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Listen to the latest episode of the Emerald Wit & Wisdom Podcast (06/12/24)

Good morning.

The S&P hit another intraday high before settling down a bit at the end of a week that seems quite positive for the U.S. market.

Keeping in mind that while my opinions could be off base; it seems to me that jobless claims numbers (up this morning) should be ignored for a while … as the fires in California result in some temporarily losing employment … while the “rebuild” will find need for more workers – although the immigration crackdown might greatly slow down the time it takes to regain “normalcy.”

Looking for a mortgage?  According to Redfin, rates dropped below 7% but this is still higher than it was throughout most of 2024.  Homes (looking at median days) are taking longer to sell … which could be an indication of being overpriced … and should result in forcing some sellers to bring their asking prices down to earth.

But the rates might not drop much further … if “fund manager anticipations” are correct.

According to BofA Global, fund manager belief on inflation shows the highest expectation in almost 2 years with only 7% feeling a drop in inflation will take place during the next 12 months, while optimism in rate cuts … according to DailyShot … to be “waning.”

It is not only fund managers holding this same semi-pessimistic view as University of Michigan, well-known for measuring consumer sentiment, points out that 47% of consumers feel unemployment will rise over the next year (the highest degree of pessimism since the pandemic recession) and inflation expectation in the recent survey was sharply higher than produced even in the recent December study.

That about wraps it up for today as I finish reading a report on how climate change might be affecting the animal population around the globe.

Take the polar and grizzly bears for instance.

It seems that food is becoming more scarce … and they are entering populated areas, causing people to be on high alert.

They are leaving food out for the grizzlies … but with a high amount of anesthesia mixed in …

… feeling there is safety in numb bears.

Have a great day,

Joseph G. Witthohn, CFA

Have any questions? Please contact info@teamemerald.com

 

 

 

A Look At The News | January 24, 2025

As of 11:16 AM today:
As many corporations start to reject the hiring practice known as “DEI” (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) one group overwhelmingly voted for its continuance (NPR)

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/23/nx-s1-5272664/costco-board-rejects-anti-dei-motion-hiring

 

The smartphone has become quite the necessity for young adults … but maybe a warning label should be attached … as it can lead to some psychological problems (NYPost)

https://nypost.com/2025/01/23/lifestyle/smartphone-use-leads-to-hallucinations-aggression-in-teens-study/

 

Would you like to learn a new skill?  You might think you don’t have the time, so maybe there is a need to try a different method to help speed things up (Upworthy)

https://www.upworthy.com/the-effortless-trick-brain-scientists-say-will-help-you-pick-up-any-new-skill-faster-ex1

 

… and since time is so precious, there is another thing to use to help free up precious minutes … an “AI” agent who will help get you through the day (VentureBeat)

https://venturebeat.com/ai/meet-openais-operator-an-ai-agent-that-uses-the-web-to-book-you-dinner-reservations-order-tickets-compile-grocery-lists-and-more/

 

We hear of economic gaps that some try to narrow, but what if the difference is physical and not financial? Growth of men vs. women over the last century has startling differences (TheGuardian).

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jan/22/men-have-grown-twice-as-much-as-women-over-past-century-study-shows

 

Okay … a mathematician is getting press because he shows a better way to buy lottery tickets to increase your chances. Um … smart guy … as the gullible might make him rich (MoneyDigest)

https://www.moneydigest.com/1766345/how-often-you-should-buy-lottery-tickets-according-to-statistician/

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The statements above are supplied for educational purposes only. The statements depict the viewpoints and opinion of the author and are not necessarily the views of Emerald Asset Management or its affiliates. The information described herein is taken from sources which are believed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed by us.