-checkout kiosks.

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DAILY UPDATE: Goldman Sachs Speaks as the Stock Markets Rise

By Staff Reporters

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The Federal Reserve’s pivot last week to an easier monetary policy made many investors more bullish toward stocks. You can count Goldman Sachs among them. It has raised its year-end 2024 target for the S&P to 5,100 from 4,700. The new forecast represents an 8% increase from 4,740 on Dec. 18. Goldman has a three-month target of 4,800 and a six-month target of 4,900.

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 21.37 points (0.5%) at 4,740.56; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.86 points at 37,306.02; the NASDAQ Composite was up 90.89 points (0.6%) at 14,904.81.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 2 basis points at 3.946%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.25 at 12.53.

Energy shares were among Monday’s strongest performers behind a rally in WTI Crude Oil futures (/CL), which jumped 1.7% to end at a two-week high amid concern over supply disruptions following attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

Communication services and consumer staples were also firm. Financials gave back some of last week’s sharp gains, with the KBW Bank Index (BKX) down nearly 1%.

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IRS Inheritance Rule Change and the “Delta Dental” Data Breach

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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The IRS is demanding billions from small business who took this credit ...

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The IRS Quietly Changed the Rules on Children’s Inheritance

The IRS just issued Revenue Ruling 2023-2, which had a substantial impact on estate planning, particularly where an irrevocable trust is involved.

In the last decade or so, more families have begun utilizing irrevocable trusts to protect their assets from spend-down in order to qualify for government benefits, such as Medicaid and VA Aid and Attendance. Prior to the issuance of this ruling, it was unclear whether assets passing to beneficiaries through an irrevocable trust would receive a step-up in basis, thereby eliminating any capital gains taxes that would otherwise be owed.

Historically, assets that are disposed of during an individual’s lifetime are subject to capital gains taxes on the increase in value of that asset over time. The amount of capital gains owed is determined largely by the difference between the value at the time of purchase and the value at the time of transfer.

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Delta Dental of California data breach exposed info of 7 million people

“Delta Dental of California and its affiliates are warning almost seven million patients that they suffered a data breach after personal data was exposed in a MOVEit Transfer software breach.Delta Dental of California provides 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to impacted patients to mitigate the risk of their exposed data.”

LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bp4u2chv

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DAILY UPDATE: The “Magnificent Seven” Technology Stocks PLUS Uber

By Staff Reporters

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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  • Markets: The Magnificent Seven technology mega-cap stocks—Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Nvidia, Tesla, Meta, and Amazon—have surged 75% this year, while the other 493 companies in the S&P 500 have gained 12%. The Magnificent Seven now account for nearly 30% of the entire index’s value, per the WSJ.
  • Stock spotlight: Speaking of the S&P 500, it’s getting a prominent new member—Uber will join the index today. With a market cap of $127 billion, Uber is the most valuable company that hadn’t yet been included in the S&P 500, and it celebrated by notching a 52-week high last week.
  • CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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MICRO-CERTIFICATIONS: Physician Insider Knowledge for Financial Advisor Success?

Micro-Credentials on the Rise

KNOWLEDGE RICHES IN NICHES

DR. DAVID EDWARD MARCINKO MBA CMP

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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Do you ever wish you could acquire specific information for your career activities without having to complete a university Master’s Degree or finish our entire Certified Medical Planner™ professional designation program? Well, Micro-Certifications from the Institute of Medical Business Advisors, Inc., might be the answer. Read on to learn how our three Micro-Certifications offer new opportunities for professional growth in the medical practice, business management, health economics and financial planning, investing and advisory space for physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals.

Micro-Certification Basics

Stock-Brokers, Financial Advisors, Investment Advisors, Accountants, Consultants, Financial Analyists and Financial Planners need to enhance their knowledge skills to better serve the changing and challenging healthcare professional ecosystem. But, it can be difficult to learn and demonstrate mastery of these new skills to employers, clients, physicians or medical prospects. This makes professional advancement difficult. That’s where Micro-Certification and Micro-Credentialing enters the online educational space. It is the process of earning a Micro-Certification, which is like a mini-degree or mini-credential, in a very specific topical area.

Micro-Certification Requirements

Once you’ve completed all of the requirements for our Micro-Certification, you will be awarded proof that you’ve earned it. This might take the form of a paper or digital certificate, which may be a hard document or electronic image, transcript, file, or other official evidence that you’ve completed the necessary work.

Uses of Micro-Certifications

Micro-Certifications may be used to demonstrate to physicians prospective medical clients that you’ve mastered a certain knowledge set. Because of this, Micro-Certifications are useful for those financial service professionals seeking medical clients, employment or career advancement opportunities.

