The word from Washington has changed from the coronavirus is ‘no big deal.’ We can get through this biological tap on the brakes of the economy with monetary ease (50 basis point cut in the Fed funds rate), a suggested cut in payroll taxes and, last Wednesday, a 30-day ban on flights from continental Europe….
Tag: Coronavirus
Nothing inspires confidence like a proposed emergency payroll tax cut.
This is especially true if you are an airline or hotel employee that is about to be laid off as a result of a coronavirus lapse in demand. OK Kort, what would inspire confidence? —Tell the truth. Don’t speculate about when a vaccine might be available or make statements about how quickly testing will be…
Coronavirus Panic: Time to chill, breath in and breath out … and consider the facts.
Time to look backward: an S&P 500/Corona virus retrospective Even though the corona virus outbreak in China had been on investor radar screens since the first of 2020 the S&P 500 managed to claw its way to a new all-time high of 3338 January 23. That happened to be the day China cut off egress…
Coronavirus continues its reign of terror
— COVID-2019 fears continue to dominate the market. — It is very hard to square the terror that surfaced Friday in bonds and gold with the evidence at hand. — Will coronavirus just be another obsession that falls by the wayside in the secular bull market? The S&P 500 is just 1.7% from a new…
“I’m done with fossil fuel” stocks
— When I see comments like this, especially from the likes of Jim Cramer (Squawk on the Street, 2/7/20), it gives me pause. — Cramer’s ‘big call’ history is more than a bit spotty. — Flawed as the much-heralded concept of ‘peak oil’ was back in 2008, writing the obituary for thefossil fuels industry may be a bit premature. When…
Markets and Media gird themselves to face a new challenge
2019’s big concerns evaporate Last week I attended an investment committee meeting for a small foundation for which, I serve as a board member. One of our members, a financial planner/ investment advisor, serves as a liaison to the street and his firm provides the committee with investment and economic commentary. His report led with…