Gold Update: Is Half Enough?

Since my last major update in November, the gold futures price has increased by almost 12%. At that time, most readers had chosen the bullish target of $2,089, where the price would retest the all-time high.

The gold futures chart is due for an update as it has reached a significant point in the current retracement following its recent peak at $1,975.

Gold Futures Daily

Source: TradingView

The gold futures price had been steadily rising for three months from the start of November until the beginning of February, where it reached a top of $1,975.

However, the market was hit when the “Jobs Report Dropped A Bombshell On The Markets”, which caused a significant drop in the value of many assets, including gold.

The recent price action in gold futures has been notable, marked by a sudden drop of $100 at the beginning followed by a slower decline in pace as the price retraced almost 50% and hit $1,811 by the end of February.

The question is whether this loss of half of the preceding rally is enough to consider the current bounce as a reversal. Continue reading "Gold Update: Is Half Enough?"

1 No-Brainer Gaming Stock For 2023

After witnessing unprecedented growth during the pandemic, videogame publishers are witnessing a reversion to the mean with a reversal to pre-pandemic lifestyles amid macroeconomic uncertainties driven by inflation and increased borrowing costs due to interest-rate hikes.

However, despite the softened demand in the broader industry, incumbents, like Activision Blizzard, Inc (ATVI), have cornered pockets of growth with proven blockbusters such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush commanding a greater share of gamers’ pinched pockets.

The gaming giant looks to merge with Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) this year. It reported record net bookings for the holiday quarter and 2022, exceeding analysts’ expectations.

With continued investment in growing its development teams, robust product pipeline, live game opportunity, and ongoing focus on operational discipline, ATVI seems on course for another year of outperformance.

Could Generative AI rekindle the market’s ebbed interest in the metaverse?

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ATVI has dipped marginally over the past month to close the last trading session at $76.25. The stock is trading above its 50-day moving average of $76.10 and almost at par with its 200-day moving average of $76.40, indicating an uptrend.

Here is what may help the stock maintain its performance in the near term. Continue reading "1 No-Brainer Gaming Stock For 2023"

Watch The Inflation Numbers

During the first few trading days of March 2023, we watched the stock market falter, housing demand cool, the 10 Year Treasury Bond rises to a 4% yield, and the 30-year fixed mortgage increase above 7%.

This all came after several hotter-than-expected inflation reports hit investor confidence.

The Federal Reserve has also cut back on its interest rate hikes, going from an increase of 75 basis points to 50 basis points, down to just a 25 basis point increase. Those reduced rate hike increases were due to inflation reports trending in the right direction.

However, reports coming out now show inflation has not yet been tamed after the hikes were slowed. And this is having both big and small investors and some Federal Reserve members calling for faster rate hikes in the future.

David Einhorn, who had a 36% return in his hedge fund in 2022, recently said investors should still be bearish on stocks and bullish on inflation in 2023. Einhorn was short US equities in 2022 and performed very well for his hedge fund investors.

Former Pimco Chief Executive Officer Mohamed A. El-Erian recently wrote in Bloomberg that he favors a 50 basis point rate hike at the coming Fed Meeting. He further noted that three Fed Members have publicly announced their wiliness to increase rate hikes by 50 basis points at coming meetings, despite all agreeing to raise rates by just 25 basis points at the Feb 1st meeting.

Federal Reserve member James Bullard is one of those three Fed members who have come out and announced he favors faster rate hikes in the future. Bullard believes inflation can be beaten in 2023, but only with aggressive rate hikes until it begins to come down. His concern is that inflation doesn’t come down but re-accelerates, and we are forced to relive the 1970s.

With the next Federal Reserve meeting just a few weeks away, now is the time to start planning your portfolio. There is a good possibility that even if rates aren’t increased aggressively at the March meeting, they will be increased multiple times over the coming meetings. Continue reading "Watch The Inflation Numbers"

2 High-Dividend Stocks and How to Trade Them

Dividend investing has always been a great strategy to ensure a steady income generation irrespective of a stock's price movement.

Dividend-paying companies are mostly stable, profit-earning companies and these stocks are especially popular among those in or nearing retirement.

Of course, who doesn’t like having a little extra cash on hand? In fact, owning dividend stocks can help ensure returns from two sources, income from dividends and from share price appreciation.

So, in basic terms, a dividend is a payment made by a company to its shareholders. Mostly the dividend is quarterly, with the board of directors deciding the exact timing of the dividend and the size, which is primarily determined based on the company’s earnings and cash position.

Types Of Dividends

Cash dividends: This is the most common way companies pay dividends. The cash is directly paid into the shareholder’s account.

Stock dividends: Companies pay investors additional shares of stock instead of distributing any cash.

Dividend reinvestment program (DRIP): In this program, investors can choose to reinvest dividends received back into the company’s stock, often at a discount.

Special dividends: A company might offer a special dividend, which is a non-recurring distribution.

Preferred dividends: Preferred stock is a type of stock that functions less like a stock and more like a bond. Dividends on preferred stock are generally fixed, unlike dividends on common stocks.

How Do Dividend Stocks Work?

So, to receive dividends on a stock, you simply need to own shares of the company, and the cash will automatically be deposited into your account when the dividend is paid. Typically, companies pay dividends to share the firm’s profits with its shareholders. Continue reading "2 High-Dividend Stocks and How to Trade Them"

Investors: Beware the Ides of March!

Please enjoy this updated version of weekly commentary from the Reitmeister Total Return newsletter. Steve Reitmeister is the CEO of StockNews.com and Editor of the Reitmeister Total Return.

Click Here to learn more about Reitmeister Total Return


January offered a rip roaring start for stock investors. The +6.2% result for S&P 500 (SPY) barely scratches the surface on how Risk On the month was versus the generous gains for many of 2022’s most beaten down growth stocks.

The party continued when the calendar first flipped to February. But then investors got served a series of far too hot inflation reports that reminded them the Fed’s fight was far from over. From there stocks headed lower with a -5% drop from the February peak to the current valley.

This sets up for a very interesting month of March with many potential catalysts on the calendar that could have stocks racing higher again… or more likely breaking back into bearish territory.

Let’s dig in deeper on the current market landscape to get our portfolios ready for what lies ahead.

Market Commentary

The best way to set the backdrop for the February sell off is by reminding everyone of this equation:

Higher Rates on the Way (5%+)

+

Higher Rates in Place til at Least End of 2023

+

6-12 months of lagged economic impact

+

Already weak economic readings

=

Fertile soil to create recession and thus extension of the bear market with lower lows on the way. Continue reading "Investors: Beware the Ides of March!"