GDP Contraction, the Fed, and the Dow Jones – Week of April 27 – May 1, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha The Dow Jones had three down and two up days this week. The coronavirus pandemic has continued to wreak havoc all around the world, and the American capital markets were affected. During 1Q2020, the USA’s GDP (gross domestic product) annualized contraction rate was 4.8%. This figure was announced on Wednesday, April …

Retail Sales and Factory Output – Week of April 13-17, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha The coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc all around the world. In the USA, retail sales declined by 8.7%, making for a record decline. The previous record was 3.9% in November 2008, during the Great Recession / global financial crisis (GFC) era. Clothing and accessories sales declined 50.5%. Food services and …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of January 20-24, 2020

By Kuldip K. Ambastha and Anil K. Ambastha On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited (CEA) stock dropped by 10.4% for the day. China Eastern Airlines is a major Chinese airline company which offers international, domestic, and regional flights. The company is headquartered at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Changning District, Shanghai. …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of December 23-27, 2019

By Kuldip K. Ambastha and Anil K. Ambastha HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYBODY! During this week of Christmas, Peloton Interactive, Inc. (PTON) and WW International, Inc. (formerly Weight Watchers International, Inc.) (WW) caught our eye. On Thursday, December 26, 2019 (the day after Christmas 2019), Peloton dropped by 6.1%, while WW International fell by 8.5%. Peloton is …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of December 2-6, 2019

By Kuldip K. Ambastha and Anil K. Ambastha On Thursday, December 5, 2019, there was “a tale of two cities,” to quote Charles Dickens. In the biotech arena, SAGE (Sage Therapeutics, Inc.) and AUPH (Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc.) were big movers. Sage Therapeutics delivered -59.7% for the day, while Aurinia Pharmaceuticals returned 78.8%. SAGE-217 is a …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of September 30-October 4, 2019

By Anil K. Ambastha and Kuldip K. Ambastha On September 26, Interactive Brokers (IBKR) announced a new IBKR Lite service effective from October that will feature unlimited, commission-free trades of U.S.-listed stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) along with no account minimum or inactivity fee. This news caused only a mild reaction on September 26 …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of September 16-20, 2019

By Kuldip K. Ambastha and Anil K. Ambastha After reporting earnings results for the first quarter of its 2020 fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the shares of FedEx (FDX), a package-delivery company, dropped by 12.9% on September 18. This drop is its biggest one-day percentage drop since the global financial crisis of 2008 and …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of August 26-30, 2019

By Anil K. Ambastha and Kuldip K. Ambastha As the second-quarter earnings reporting period is coming to a close, in this past week the market was not impressed with cosmetic retailer Ulta Beauty (ULTA). The company’s lowered second-half guidance generated multiple analyst downgrades, and the stock dropped by 29.6% on Friday, August 30th, marking its …

What Caught Our Attention in the Investment World? – Week of August 12-16, 2019

By Anil K. Ambastha and Kuldip K. Ambastha Following its disappointing second-quarter earnings due to deep discounting amid rising inventory levels, concern about the potential impact of China tariffs in the future, and slashed earnings guidance for the rest of the year, shares of a retailer, Macy’s (M), dropped by 13.2% on August 14. Macy’s …