Day: August 7, 2024

For the past four months, the US unemployment rate has been on the rise, marking its longest upward trend since the 2008 Financial Crisis, signaling a contraction in the labor market.

Historically, over the last 75 years, every instance of unemployment increasing for four consecutive months has been followed by a recession in the US economy. Unemployment has jumped from 3.8% in March to 4.3% in July, reaching its highest point since October 2021. At the same time, the hiring rate in the US dropped to 3.4% in July, its lowest level since the 2020 Pandemic and below the pre-pandemic average of 3.8%. submitted by /u/XGramatik [link] [comments]

Investors are snapping up protection against a major market downturn, almost like they’re bracing for a big crash

On Monday, the Nations TailDex index, which tracks the market’s expectations for extreme events, surged to its highest point since the 2020 pandemic. This index also reflects the cost of hedging in the options market against a drop of at least 30% in the S&P 500. Meanwhile, one of the largest Black Swan funds available to US retail investors, the Cambria Tail Risk ETF (TAIL), spiked by 4.5%, the biggest jump since March 2020. Is the market bracing for a Black Swan event? https://preview.redd.it/4zk285icl9hd1.jpg?width=873&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a71c8d0c020fc3a459e10f5a150d18245e68d889 submitted by /u/JaysonHolder [link] [comments]

Buying a “strategic reserve” of Bitcoin would be another “Lousiana Purchase moment” for the United States, according to Michael Saylor.

Saylor, whose company, MicroStrategy, owns approximately $8 billion worth of BTC, enthusiastically endorsed Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis’ proposed BITCOIN Act, which would compel the US Treasury to gradually accumulate 1 million BTC or almost 5% of the total supply of the cryptocurrency. https://preview.redd.it/45j6s8g749hd1.png?width=902&format=png&auto=webp&s=cf5e0cfbad4e551ab440d468a17e50adfb6bf1d9 submitted by /u/Lor1al [link] [comments]

Ryan Reynolds’ Portfolio Tracker

While Berkshire Hathaway’s Portfolio copying fans scratch their heads over their own Apple share allocation, the new Deadpool with Wolverine is smashing box office records. Amidst the generally stagnant superhero genre, this case stands out. I dare say the main reason for this success is the leading actor, Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds conducted an exemplary omnichannel marketing campaign—breaking the fourth wall at every turn, releasing rock ‘n’ roll promos with his buddy Jackman, making podcasts on Spotify, cooking chimichangas with Gordon Ramsay, promoting blood donation using gory scenes from the film, flexing with dogs, and much more. The film’s teaser even made it into the Guinness Book of Records. Ryan Reynolds is a fascinating character. He is one of the few people in show business who not only profits from his recognizable face but also masterfully leverages his popularity to boost his own business ventures. He has several of these, and they are all quite hyped: In 2018, Reynolds bought a minority stake in the alcohol brand Aviation Gin. After that, he not only became the face of the brand but also actively participated in its management. For example, during COVID-19, he released a 1.75-liter “Home School Edition” bottle (disapproved, haha), focused on limited editions, updated the marketing strategy, and started actively integrating gin into his media activities. After Reynolds’ involvement, the company’s value multiplied several times. In 2020, the alcohol giant Diageo (DEO) bought Aviation Gin for $610 million, but the actor remained with the company. Ryan also tied his gin into the promo campaign for the new Deadpool where Reynolds and Jackman present the corresponding limited edition. In 2019, the actor bought a stake in the mobile prepaid operator Mint Mobile and immediately took charge of marketing and media. He built a promotion system through short viral videos, appearing in the majority himself. Overall, he became the commercial face of the brand. Last year, Germany’s T-Mobile bought Mint for $1.35 billion, with the actor earning around $300 million from the deal. In 2020, Reynolds and a friend bought the football club Wrexham for $2.5 million. This is an old club from Wales with rich traditions, but at the time, it was in a difficult financial situation and struggling in the lower ranks of British football. Reynolds immediately set to work on boosting the club’s media presence and attracting sponsors (for example, they partnered with TikTok, where Reynolds is well-known). But the coolest initiative is the live series “Welcome to Wrexham.” A mix of sports drama, sitcom, and reality show made a big splash in Britain and received high praise from critics. Last year, Wrexham moved up to the third tier of English football. And, of course, the team is now worth much more than $2.5 million. Some might say, “So what, a famous actor boosts brand recognition, big deal.” But Reynolds does more. He buys companies and radically changes their image through his fame. After that, these companies multiply their value. Sometimes, the actor is invited as a “crisis marketer.” Remember when, in one of the episodes of the continuation of “Sex and the City,” the character played by Chris Noth died on a Peloton machine, almost tanking the company’s value (not in the series, but in real life)? Well, Peloton urgently called Reynolds, who quickly shot a “response” with himself and a very alive Chris Noth and partially recovered Peloton’s stock value. Not everyone can do that. submitted by /u/FXgram_ [link] [comments]

Dead Cat Bounce or Bullish Reversal? Here’s What the Charts Indicate.

Declan Fallon: After three days of selling it was hardly surprising to see bulls take a peak from under the blanket. Having said that, it was all fairly tentative, with only half the volume of prior selling days. But buying is buying and there is probably more in the tank for the next couple of days, although don’t be surprised if most of the gains are booked premarket. The Russell 2000 (IWM) gapped higher, nearly getting to the 50-day MA before losing some ground into the close. I would look for another challenge of the 50-day MA, although it’s hard to see it regain this average. Technicals are now net bearish, which means any gain from here is likely to be temporary. The S&P 500 is caught more in a no-mans land. It’s trading between 50-day and 200-day MAs, but there is a big gap between them. As with the Russell 2000 ($IWM), technicals are net bearish, but the index is the relative out-performer (vs the Nasdaq) and is oversold on intermediate stochastics. The Nasdaq mounted its challenge from its 200-day MA yesterday. It finished the day up around what was once resistance in the May swing high. As with other indexes, when it reached yesterday’s lows it began to struggle. As the index that has lost the most ground since the July swing high there may be room for more upside, but buying volume suggests a pause is more likely. As with other indexes, technicals are net bearish. For today, I think bulls will be more cautious and I would be looking for doji or a narrow range between open and close price. If, after the first hour of trading, buyers keep the pressure on, then look for a larger test of 20-day MAs, maybe by end-of-week. submitted by /u/Ankle_be [link] [comments]