Examples of iMBA, Inc., Micro-Certifications

Here are the three most popular Micro-Certification course from the Institute of Medical Business Advisors, Inc:

  • 1. Health Insurance and Managed Care: To keep up with the ever-changing field of health care physician advice, you must learn new medical practice business models in order to attract and assist physicians and nurse clients. By bringing together the most up-to-date business and medical prctice models [Medicare, Medicaid, PP-ACA, POSs, EPOs, HMOs, PPOs, IPA’s, PPMCs, Accountable Care Organizations, Concierge Medicine, Value Based Care, Physician Pay-for-Performance Initiatives, Hospitalists, Retail and Whole-Sale Medicine, Health Savings Accounts and Medical Unions, etc], this iMBA Inc., Mini-Certification offers a wealth of essential information that will help you understand the ever-changing practices in the next generation of health insurance and managed medical care.
  • 2. Health Economics and Finance: Medical economics, finance, managerial and cost accounting is an integral component of the health care industrial complex. It is broad-based and covers many other industries: insurance, mathematics and statistics, public and population health, provider recruitment and retention, health policy, forecasting, aging and long-term care, and Venture Capital are all commingled arenas. It is essential knowledge that all financial services professionals seeking to serve in the healthcare advisory niche space should possess.
  • 3. Health Information Technology and Security: There is a myth that all physician focused financial advisors understand Health Information Technology [HIT]. In truth, it is often economically misused or financially misunderstood. Moreover, an emerging national HIT architecture often puts the financial advisor or financial planner in a position of maximum uncertainty and minimum productivity regarding issues like: Electronic Medical Records [EMRs] or Electronic Health Records [EHRs], mobile health, tele-health or tele-medicine, Artificial Intelligence [AI], benefits managers and human resource professionals.

Other Topics include: economics, finance, investing, marketing, advertising, sales, start-ups, business plan creation, financial planning and entrepreneurship, etc.

How to Start Learning and Earning Recognition for Your Knowledge

Now that you’re familiar with Micro-Credentialing, you might consider earning a Micro-Certification with us. We offer 3 official Micro-Certificates by completing a one month online course, with a live instructor consisting of twelve asynchronous lessons/online classes [3/wk X 4/weeks = 12 classes]. The earned official completion certificate can be used to demonstrate mastery of a specific skill set and shared with current or future employers, current clients or medical niche financial advisory prospects.

Mini-Certification Tuition, Books and Related Fees

The tuition for each Mini-Certification live online course is $1,250 with the purchase of one required dictionary handbook. Other additional guides, white-papers, videos, files and e-content are all supplied without charge. Alternative courses may be developed in the future subject to demand and may change without notice.

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Contact: For more information, or to speak with an academic representative, please contact Ann Miller RN MHA CMP™ at: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com [24/7] -OR- 770-448-0769[9:00 – 5:00 EST].

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DAILY UPDATE: Mental Health and NASDAQ Technology Stocks

By Staff Reporters

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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“We kept hearing nightmare stories about Americans not getting the treatment that they needed because insurance companies were denying them care. But we didn’t have enough data to show just how extensive and deep the problem was.”—

Bill Smith, founder of mental health advocacy coalition Inseparable, on patients with mental health diagnoses not receiving care (NPR)

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The NASDAQ closed at an all-time high yesterday, breaking the record it set in November 2021, as technology stocks continued to rally on the news that the Fed may cut interest rates next year.

DocuSign shot up following reports that the $11 billion company whose tech lets you use your signature without a pen could be up for sale.

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DAILY UPDATE: Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Safety as the DJIA Sets Record

By Staff Reporters

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Twenty-eight healthcare companies, including CVS Health , are signing U.S. President Joe Biden’s voluntary commitments aimed at ensuring the safe development of artificial intelligence (AI), a White House official said yesterday. The commitments by healthcare providers and payers follow those of 15 leading AI companies, including Google, OpenAI and OpenAI partner Microsoft to develop AI healthcare models responsibly.

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Health insurance company Humana is being accused of allegedly wrongfully denying care to elderly patients, who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans, using an augmented intelligence model “to override” physicians’ orders on “necessary care patients require,” according to a new lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed by two Humana Medicare Advantage Plan customers on December th 12 in Kentucky, claims that Humana uses an AI model called nH Predict, and it allegedly has a high error rate. And allegedly, despite knowing that it’s inaccurate, the company still uses it.

Related: CVS, Kroger and Rite Aid face unsettling medical privacy concerns

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

The S&P 500 index was up 12.46 points (0.3%) at 4,719.55; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 158.11 points (0.4%) at 37,248.35; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was up 27.59 points (0.2%) at 14,761.56.

  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 11 basis points at 3.923%, falling under 4% for the first time since early August.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.25 at 12.44.

Financial shares remained among the market’s strongest post-FOMC gainers, reflecting ideas that lower interest rates will boost profit margins for banks. Goldman Sachs (GS) rallied nearly 6%, the second-best gain among Dow companies, and hit a 23-month high. The KBW Bank Index (BKX), which includes major companies like Bank of America (BAC) and Citigroup (C) as well as several regional lenders, surged 5% to a nine-month high.

Also, the small-cap Russell 2000® Index (RUT) continued to outgain large-cap counterparts, rising 2.7% to a 4 ½-month high.

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2024: FOMC Interest Rate Cuts?

By Staff Reporters

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The Dow hit an all-time high yesterday after the Federal Reserve hinted at plans to make multiple rate cuts next year. Not having such a good day was Pfizer, which touched a 10-year low after releasing disappointing projections for 2024 because people just aren’t buying Covid products like they used to.

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Fed rate cuts may come in threes next year

The Federal Reserve had investors popping bottles yesterday, not just because it made the expected move of holding interest rates steady for now but also for signaling that there may be multiple interest rate cuts in 2024. Most Fed officials penciled in three quarter-percentage-point cuts in their projections. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said inflation had “eased” but still did his best to keep everyone from getting too excited, saying, “No one is declaring victory. That would be premature.” Even so, markets started pricing in even more aggressive cuts than the projections.

