European markets have been weak all week (say that fast three times) as their economies are struggling to continue growing. The U.S. markets are on track to have the worst performing week in over three months as uncertainty surrounding the consumer and retail spending this holiday season. Also of interest, this morning economic numbers from this past quarter were better than expected, as were the unemployment numbers...why is this so interesting? Stocks are down on the news (when one would think the markets would rise on the good news) because investors and Wall Street analysts believe that the positive economic numbers will cause the Federal Reserve to want to raise interest rates sooner rather than later; this could have a slightly adverse effect/affect (I never know) b/c our economic growth has been propped up by the historically low interest rates that have allowed banks to lend and consumers to borrow at such low rates to buy houses and cars and such.....one of the concerns I've discussed here is how interest rates have been kept so low for so long, it's almost like punch at a party; when you take away the punch bowl, the party dies down (substitute punch for whatever beverage you may favor).
Other than that, I still have a list of stocks that I'm holding on to and even buying more of and I will put some of them on here later today or tomorrow but one of the things I am watching is that the financial sector is starting to faulter a bit, and as I've said/written before, as the financials go, so go the markets....
Not trying to be a debbie downer with my posts today, just trying to convey what I'm seeing out there.
I cannot believe it's already December 5th btw.....
