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Markets are settling into holiday mode, with stock futures slightly down on the last full trading day before Christmas. Here’s where things stand today: * Nasdaq-100: +0.37% * S&P 500: +0.04% (flat) * Dow Jones: -0.22% On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 1.1%, recovering
Quantum computing stocks are taking off in 2024. Is this the start of something big? Let’s take a closer look Google’s Chip Changes the Game Google’s new Willow chip, a 105-qubit processor, hit a big milestone: * Fixed Errors: It solved a 30-year problem by cutting down error
Government surveys that track the economy are failing. Budgets are shrinking, people are skipping surveys, and economic data we rely on is becoming less trustworthy. This is a big deal—because when the numbers are wrong, decisions that affect markets, businesses, and everyday life go wrong, too. Here’s what’
The S&P 500 Value Index just dropped 3.7%, marking its longest losing streak on record. Meanwhile, Bitcoin smashed past the $100,000 mark, and the Nasdaq climbed to 20,000. To me, it seems that value stocks have been left in the dust, and investors chasing bigger
Almost $10 billion has poured into Bitcoin ETFs since the US election, pushing Bitcoin past the $100,000 mark for the first time. The momentum is crazy, with Bitcoin posting its best winning streak since 2021. With investors pouring in, knowing the risks are more important than ever. Bitcoin’s
Seems like oil is the new gold rush these days. The U.S. Energy Information Administration just reported that crude oil inventories fell for the fifth week in a row! That’s more consistent than my work routine.
Oil reserves dropped by over 3.4 million barrels, bringing the total down to 433 million last week, which is about 4% below our 5-year average for this time of year. And it’s not just oil—gasoline inventories are also 3% below their 5-year average. Looks like energy commodities are feeling the squeeze across the board.
What’s even more surprising? Refineries are running at 90% max production right now, and we’re still falling short of averages. So, what’s changed? Why is it different this time around?
One major culprit is geopolitical tension. Just yesterday morning, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran. Almost immediately after, crude oil futures jumped about 4%. We’re seeing this fear drive up energy prices, with Brent Crude contracts costing about 3% more than just a few days ago.
What’s crazier is that after the assassination, Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated it’s Iran’s duty to punish Israel for this action, from a report by the state-run Islamic news agency.
It seems like oil traders are still mispricing the risks in the Middle East. Before the Israel-Hamas war, there was Russia's war in Ukraine. Many traders expected a disruption of barrels, but it never materialized.
This time, though, it could be different. Since Iran is the ninth-largest producer of oil in the world, any damaged infrastructure could have an effect on oil and gas markets.
I’d keep an eye on energy prices since the risk premium in oil only tends to last if there’s a real supply constraint. our recent reaction of oil prices has been modest, but so far, there hasn’t been any major disruption to supply.
These events are also happening in the same week that earnings reports from major oil companies like Shell and BP are being released. Will the markets start pricing in the real risks, or are we in for another surprise?