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DAILY UPDATE: DJIA Records a High as Treasury Yields Drop

By Staff Reporters

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MANY THANKS E.R. HEROES

The holidays can be a stressful time for many, especially emergency healthcare workers, as Emergency Departments and ERs tend to get crowded. Holiday-related injuries spike in December, from slipping in the snow or falling while decorating to overindulging in holiday cocktails. So, to all the emergency healthcare providers working on holidays this year, the ME-P thanks you very much.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 63.39 points (1.4%) at 4,707.09; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 512.30 points (1.4%) at 37,090.24; the NASDAQ Composite was up 200.57 points (1.4%) at 14,733.96.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 18 basis points at 4.024%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.14 at 12.21.

Financial shares led Wednesday’s gainers, reflecting ideas that lower interest rates will boost profit margins for banks. The KBW Regional Banking Index (KRX) surged nearly 6% and ended at its highest level in over four months. The Fed’s outlook for slower growth in 2024, but no recession, also appeared to drive optimism among smaller companies, which are considered to have greater exposure to economic downturns. The small-cap Russell 2000® Index (RUT) outpaced its bigger counterparts, gaining 3.5% and ending at a four-month high.

Treasury yields fell sharply, with the 10-year note dropping to a four-month low just above 4%.

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DAILY UPDATE: Norton Healthcare Hacked – Pharma Chains Give Health Data to Police and the Stock Markets Climb

By Staff Reporters

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Kentucky-based healthcare provider Norton Healthcare has confirmed that it has suffered a significant ransomware attack that may have put the data of millions of its patients at risk. In a filing to the Maine Attorney General on December 8th, the healthcare giant said that 2.5 million individuals had been affected by the breach.

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Meanwhile, the nation’s largest pharmacy chains have handed over Americans’ prescription records to police and government investigators without a warrant, a congressional investigation found, raising concerns about threats to medical privacy. Though some of the chains require their lawyers to review law enforcement requests, three of the largest — CVS Health, Kroger and Rite Aid, with a combined 60,000 locations nationwide — said they allow pharmacy staff members to hand over customers’ medical records in the store.

The policy was revealed in a letter sent to Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.).

HIPAA anyone?

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 21.26 points (0.5%) at 4,643.70; the Dow Jones Industrial Average®(DJI) was up 173.01 points (0.5%) at 36,577.94; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was up 100.91 points (0.7%) at 14,533.40.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 3 basis points at 4.206%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.56 at 12.07.

Technology shares were among Tuesday’s strongest performers despite a 12% drop in Oracle (ORCL), which plunged after reporting lighter-than-expected quarterly revenue late Monday. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) posted its highest close since January 2022.

Financial shares were also firm. Energy shares were under pressure because WTI Crude Oil futures (/CL) extended a slump below $70 per barrel and settled at its lowest price since late June.

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

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U.S. ECONOMY: Perhaps a “Soft Landing” After All?

YET- HEALTH CARE IS GROWING!

By Staff Reporters

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The US economy is looking like it could avoid a downturn and achieve a soft landing after all. US employers added a more-than-expected 199,000 workers to their payrolls last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said recently. The solid result calmed many analysts’ fears that a steeper economic slowdown is imminent due to the Federal Reserve’s earlier interest rate hikes. And, it brings us closer to the coveted “soft landing” scenario, in which the Fed tames inflation on the economy. For example:

  • The unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked down for the first time since July, to 3.7%.
  • Average hourly pay increased by 0.4% and is now up 4% for the year, beating the projected pace of annual price growth.
  • But the job market isn’t quite what it used to be

Last month’s 199-k jobs created were below the average of 240,000 added in the preceding 12 months. Plus, November hiring was confined to just a handful of industries:

  • Healthcare and the government were responsible for two-thirds of the headcount growth, adding 77,000 and 49,000 jobs, respectively.
  • The manufacturing sector gained 28,000 workers—but that was largely due to folks returning to work after striking against the Big Three automakers.
  • CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

Finally, in another sign that employers might be pulling back from on-boarding new people, the Labor Department reported earlier this week that job openings in late October were at their lowest since March 2021.

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DAILY UPDATE: Health Care, FOMC and the Tepid Markets

By Staff Reporters

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In healthcare, legislators could vote next week on a major health reform package that includes a ban on spread pricing in Medicaid and a push toward site-neutral payments.


In more news from the Hill, a bipartisan bill was introduced that seeks to cancel a 3.4% Medicare pay cut to docs, which has drawn plenty of ire from the industry.

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The final FOMC meeting of the year will take place this week, and like most work meetings in mid-December, not a whole lot is going to happen. Chair Jerome Powell is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged as inflation continues its descent to a 2% target. But 2024 planning is in full swing, and investors are desperate to learn when the Federal Reserve thinks it will need to cut rates next year.

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Here is where the major stock index benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 18.07 points (0.4%) at 4,622.44; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® (DJI) was up 157.06 points (0.4%) at 36,404.93; the NASDAQ Composite was up 28.51 points (0.2%) at 14,432.49.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was little-changed at 4.239%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.28 at 12.63.

In addition to retailers, semiconductor company shares also posted outsized gains Monday, boosted in part by a jump of nearly 10% in Broadcom (AVGO). The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) gained more than 3% and ended near a two-year high. Transportation companies were also strong.

