Stocks Set New Record Highs

Posted on by The INO.com Team

As expected, when there's a change of power, stocks have been all over the board this week, and after hitting record levels on Thursday, the major indexes are pulling back a touch heading into the weekend. The record highs now sit at 3,861.45 for the S&P 500, 31,27.22 for the DOW, and 13,560.22 for the NASDAQ.

But despite Friday's weakness, major averages are on pace to post a winning week. The S&P 500 is up +2.2% for the week so far. The DOW is up +0.6%, and the NASDAQ is up +3.8%.

Bitcoin took one on the chin this week, losing over -10% as we head into the weekend. The reason for the sudden selloff? Janet Yellen's comments about Bitcoin this week. She suggested on Tuesday that lawmakers "curtail" the use of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin over concerns that they are "mainly" used for illegal activities. Continue reading "Stocks Set New Record Highs" →

The Conundrum Continues

Posted on by George Yacik

Just how bad are things for the U.S. economy anyway? If you just finished reading the financial news headlines the past few days, you can't be blamed for being just a little confused.

From the government side, you would swear that the sky is falling. Not only is the COVID-19-fueled financial crisis ongoing, but it might also be getting even worse. Last week, we heard it from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and this week from his predecessor, Janet Yellen, President Biden's nominee for Treasury Secretary.

"The economy is far from our goals" of full employment and sustained 2% inflation, Powell said at a webcast sponsored by Princeton University. Therefore, he said, "Now is not the time to be talking about exit" from easy money policies. "When the time comes to raise interest rates, we will certainly do that," he said. "And that time, by the way, is no time soon."

Yellen painted an even bleaker picture. "Economists don't always agree, but I think there is a consensus now: Without further action, we risk a longer, more painful recession now—and long-term scarring of the economy later," she said in prepared remarks for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee.

While not dismissing the concern that "further action" would add to the already humungous federal debt burden – now at $21.6 trillion and expected to grow even more under Biden – Yellen was more worried about the possible consequences of not spending enough. Continue reading "The Conundrum Continues" →

Top Performing ETFs Of 2020

Posted on by Matt Thalman

Despite the major market crash in March, all of the major indexes ended 2020 in the green. The S&P 500 (SP500) ending the year up 16.27%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) rose 5.58%, and the NASDAQ (COMP) increased by 43.64% in 2020. While at times it felt as if there was a major disconnect with the economy and the stock market, and it still does to an extent, most of the year, it felt like no matter what you were invested in; you were making money. But, while not all stocks increased the same amount, the same is true about ETFs. Some funds, like stocks, did better than others.

When you look back at the year now, did you match market returns, fall behind, or where you invested in stocks and ETFs that beat the averages? Let’s take a look at the top five best performing ETFs of 2020 in a number of different categories the average investor has to choose from.

The following table shows the performance of the top five best performing ETFs in 2020, as well as their performance over the last month, the last three months, the last five and ten years. (All figures quoted are based on the December 31st, 2020 closing price. Five- and ten-year periods are annualized when available.)

ETF

The following table shows the performance of the top five Non-Leveraged ETFs in 2020 and their performance over the last month, the last three months, the last five and ten years. Continue reading "Top Performing ETFs Of 2020" →

Iron Condors - 50% Max Loss Reduction

Posted on by The INO.com Team

Harnessing options allows one to define risk, leverage a minimal amount of capital, and maximize return on investment. Options enable smooth and consistent portfolio appreciation without predicting how the market will move. Options enables one to generate consistent monthly income in a high probability manner in both bear and bull market scenarios. This can be accomplished since options can be structured to allow a margin of downside and upside stock movement while collecting income in the process.

An agile options-based portfolio is essential to navigate pockets of volatility and mitigate market downdrafts. The recent September correction, October nosedive, and election volatility into November are prime examples of why risk management is paramount. Over the past ~9 months (May-January), 190 trades were placed and closed. An options win rate of 97% was achieved with an average ROI per winning trade of 7.7% and an overall option premium capture of 82% while matching returns of the broader market and outperforming during market downswings. An options-based portfolio's performance demonstrates the durability and resiliency of options trading to drive portfolio results with substantially less risk. The risk mitigation element is crucial, considering markets are richly valued as measured by any historical metric and technically breaking through its upper Bollinger band (Figures 1 - 6). An iron condor options strategy is a great way to reduce overall capital at risk when deploying options to drive portfolio results.

Options-Based Results

Iron Condors

Figure 1 – Overall option metrics from May 2020 – January 10th, 2021
Continue reading "Iron Condors - 50% Max Loss Reduction" →

Gold & Silver: The Dollar Still Looks North

Posted on by Aibek Burabayev

The bouncing U.S. dollar index (DXY) makes the game these days for the top metals, so I added its chart below to show you the possible path of the next move.

U.S. Dollar Chart

Most of you agreed with the map that I showed you a month ago. It indicated more downside for the DXY. On the 6th of January, the dollar established a new valley at 89.21, proving we were right. The price followed the red zigzag down and even the turning point set around 89.5. Continue reading "Gold & Silver: The Dollar Still Looks North" →