VETERAN’S DAY: 2024

Posted on November 10, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

GENERATIONS OF VALOR

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

On Veterans Day, we want to express our deep gratitude to all those who have served in the US military.

  • Here’s one quick factoid: Gulf War-era veterans now make up the largest share of US veterans, having passed Vietnam-era veterans in 2016.
  • And another: The share of veterans who are women is projected to increase significantly, from 11% currently to 18% in 2046.
Veteran's Day 2012

THANK YOU

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DAILY UPDATE: Moody’s Down but Stocks Blast Off!

Posted on November 11, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

Today is Veterans Day, when Americans honor all who have served our country in the armed forces. It’s celebrated on November 11th each year because on that morning in 1918 (at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month), the Allied nations and Germany signed an armistice that ended the fighting in World War I.

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SPONSOR: MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Moody’s credit rating agency downgraded its outlook on the US government from ‘stable’ to ‘negative’, citing the risks to the nation’s fiscal strength and the political polarization in Congress. The agency has maintained the US’s current top-grade AAA rating, but has raised the possibility that it may be cut in the future. While the move does not automatically mean it will downgrade America’s creditworthiness, it increases the chances. Even the prospect of a US downgrade could hurt Americans’ investment portfolios, make it even more expensive for them to borrow money, and make it more costly for the government to pay off its debts.

These effects would likely be even more painful if Moody’s does eventually downgrade the US debt. The nation’s diminished fiscal strength, undone by extreme partisanship in Washington, was a key driver of the action, according to a statement from Moody’s.

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YET: Here is where the major benchmarks ended on Friday:

  • The S&P 500 Index was up 67.89 points (1.6%) at 4,415.24, up 1.3% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 391.16 points (1.2%) at 34,283.10, up 0.7% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite was up 276.66 points (2.1%) at 13,798.11, up 2.4% for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield was down about 1 basis point at 4.622%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was down 0.11 at 14.20.

Nearly every market sector gained Friday, with semiconductors and other tech shares leading the pack. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) jumped more than 4% to its highest level in more than two months. Consumer discretionary and energy companies were also strong, the latter thanks to a nearly-2% gain in crude oil futures.

But small-caps continued to lag their bigger counterparts, with the Russell 2000 Index (RUT) rising 1.1% Friday, though it was still down 3.1% for the week.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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Thank You

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DAILY UPDATE: Powell Speaks and Stock Markets Tumble

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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The NYSE and the NASDAQ will follow a regular schedule on Friday, the day before Veterans Day. The U.S. bond market, which may be poised for a big comeback next year if yields continue to fall, will be open Friday as usual.

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The major indexes ended a brief winning streak after comments from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell stoked concerns over interest rates. More interest-rate hikes are still a possibility to bring inflation under control, he said. In a dramatic campaign to tamp down inflation, the Federal Reserve has raised the benchmark federal funds rate to a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, a 22-year high.

Here is where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 Index was down 35.43 points (0.8%) at 4,347.35; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 220.33 points (0.7%) at 33,891.94; the NASDAQ Composite was down 128.97 points (0.9%) at 13,521.45.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield was up about 12 basis points at 4.632%.
  • CBOEs Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.84 at 15.28.

Nearly every market sector was under pressure Thursday, with consumer discretionary and health care among the weakest performers. Energy shares were an exception, thanks to a rebound in crude oil futures, though oil prices remain near the 3½-month lows touched earlier this week. The U.S. dollar index (DXY) strengthened for the fourth- straight day.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

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