In other markets, Natural Gas futures (/NG) plunged more than 6% to a six-month low, reflecting warmer-than-normal U.S. temperatures and excess supplies.

Finally, the so-called Magnificent Seven stocks of Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon.com, Nvidia, Tesla and Meta Platforms each fell at least 0.8%. Meta led the declines, dropping 2.2%. But only one out of 11 S&P 500 sectors fell. Even the information technology sub-index ticked higher, reflecting gains outside of the largest companies in the sector.

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The UK Questions Microsoft & OpenAI as Aetna Medicaid Aids Hungry Homeless

By Staff Reporters

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United Kingdom Regulators Looking into Microsoft’s Partnership with OpenAI

A British watchdog is asking for feedback on whether Microsoft’s $13 billion, 49% stake in the ChatGPT-maker’s for-profit division constitutes a merger, the WSJ just eported. So, if the agency decides to launch a formal investigation into whether the partnership creates an unfair advantage in the artificial intelligence industry, it could eventually force the companies to change how they operate.

And, following OpenAI’s dramatic firing and rehiring of CEO Sam Altman last month, Microsoft was given a “nonvoting observer” seat on the OpenAI board.

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Aetna Better Health of Georgia has invested $510,000 in 17 local organizations that offer services for individuals experiencing food insecurity and homelessness across the state of Georgia.

“A holistic approach to health care starts with ensuring each individual has stable and consistent access to healthy, nutritious foods, as well as a safe place to live,” said Sonya Nelson, division president at Aetna Medicaid. “By partnering with local organizations committed to improving the quality of life for all Georgians, we can help ensure people’s most basic needs are fulfilled and they’re able to prioritize care for themselves and their families.”

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DAILY UPDATE: “Soft Economic Landing” and Paramount Pictures Corporation

By Staff Reporters

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The S&P 500 heads into the week at its highest level of the year after Friday’s solid jobs report suggested that the Fed could be all clear for a “soft landing”—bringing inflation back to normal without sending the economy into a recession. The S&P and Dow have posted gains for six straight weeks, their longest streak since 2019.

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But, the week’s big winner was Paramount, which spiked on reports that Shari Redstone might sell the entertainment giant.

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BONDS: Are Best Right Now?

By Staff Reporters

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The bond market just finished its best month since 1985, according to the Financial Times, with investor optimism creating a surge in bond prices and a plunge in yields (reminder: they move in opposite directions). The yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note dipped below 4.3% for the first time since September. And other economic measures are looking good:

  • The bond rally spilled over to stocks, where the S&P 500 and Dow just clinched their best months since July 2022 and October 2022, respectively.
  • Mortgage rates dropped for the fifth consecutive week, to 7.22%.

Traders are optimistic that the FOMC may be done hiking interest rates. With recent data showing both consumer spending and the job market cooling down—but not too much—economists see the once-aspirational economic soft landing as achievable, which is great news for Wall Street and to avoid a recession).

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DAILY UPDATE: Deflation Pending as Stock Markets Gain

By Staff Reporters

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After grappling with high inflation for more than two years, American consumers are now seeing an economic trend that many might only dimly remember: falling prices — but only on certain types of products. 

Deflation is impacting so-called durable goods, or products that are meant to last more than three years, Wall Street Journal reporter David Harrison told CBS News. As Harrison noted in his reporting, durable goods have dropped on a year-over-year basis for five straight months and dropped 2.6% in October from their September 2022 peak.

These items are products such as used cars, furniture and appliances, which saw big run-ups in prices during the pandemic. Used cars in particular were a pain point for U.S. households, with pre-owned cars seeing their prices jump more than fifty percent in the first two years of the pandemic.

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 Index was up 36.25 points (0.8%) at 4,585.59; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 62.95 points (0.2%) at 36,117.38; the NASDAQ Composite was up 193.28 points (1.4%) at 14,339.99.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 2 basis points at 4.144%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.09 at 13.06.

Tech sector strength was highlighted by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX), which gained nearly 3%. Financial shares were also among the strongest performers, as the KBW Regional Banking Index (KRX) rose 2% and ended at a four-month high. In other markets, WTI crude oil futures (/CL) posted the market’s first gain in six days after earlier dropping to its lowest level since late June.

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GEMINI: Google’s Large Language Model Released

LLM

By Staff Reporters

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Gemini: Google's Latest AI Challenging GPT-4 - YouTube
  • About a year after OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT brought the simmering artificial intelligence race to a boil, Google’s highly anticipated AI model, Gemini, has finally joined the competition. Released yesterday, Gemini is a large language model (LLM) that Google CEO Sundar Pichai and executives at the company’s DeepMind AI division say will revolutionize generative technology for business and daily life.

The tech is a family of three models that Google is slowly looping into its suite of services:

  • Gemini Nano is mainly for mobile devices. As of yesterday, Google Pixel 8 Pro owners could enlist Gemini Nano to summarize audio recordings or draft automatic message replies.
  • Gemini Pro is a midsize offering designed for more complex tasks. Pro now powers Google’s chatbot, Bard, but the AI tech isn’t available to Google Cloud customers until Dec. 13.
  • Gemini Ultra, the powerhouse version geared toward data centers and large companies, will launch next year and underpin “Bard Advanced,” a new chatbot that will be able to simultaneously process text, images, audio, and video, according to Google’s prerecorded demonstrations.

If Gemini can do what Google promises, it could chip away at OpenAI’s lead in the LLM space.

