Free Republic

<p>The twin peaks for the cryptocurrency and the precious metal mark the first simultaneous records for the two since Bitcoin emerged from the shadows more than a decade ago. Yet markedly different drivers are typically thought to move each asset — gold has acted as a haven store of value for millennia, while any Bitcoin role beyond pure speculation is hotly contested.</p>

Stocks dropped on Tuesday after hotter-than-expected inflation data for January spiked Treasury yields and raised doubts that the Federal Reserve would be able to cut rates several times this year, a key part of the bull case for the equity market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 464 points, or 1.2%. It had earlier in the day slipped more than 500 points, or 1.4%, in its biggest drop since March 2023, when it fell 1.63%. The S&P 500 slid 1.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.3%. The consumer price index rose 0.3% in January from December. CPI was up 3.1%...

Just as confidence grew that inflation was tamed, it rears its head again, sending shockwaves through the markets. The Dow Jones takes a nosedive of more than 400 points following January's inflation report, which significantly surpassed expectations. Economists find themselves puzzled as both Core CPI and headline CPI register higher than anticipated for the second consecutive month. The unsettling reality extends beyond these headline figures, with inflation soaring in essential areas: Car Insurance Inflation: 20.6% Transportation Inflation: 9.5% Hospital Services Inflation: 6.7% Car Repair Inflation: 6.5% Homeowner Inflation: 6.2% Rent Inflation: 6.1% Food Away From Home Inflation: 5.1%

The Fed had better think twice about expected rate cuts. The market just isn’t feeling it. Treasury yields rose Wednesday, with the 10-year yield touching almost 4.10% as investors focused on stronger-than-expected December retail sales and the latest remarks from Federal Reserve members. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was recently up 4 basis points at 4.108% after briefly getting to 4.117%, the highest since Dec. 13. The 2-year Treasury yield rose by around 11 basis points to trade at 4.335%. December’s retail sales data indicated strong consumer demand at the holidays. Retail sales increased 0.6% for the month,...

Algos don’t understand economic reality along with the laws if supply and demand. The market where the magical symbols representing a real company reside, is a screwed up version of Tron, where computer programs are fighting each other, with the Fed representing Master Control.

As the clock ticks closer to 2024, one outspoken economist is making a dire predication about the markets in the new year. "Since 2009, this has been 100% artificial, unprecedented money printing and deficits; $27 trillion over 15 years, to be exact. This is off the charts, 100% artificial, which means we're in a dangerous state," Harry Dent told Fox News Digital. "I think 2024 is going to be the biggest single crash year we'll see in our lifetimes." "I'm the guy that's praying for a crash while everybody else is not. We need to get back down to normal,...

As the clock ticks closer to 2024, one outspoken economist is making a dire predication about the markets in the new year. "Since 2009, this has been 100% artificial, unprecedented money printing and deficits; $27 trillion over 15 years, to be exact. This is off the charts, 100% artificial, which means we're in a dangerous state," Harry Dent told Fox News Digital. "I think 2024 is going to be the biggest single crash year we'll see in our lifetimes."

The S&P 500 is having an incredible year. The benchmark U.S. stock market index is up 19.7% on the year as bulls test the resistance around 4600. For Stifel’s analysts, known for accurately predicting the rally in the first half of 2023, this rally has largely played out. The analysts upgraded their mid-2024 price target for the S&P 500 to 4650 from 4400 previously.

Oct 8 (Reuters) - Major stock markets in the Gulf tumbled on Sunday amid worries that rising conflict between Palestinian group Hamas and Israel threatens to spiral. Israel pounded Gaza on Sunday after suffering its bloodiest attack in decades when Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns a day earlier, threatening a major new war in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) slumped 1.6%, the sharpest decline in 10 months.

