 It has been a few weeks since my last update but as volatility has returned in a major way this week I thought another update was in order. This second round of volatility got me thinking of sequels. So I will break down this week's news with quotes from arguably the greatest sequel of all time, the Godfather Part II. Good health is the most important thing. More than success, more than money, more than power. -Hyman Roth Reopening doesn't mean the virus is gone. Precaution is still necessary. Infections nationwide have risen 65 percent over the past two weeks, including in several states that were among the first to reopen. By Saturday evening, more than 41,000 cases of the coronavirus had been announced across the U.S., including single-day records in Nevada, South Carolina and Florida.  Yeah, but only the rich guys... The little guys got knocked off and all their estates went to the emperors -Frank Pentangeli Is the stock market really reflecting a rebound in the economy? Maybe not. The S&P 500 is a market cap-weighted index, meaning the more valuable your company the larger percentage of the index you are. The top five stocks (Facebook, Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft) now represent 21% of the index (the last time this happened was 1999) and thus account for 21% of the returns. In an equal weighted S&P 500 index these stocks have a weight of 1% (they’re just 5 out of 500 stocks). SPY is the market weighted index ETF it is down 6% for the year, where RSP the equal weighted index ETF is down 16% – remember, same stocks. It’s just that SPY is heavily weighted toward those 5 tech names and RSP treats each stock in the index equally. What this tells you is that maybe only a very small percentage of the economy is recovering. The market can continue to shake off bad news if money continues to flow into the handful of stocks that have led it higher. This gives the impression the stock market is disconnected from reality, but it's not, it's reflecting the haves getting richer and the have-nots losing ground.   But it occurred to me, the soldiers are paid to fight. The rebels aren't.-Michael Corleone Does social unrest reverberate through the markets? Normally no, this time certainly feels different. Here in my neighborhood some stores are still boarded up. This week I saw police standing guard in front of statues in the Central Park Mall. We can't erase our history but we can use this unrest as an inflection point to make things better going forward. The good news is most Americans think that will happen. A recent NY Times poll found that 61% of the people polled felt hopeful about the state of our country and more than 70% thought the economy will have improved by next year. Financial Advisor Stephen Caruso is here to help at any time. If you would like to schedule a phone appointment. I have included a link to my calendar below and you can self schedule. For those of you who prefer an in person meeting I am now scheduling in person meetings as well, please email me if you would prefer an in person appointment. https://booknow.appointment-plus.com/b8hh5y90/  The stock market looked past the pandemic and nationwide protests, moving higher on surprisingly optimistic employment news. I have chosen to break down this week's market news using lyrics from Bob Dylan's Times They Are A Changin'. For the loser now will be later to win For the last two months the rally has been predominantly in a handful of stocks that changed this week as we’re beginning to see broader participation in the market rally. As the industries that have been crushed by the pandemic: airlines, cruise ships and retail companies finally saw their stocks rally. Don't speak too soon for the wheel's still in spin The jobs report on Friday showed the economy added jobs in May, most economists expected a staggering number of job losses, so the fact that we added 2.5 million jobs in May caused euphoria in the market. Markets are pricing in a quicker return to normal. A deeper dive into the numbers shows that more of a mixed economic result. While the unemployment rate dropped from April, May’s 13.3% unemployment rate is still historically high—well above the 10% reached at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. Furthermore, claims for continuing unemployment benefits increased to 21.5 million last week, a sign that the pace of hiring is still well below normal. Better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone European central banks and governments have been slow to take the large scale fiscal and monetary policy action that we have done here in the US. That changed this week as both the European Central Bank and the German government expanded stimulus measures showing a willingness to go beyond traditional comfort zones to bolster their economies.  Financial Advisor Stephen Caruso is here to help!
If you would like to schedule a phone appointment. I have included a link to my financial advisor calendar below and you can self schedule. For those of you who prefer an in person meeting I am now scheduling in person meetings starting the week of June 22nd. https://booknow.appointment-plus.com/b8hh5y90/ |
Stephen Caruso
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STEPHEN CARUSO
President & Founder
Laurel Wealth Solutions
President & Founder
Laurel Wealth Solutions
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Licensed Insurance Professional.
Stephen Caruso is an Investment Advisor Representative offering investment advisory services through Belpointe Asset Management, LLC, 125 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830 (“Belpointe"). Belpointe is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration with the SEC should not be construed to imply that the SEC has approved or endorsed qualifications or the services Belpointe Asset Management offers, or that or its personnel possess a particular level of skill, expertise or training. Insurance products are offered through Belpointe Insurance, LLC. Important disclosures related to Belpointe are available at http://www.belpointe.com. Additional information pertaining to Belpointe’s registration status, its business operations, services and fees and its current written disclosure statement is available on the SEC’s Investment Adviser public website at https://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/.
AR-4241 | 18296-2018/12/11
Stephen Caruso is an Investment Advisor Representative offering investment advisory services through Belpointe Asset Management, LLC, 125 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830 (“Belpointe"). Belpointe is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration with the SEC should not be construed to imply that the SEC has approved or endorsed qualifications or the services Belpointe Asset Management offers, or that or its personnel possess a particular level of skill, expertise or training. Insurance products are offered through Belpointe Insurance, LLC. Important disclosures related to Belpointe are available at http://www.belpointe.com. Additional information pertaining to Belpointe’s registration status, its business operations, services and fees and its current written disclosure statement is available on the SEC’s Investment Adviser public website at https://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/.
AR-4241 | 18296-2018/12/11