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DAILY UPDATE: Apple Market Cap Up as Major Stock Indexes Ease

By Staff Reporters

MEDICARE ANNUAL ENROLLMENT ENDS

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Apple regains a $3 trillion market cap and is on track to end the year as the world’s most valuable company for the 5th time in a row.

Today marks the 82nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor that drew the US into WWII.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) was down 17.84 points (0.4%) at 4,549.34; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® (DJI) was down 70.13 points (0.2%) at 36,054.43; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was down 83.20 points (0.6%) at 14,146.71.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 5 basis points at 4.117%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.10 at 12.95.

Energy shares were again among the market’s weakest performers as crude oil futures extended a slump, closing below $70 per barrel for the first time since late June on concerns over slowing global demand. And, Liz Ann Sonders of Schwab said a “somewhat stealthy” rotation continued under the market’s surface, with the S&P 500® Equal Weight (SPXEW) and Russell 2000®(RUT) indexes outperforming both the S&P 500 and NASDAQ over the past month or so. She also noted a defensive tone to Wednesday’ trading, illustrated by strength in utilities and weakness in technology.

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DAILY UPDATE: Non-Physician Practice Ownership Quality Down as Stock Markets Slip

By Staff Reporters

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Nearly 60% of doctors who practice as employees of hospitals and other corporate entities say that non-physician practice ownership results in lower quality patient care, per a new survey commissioned by the Physicians Advocacy Institute. Loss of face time with patients and greater focus on finances negatively impact quality, they say.

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was down 2.60 points (0.1%) at 4,567.18; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 79.88 points (0.2%) at 36,124.56; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was up 44.42 points (0.3%) at 14,229.91.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield was down about 11 basis points at 4.18%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.23 at 12.85.

Energy shares were among Tuesday’s weakest performers on pressure from slumping crude oil futures, which dropped for a fourth consecutive day and hit a five-month low amid concern over global demand. Retail and transportation sectors were also soft. Technology and consumer discretionary shares were among the few gainers.

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INCOME: It Depends on the Meaning of the Word?

By Staff Reporters

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Incomes Keep Rising| Concrete Construction Magazine

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DEFINITION: Income is the money you receive in exchange for your labor or products. Income may have different definitions depending on the context—for example, taxation, financial accounting, or economic analysis. For most people, income is their total earnings in the form of wages and salaries, the return on their investments, pension distributions, and other receipts. For businesses, income is the revenue from selling services, products, and any interest and dividends received with respect to their cash accounts and reserves related to the business. Economists have different definitions of income and different ways of measuring it, from focusing on earnings, savings, consumption, production, public finance, capital investment or other topics … Maybe?

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court is set on Tuesday to consider a challenge to the legality of a tax targeting owners of foreign corporations that could undermine efforts at imposing a wealth tax on the very rich in a case that has already sparked controversy over a call for Justice Samuel Alito to recuse.

The justices are due to hear arguments in an appeal by Charles and Kathleen Moore – a retired couple from Redmond, Washington couple – of a lower court’s decision rejecting their challenge to the tax on foreign company earnings, even though those profits had not been distributed.

The one-time “mandatory repatriation tax” (MRT), which applied to taxpayers owning at least 10% of certain foreign corporations, was part of a 2017 Republican-backed tax bill signed into law by former President Donald Trump.

At issue in the case is whether this levy on unrealized gains is allowed under the U.S. Constitution’s 16th Amendment, which enabled Congress to “collect taxes on incomes.” The Moores, backed by the Competitive Enterprise Institute and other conservative and business groups, contend that “income” means only those gains that are realized through payment to the taxpayer, not a mere increase in the value of property.

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DAILY UPDATE: Stock Indexes Pull Back

By Staff Reporters

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended yesterday:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) was down 24.85 points (0.5%) at 4,569.78; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® (DJI) was down 41.06 points (0.1%) at 36,204.44; the NASDAQ Composite (COMP) was down 119.54 points (0.8%) at 14,185.49.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 4 basis points at 4.264%.
  • The BOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.45 points at 13.08.

Technology and communications services shares were among the weakest performers Monday, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) dropping 1.2%, its lowest level since mid-November.

By contrast, many smaller companies held up better. The small-cap-focused Russell 2000® Index (RUT) rose 1% and ended at a three-month high, extending a recent upswing. In other markets, gold futures (GC) plunged after earlier posting an intraday record above $2,152 an ounce.

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SCOTUS: “Quadrillion-Dollar” IRS Tax Code Question?

By Staff Reporters

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SCOTUS will hear the “quadrillion-dollar” question?

Kicking off the Supreme Court this week will hear oral arguments today for a case that could upend the US tax code.

In Moore v. United States, the justices will be asked to decide whether the federal government can tax certain “unrealized gains”—assets that have yet to be sold.

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DAILY UPDATE: IRS Ups Interest Rate Penalty with Economic Soft Landing?

By Staff Reporters

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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is raising the stakes for those who underpay their taxes by ratcheting up the interest penalty that will be assessed in next spring’s tax filing season. Earlier this fall, the IRS increased its interest penalty on estimated tax underpayments to 8% – a notable jump from 3% just two years ago. The IRS indicated that the interest rate penalty is determined every quarter and that for taxpayers other than corporations the assessed rate is the federal short-term rate plus three percentage points.

