Good MorningEquities advanced on Thursday, extending the week's Santa Claus Rally to about 0.75%. The rally may continue on Friday, but it looks unlikely we'll see a new all-time high on the S&P 500 until next year. As robust as the outlook is for 2024, there are concerns that earnings growth will not be as good as forecasted and that the FOMC may tip the economy into recession. Because it takes 12 months or longer for FOMC policy changes to take full effect, the impact of rate hikes in the first half of 2023 are still working their way through the system and could cause a marked contraction in activity come January.
The question on every trader's mind is what will happen with the S&P 500 index on Tuesday when the new trading year starts. One risk is that enough traders will sit on the sidelines, waiting to see what happens, causing a self-fulfilling prophecy. In that scenario, downside momentum could build quickly, leading the market into a full-blown correction. Featured: Elon’s big $266,000 per second purchase (Ad) 
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Finance | |
Interest rates, set by the Federal Reserve (aka “the Fed”), have widespread economic influence. When the Fed changes rates, it affects the cost of borrowing, investment decisions, savings returns, housing markets, bond prices, currency values, stock prices and overall economic activity... Read the Full Story |
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From Our Partners | | Bill Poulos is offering his Smart Trade Options Checklist at no cost today - normally priced at $29.97.
It's a single-page, seven-point filter designed to help traders identify weak setups before placing any options trade. Print it, keep it at your desk, and run it before every trade. The download link expires soon. | | Download your free copy of the Smart Trade Options Checklist now |
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Consumer Staples | |
The clean energy revolution continues accelerating as the world embraces the global decarbonization movement. There are many forms of clean energy, each doing its part to limit greenhouse gases and improve sustainability.
Ethanol is a triple threat as a clean, green and sustainable energy source... Read the Full Story |
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Retail/Wholesale | |
With the S&P 500 index on the verge of hitting an all-time high and many others already there, it's no surprise that investors are enjoying strong year-end rallies. Indeed, all signs point to 2023 being the strongest year since before the pandemic.
Considering how we started the year with re... Read the Full Story |
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From Our Partners | | Trump is launching a new $250 bill - but that may be a distraction. Behind the scenes, Executive Order 14241 is orchestrating what analyst Porter Stansberry calls a total U.S. money reset, bypassing conventional legal channels under the guise of national security.
The last time America reset its currency - under Nixon in the 1970s - it created an average of 1,300 new millionaires a day for over 50 years. Stansberry has identified three asset categories connected to Trump's initiative that could surge, plus his single top investment move. | | Watch the documentary briefing and find out which side you land on |
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Consumer Staples | |
Energy drink maker Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CELH) has been a fast mover since its 2017 IPO and may offer an early buy opportunity.
The Celsius chart shows the stock consolidating above its 50-day moving average, advancing 5.82% on December 26 and another 5.23% on December 27.
Heavier-tha... Read the Full Story |
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Technology | |
You might not think of Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) as a leader in the cybersecurity space, but the company has been making big strides in that part of the tech industry.
As with many business shifts, Microsoft increased its focus on security after a 2021 incident in which hackers accessed ema... Read the Full Story |
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From Our Partners | | Bank of America just revealed your expiration date. In their Bloomberg interview, they didn't just predict the digital dollar. They gave us the timeline… 2025 to 2030. We're in that window right now.
Once the digital dollar launches, every transaction you make will be tracked. Your spending could be controlled. Your accounts could be frozen.
Over 4,500 investors have already used this legal backdoor to hold assets CBDCs can't freeze and generate yields the Federal Reserve can't touch. | | Watch how to access the legal backdoor before it closes. |
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Consumer Discretionary | |
Perhaps no other industry better exemplifies the “worst to first” phenomenon than cruise lines.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) and Carnival Corp. & plc (NYSE: CCL) are among 2023’s top 10 best gainers in the S&P 500, while Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (N... Read the Full Story |
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Construction | |
Sure, the S&P 500 has come on strong since late October, but if you compare the three-month performance of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA: SPY) versus the SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (NYSEARCA: SPSM):
SPY: +12.30%
SPSM: 17.52%
In the past month, small-cap outperfo... Read the Full Story |
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Technology | |
Synopsys Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS), maker of semiconductor design software, created a buzz recently when it offered to buy engineering software maker Ansys Inc. (NASDAQ: ANSS).
Synopsys isn’t a newcomer to the chip design world, and has been making a name for itself with AI technologies, but it&r... Read the Full Story |
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Medical | |
Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) is on a buying spree, announcing two acquisitions in less than a week.
On December 22, the pharma giant said it was acquiring Karuna Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: KRTX) for $330 per share in cash, for a total equity value of $14 billion.
A few days later, ... Read the Full Story |
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Energy | |
With interest rates slated to come down by the end of 2024, it's time to look at high-yielding stocks. Stocks with yields above 4% should outperform bonds over the coming years, as they provide similar yield returns with the possibility of capital growth. The odds for capital growth should go up f... Read the Full Story |
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Monday's Early Bird Stock Of The Day Exelon Corporation, a utility services holding company, engages in the energy distribution and transmission businesses in the United States and Canada. The company is involved in the purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and natural gas, transmission and distribution of electricity, and distribution of natural gas to retail customers. It also offers support services, including legal, human resources, information technology, supply management, financial, engineering, customer operations, transmission and distribution planning, asset management, system operations, and power procurement services. It serves distribution utilities, municipalities, and financial institutions, as well as commercial, industrial, governmental, and residential customers. Exelon Corporation was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. | | View Today's Stock Pick |
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