While former President Trump’s latest indictment rocked political and media circles Tuesday evening, the news was likely not a factor in market losses Wednesday morning. “A fundamental market tenet is that market prices are based on expectations, not realizations. The Trump indictment was widely anticipated, so while a seismic event politically, it really isn’t a major event with respect to capital markets,” Robert Johnson, a finance professor at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business, told The Hill.

Good news of a tentative deal for the U.S. debt ceiling impasse may quickly turn out to be bad news for financial markets. While an end to uncertainty would be welcome, the relief that may come from a deal may be a short-lived sugar high for investors. That's because once a deal is reached, the U.S. Treasury is expected to quickly refill its empty coffers with bond issuance, sucking out hundreds of billions of dollars of cash from the market. The raising of ceiling is expected to be followed by the issuance of nearly $1.1 trillion in new Treasury bills...

A suspected AI-generated image claiming to show an explosion near the Pentagon went viral on Twitter Monday, sending markets crashing. Dozens of verified accounts - including national news organizations - reshared what shows black smoke billowing up from the ground next to a white building. The image appears so realistic that people became frantic as it circulated the platform around 10 am ET, which caused the S&P 500 to drop 10 points in five minutes as the image went viral. The Arlington Fire Department swiftly debunked the event, stating that 'there is no explosion or incident taking place at or...

The Federal Reserve's year-long effort to fight inflation through aggressive rate hikes appears to be near its end, and that sets up a new landscape for investors, according to DataTrek Research. "Markets expect the Fed to cut rates later this year, and even the [Federal Open Market Committee] believes we are near the end of the current rate cycle," DataTrek's co-founder Nicholas Colas wrote in a note Friday. "We are entering a 'Post-Fed' world, where monetary policy decisions will be less important to market psychology." DataTrek noted that as the Fed slowed its hiking pace late last year and early...

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied ahead of the next Fed meeting. First Republic (FRC) stock plunged despite reports the troubled bank is seeking the aid of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) as it battles to stay afloat. The Donald Trump SPAC, Digital World Acquisition (DWAC), rocketed despite more Stormy Daniels legal drama. There was some bullish action even though the stock market is still gripped by a correction. Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) attempted a weak breakout, while Royal Gold (RGLD) joined Leaderboard amid an encouraging move. The Federal Open Market Committee Meeting, which will be led by Fed Chair Jerome Powell...

Stocks accelerated losses in the final hour of trading Thursday as banks and other financials sold off, and investors braced for a key payroll report Friday that could set the direction of interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average last dropped 510 points, or 0.56%, while the Nasdaq Composite shed 1.95%. The S&P 500 fell 1.8%.

America is bracing for a mass exodus of retail stores across the nation this year, with more than 800 big box locations set to close from California to New York. Among the iconic names to announce they are downsizing includes Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Gap and Party City. At least 803 stores are set to be shuttered over the rest of 2023, with many forced into desperate cost cutting measures amid rampant inflation and declining bottom lines.

House Bill 24, the Idaho Launch bill, passed the House yesterday afternoon by a razor-thin margin after more than an hour of spirited debate. Rep. Megan Blanksma is the House sponsor, but Governor Little has been the driving force behind this bill, which would expand the existing Idaho Launch Grant program, providing $8,500 per high school graduate ($102 million overall) for technical education and workforce training. Idaho Freedom Foundation strongly opposes this bill because it significantly expands a government program, subsidizes corporate training programs, and distributes money to certain industries as determined by the unelected Workforce Development Council. Opponents of...

The average US household is now considered 'rent-burdened' as a record-high number of people are spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent. According to Moody's Analytics' latest affordability report, the national average rent-to-income (RTI) ratio reached 30 percent for the first time since the company began tracking the data more than 20 years ago.

Markets are strange. Mortgage applications increased 27.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 13, 2023. But mortgage applications are 60% lower than the same week last year. The Refinance Index increased 34 percent from the previous week and was 81 percent lower than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 25 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 32 percent compared with the previous week and was 35 percent lower than the same week one...