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Speaking of a possible US economic “soft-landing“, the S&P 500 closed at a 2023 high on Friday, the VIX (Wall Street’s “fear gauge”) has fallen to a nearly four-year low, and December has been the third-best month for the S&P since 1928. Even crypto is on a roll as bitcoin topped $40,000 for the first time since May 2022.

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JEROME POWELL: Speaks On “Premature” Interest Rate Cuts

By Staff Reporters

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What Is Money Factor for SMB? : On Auto Monthly Lease Payment

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With the Fed’s aggressive rate hikes to curb inflation looking like they’ve finally come to an end thanks to encouraging data on prices falling, investors are starting to look forward to when the central bankers start slashing rates again.

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But Jerome Powell sought to pour some cold water on the rate cut hype cycle during a speech at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday, saying that it was too soon “to speculate on when policy might ease.” However, investors still think he’ll come around: Markets are putting the odds that the Fed will cut rates in March above 50% and are totally convinced it’ll happen by May, according to Bloomberg.

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DAILY UPDATE: Stock Markets Rally and IPOs

By Staff Reporters

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As we reported, the S&P 500 had its best day of the year on Friday as stocks kept their November rally rolling right into December. Pfizer, however, fell to its lowest since March 2020 after announcing that it’s pulling the plug on its experimental twice-a-day weight loss pill because it caused too many negative side effects even as pharmaceutical companies are rushing to serve the growing weight loss market.

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And, Panera Bread filed IPO paperwork, the Financial Times reported. And it’s not the only household name that’s anticipated to hit brokerage apps next year as more companies are once again considering going public. The past two years have been an IPO stale mate as rising interest rates led to a tepid market for newcomers. Last year, Panera itself aborted a public listing it was planning via a special purpose acquisition company [SPAC] due to harsh market conditions.

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But, things might be different in 2024. Fast-fashion behemoth Shein also recently filed paperwork for what could be a blockbuster IPO that raises as much as $90 billion, per Bloomberg. The publication says that more companies are rumored to be thinking about joining the potential IPO bonanza. For example:

  • Kim Kardashian might list her $4 billion undergarment brand, Skims.
  • Reddit is supposedly flirting with the idea of going public. It would be the first major social media IPO in years, and it’s been in the offing since last year, when Reddit was valued at $15 billion.

However, all IPOs have not done well:

  • The Birkenstock and Instacart IPOs fell short of expectations according to investment data from Dealogic
  • Three out of four companies that IPOed this year were trading below their offer prices as of the middle of last month.
  • Companies debuting on the public markets raised a meager $20 billion so far this year, a slight rebound from 2022 but a ~90% decline from 2021.

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DAILY UPDATE: Sidelines Awash with Cash in Up Markets

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There’s almost $6 trillion of cash sitting on the sidelines in money-market funds, with the potential for some portion of it to be reallocated into “carefully selected risk assets.”

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This is according to Ali Dibadj, chief executive of London-based Janus Henderson Investors, which had $308.3 billion in assets under management as of September. About $187.9 billion, or 61%, of that was in equity strategies.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 26.83 points (0.6%) at 4,594.63, up 0.8% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® (DJI) was up 294.61 points (0.8%) at 36,245.50, up 2.4% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite was up 78.81 points (0.6%) at 14,305.03, up 0.4% for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield was down about 14 basis points at 4.213%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.27 at 12.65.

Friday’s gains followed the market’s strongest month of the year, as the S&P 500 and NASDAQ surged 8.9% and 10.7% in November, respectively, their best monthly performances since July 2022. Among sectors, the KBW Regional Bank Index (KRX) jumped 5.3% Friday, and retail shares were also among the top gainers.

Shares of smaller companies extended a recent rally as the small-cap-focused Russell 2000® Index (RUT) gained 3.1% for the week and ended at a 2-1/2-month high.

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DAILY UPDATE: DJIA Rockets Upward!

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index was up 17.22 points (0.4%) at 4,567.80, up 8.9% for the month; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 520.47 points (1.5%) at 35,950.89, up 8.8% for the month; the NASDAQ Composite was down 32.27 points (0.2%) at 14,226.22, up 10.7% for the month.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 6 basis points at 4.33%.
  • CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.07 at 12.91.

The Dow’s gain Thursday was driven in part by Salesforce (CRM), which soared nearly 9% after the cloud software company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results. The technology sector was otherwise soft, with the NASDAQ-100® (NDX) down 0.7% but still up 10.7% for the month. Small-cap stocks also posted a firm November, illustrated by a monthly gain of nearly 9% in the Russell 2000® Index (RUT).

And, Nathan Peterson, director of derivatives analysis at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, said the weakness in tech shares likely reflected consolidation after firm gains earlier this month. The NASDAQ Composite may also face some technical resistance around 14,350, a level where sellers stepped in back in July.

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DAILY UPDATE: Hospital Ransomware Attack as Stock Markets Mixed Ahead of Inflation Reading

By Staff Reporters

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A ransomware attack has caused a health care chain, which operates 30 hospitals in six states, to move patients from some of its emergency rooms to other hospitals, while putting certain procedures on pause, the company announced.

According to a statement from Ardent Health Services, the attack happened on November 23rd. The company said as a result of the attack, it took its network offline and suspended user access to its information technology applications, including the software used to document patient care.

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index was down 4.31 points (0.1%) at 4,550.58; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 13.44 points at 35,430.42; the NASDAQ Composite ® was down 23.27 points (0.2%) at 14,258.49.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 8 basis points at 4.261%.
  • CBOE ® Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.29 at 12.98.

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DAILY UPDATE: Apple Credit Card, Drug Prices and the Modest Stock Markets

By Staff Reporters

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Apple is pulling the plug on its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs Group, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The tech giant recently sent a proposal to the Wall Street bank to exit the contract in the next 12 to 15 months, the report said, citing people briefed on the matter.

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Senators Elizabeth Warren (Democrat) and Mike Braun (Republican) sent a letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services last week, asking it to investigate whether large insurance companies are hiking prescription drug prices at pharmacies they own

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) was up 4.46 points (0.1%) at 4,554.89; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 83.51 points (0.2%) at 35,416.98; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was up 40.73 points (0.3%) at 14,281.76.
  • The 10-year Treasury yield was down about 6 basis points at 4.33%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was little-changed at 12.69.

Semiconductor and transportation shares were among the weakest performers Tuesday, and regional banks were also under pressure. Small cap stocks also lagged. The Russell 2000® Index (RUT) fell about 0.4% for its lowest close in a week.

Retailers and utilities were among the firmest sectors. In other markets, the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) weakened to its lowest level since mid-August, reflecting expectations that U.S. interest rates have peaked.

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DAILY UPDATE: Interest Rate Cuts, CPA Holidays Spending Watch and the Markets

By Staff Reporters

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Wall Street is gearing up for rate cuts. Yep! Twenty months after the Federal Reserve began a historic campaign against inflation, investors now believe there is a much greater chance that the central bank will cut rates in just four months than raise them again in the foreseeable future.

Interest-rate futures indicated last week a roughly 60% chance the Fed will lower rates by a quarter-of-a-percentage point by its May 2024 policy meeting, up from 29% at the end of October, according to CME Group data. The same data has pointed to four cuts by the end of the year. And, investors, battered by the Fed’s efforts to slow the economy, have reacted by driving the S&P 500 up nearly 9% this month. That is despite the wagers reflecting different possible paths for the economy, not all of them favorable for stocks.

Of course, investors look ahead to the release this week of key US inflation data that could provide a guide for the Federal Reserve’s plans for interest rates going into the new year.

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Read: Can AI save accounting? (the Journal of Accountancy)

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 Index was down 8.91 points (0.2%) at 4,550.43; theDow Jones Industrial Average® (DJI) was down 56.68 points (0.2%) at 35,333.47; the NASDAQ Composite® was down 9.83 points (0.1%) at 14,241.02.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 10 basis points at 4.387%.
  • CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) was up 0.23 at 12.69.

Transportation shares were among the weakest performers Monday, and energy was also soft behind a drop in crude oil futures. Weakness in many retail stocks suggested some concern over consumer spending given high interest rates and slower job growth. The S&P Retail Select Index (SPSIRE) fell 0.6% but is still up 8.2% for the month. Consumer discretionary and real estate shares were among the few gainers.

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DAILY UPDATE: Holiday Spending Economics with Mixed Stock Markets

By Staff Reporters

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Shopping data reveals that Q4 isn’t as important as one might expect. For example, the holiday quarter in 2022 accounted for 26.8% of the year’s sales, just a hair over the 25% mark if sales were evenly spread across the year, per the US Census Bureau. Of course, some types of retailers depend on the holiday quarter far more than others. Discretionary retailers (which sell the things you want, but don’t need…aka gifts) rely on Q4 for up to 40% of their yearly sales, according to McKinsey. For department stores, clothing stores, and toy stores, the holiday season really is make-or-break. GameStop, for instance, recorded 37% of its annual revenue last year in the last three months of 2022.

But for other retailers, Q4 isn’t such a big deal. People apparently read throughout the year because book stores only depend on the fourth quarter for 27.4% of sales. People also need to eat food all year long: Q4 accounted for 26.3% of sales for grocery stores.

Meanwhile, gas stations, car dealerships, and building material companies perform worse in the holiday quarter than at other times of the year.

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

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The S&P 500 Index was 2.72 up points (0.1%) at 4,559.34, up 1% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average®(DJI) was up 117.12 points (0.3%) at 35,390.15, up 1.3% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite was down 15.00 points (0.1%) at 14,250.85, up 0.9% for the week.

  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 5 basis points at 4.47%.
  • CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.34 at 12.46.

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DAILY UPDATE: The U.S. Stock Markets

By Staff Reporters

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended on Friday:

  • The S&P 500 Index (SPX) was up 5.78 points (0.1%) at 4,514.02, up 2.2% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) was up 1.81 points at 34,947.28, up 1.9% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite was up 11.81 points (0.1%) at 14,125.48, up 2.4% for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield was down about 1 basis point at 4.439%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.54 at 13.78.

Retail shares were among Friday’s strongest sectors, helped by a nearly 30% surge by Gap (GPS) after the apparel company stronger-than-expected quarterly results. Energy companies were also higher thanks to a nearly 4% rise in WTI Crude Oil futures (/CL). Oil prices are still down 20% from a 2023 peak of more than $95 posted in late September.

In other markets, the U.S. dollar index dropped 1.8% for the week to touch its weakest level since September 1st, reflecting stepped-up expectations that interest rates have peaked.

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DAILY UPDATE: Mixed U.S. Stock Markets

By Staff Reporters

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Over the course of the last few weeks, Cathie Wood of ARKK has been offloading the firm’s holdings in Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROKU). Across all of her firm’s funds, Wood has sold stock in the streaming company totaling over $56 million. The move comes after Roku released its financials for q3. 

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 Index was up 5.36 points (0.1%) at 4,508.24; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 45.74 points (0.1%) at 34,945.47; the NASDAQ Composite was up 9.84 points (0.1%) at 14,113.67.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was uabout 9 basis points at 4.445%.
  • Cboe’s Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.14 at 14.32.

Walmart’s commentary weighed on the retail sector. Energy was also a laggard, as crude oil futures fell 5% to a four-month low of less than $73 a barrel, in part because record U.S. crude production has boosted supply.

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DAILY UPDATE: Government Shutdown Averted as US Markets Extend their Gains

By Staff Reporters

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Senate leaders voted Wednesday night in favor of the short-term government funding bill the House passed Tuesday night ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline. House Speaker Mike Johnson pitched a two-step plan that he described as a “laddered CR” — or continuing resolution — that will keep the government funded at 2023 levels. The bill extends government funding until January 19th for the Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Energy departments, as well as for military construction. The rest of the government is funded until February 2nd, 2024.

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® Index (SPX) was up 7.18 points (0.2%) at 4,502.88; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 163.51 points (0.5%) at 34,991.21; the NASDAQ Composite was up 9.45 points (0.1%) at 14,103.84.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was up about 10 basis points at 4.541%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.02 at 14.18.

Retail and financial shares were among Wednesday’s strongest performers. The KBW Regional Banking Index (KRX) rose 1.3% to a 2½-month high. Transportation and consumer staples were also higher. Energy shares were one of the few laggards as crude oil futures sank more than 2% after the Energy Department reported a larger-than-expected increase in U.S. crude inventories.

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DAILY UPDATE: US Economic Prognostications as Stock Markets Surge

By Staff Reporters

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US Economic leaders are looking to the past for some inspiration on how to deal with the present—the only issue is, no one seems to be able to agree which past era they should be studying. But, predictions diverge, for example.

  1. Deutsche Bank believes the U.S. economy closely resembles the turbulent times of the 1970s, an outlook prompted by the war in Israel, oil shocks, and rampant inflation.
  2. Meanwhile economists at the White House say the inflationary period after World War II acts as a better guide because pent-up demand from the pandemic will eventually fade away.
  3. UBS disagrees with both, saying the 1990s more closely resembles the economic climate world leaders are currently attempting to navigate. A note from the UBS Chief Investment Office, led by Jason Draho, questioned whether the 2020s would act as “another roaring 20s” seen a century before. During this period, technological advances led to a rapid increase in productivity, while major industries like automotive, film and chemicals took off. The data suggests today’s economy has officially entered a new regime, UBS outlined: “A regime is defined by its growth, inflation, and rate attributes. These are all at their highest levels since prior to the global financial crisis (GFC).”

Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 Index was up 84.15 points (1.9%) at 4,495.70; the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) was up 489.83 points (1.4%) at 34,827.70; the NASDAQ Composite (COMP) was up 326.64 points (2.4%) at 14,094.38.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was down about 18 basis points at 4.453%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.60 at 14.16.

The small-cap focused Russell 2000 Index (RUT), which has lagged large-cap benchmarks for most of the year, jumped more than 5% Tuesday. Small-caps are often seen as being more exposed to the economic cycle and had suffered because of concerns that high interest rates could push the economy into recession.

Other interest rate-sensitive sectors, such as real estate, materials, and utilities, also saw outsize gains.

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DAILY UPDATE: McLaren Health Care and Mr Cooper Bank Experience Security Breach as Stocks are Mixed Ahead of Inflation Data

By Staff Reporters

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Michigan-based healthcare nonprofit McLaren Health Care notified more than 2 million people about a data breach exposing personal information on Thursday, according to a data breach notification report. Unauthorized access to McLaren systems began on July 28th and lasted through August 23rd before the company noticed it a week later on August 31st, according to a notice on the McLaren website.

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And, top US mortgage lender Mr Cooper has confirmed that “certain customer data” may have been exposed following a recent cyberattack. Precisely which data could have been exposed remains unconfirmed as the company continues to investigate “around the clock,” but affected customers are being promised complimentary credit monitoring services in due course.

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And so, here is where the major benchmarks ended today:

  • The S&P 500® Index (SPX) was down 3.69 points (0.1%) at 4,411.55; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 54.77 points (0.2%) at 34,337.87; the NASDAQ Composite (COMP) was down 30.36 points (0.2%) at 13,767.74.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield was up about 1 basis point at 4.636%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.59 at 14.76.

Energy shares were among the strongest performers Monday, with an assist from stronger crude oil futures, which jumped for a second straight day but remain near 3½-month lows touched last week. Health care and consumer staples were also higher. Utilities led decliners, with the Dow Jones Utility Index (DJU) falling to its lowest level in over a week.

From a technical standpoint, chart patterns “remain in the bulls’ favor,” Nathan says, with the S&P 500 closing above 4,400 and its 100-day moving average (currently just above 4,402) for the second day in a row. He pegs key near-term resistance at roughly 4,500. That’s about where the index encountered resistance in late August and early September, with 4,600 a key intermediate hurdle for the bulls.

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