Ninety-five years of data show September and October, on average, to be the two worst months of the year. This time around, the scary duo was volatile, providing both tricks and treats, but when all was said and done, the period ended with a slight advance. Nevertheless, we are pleased that the calendar has hit the Thanksgiving month, and the start of the seasonally favorable six months of the year. Indeed, Halloween to May Day has seen terrific performance, on average, since 1990 and going all the way back to 1929. And Value Stocks historically have asserted their dominance during…

The investment remains attractive compared to competitors like Applied Materials and Lam Research By Oliver Rodzianko Summary ASML’s stock declined due to a weaker 2025 demand forecast but is well-valued for future returns. I forecast it will have an enterprise value of $514 billion in six years. Management forecasts $30–$35 billion in revenue for 2025; my projection of $33 billion indicates a 12-month enterprise value growth of nearly 20%. Despite cyclical risks and geopolitical tensions affecting semiconductor demand and ASML’s sales to China, its market-leading position and current valuation make it an attractive investment. ASML (ASML, Financial) is well-known among technology investors…

Six summers ago, Donald Trump lamented privately to Republican donors that he expected Jay Powell to be a “cheap money” Fed chair. To the President’s chagrin, Powell had recently raised interest rates. Thus, making money more expensive. Most real estate guys like Trump are allergic to high rates. Back in 2018 they were certainly no bueno for his growth-focused agenda. The President told Fox Business the Fed was his “biggest threat.” He even admitted to the Wall Street Journal he “maybe” regretted appointing Powell. Appointer’s remorse! Then came Trump’s biggest zinger of them all: “The Fed is like a powerful…

Key News Asian equities were mostly lower overnight following a flat session on Wall Street that saw “Magnificent 7” names hit with profit taking. This was despite a pullback in the US dollar’s strength versus local currencies. Potential Russia-Ukraine escalation also weighed on markets overnight. Mainland China held up better than Hong Kong, as the technology-oriented STAR Board outperformed. However, according to traders, markets in China lacked direction. We are seeing diverging signals about the consumer from different stakeholders, which is interesting. Shares in short video platform Kuaishou was significantly lower overnight as management issued a weak outlook for its…

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) offer a powerful way to reduce your tax burden required minimum distributions from IRA and other pre-tax accounts while making a difference in your community. This strategy is open to individuals aged 70½ and older to combine retirement planning with philanthropy. With recent updates under SECURE Act 2.0, the strategy has become even more beneficial. Here’s some keys you need to know about how QCDs work, who can use them, and the steps to take advantage of this financial planning opportunity. What Is a QCD? A QCD allows individuals to donate directly from their Individual Retirement…

Trump’s second term may unleash a new wave of acquisitions, and mid-cap stocks could be in the crosshairs of acquirers. By Sergei Klebnikov, Forbes Staff The stock market surged higher following Donald Trump’s election win earlier this month as Wall Street celebrated the new business-friendly administration and the more lenient regulatory environment it is expected to bring. Under the Biden administration, dealmaking has been sluggish due in part to an aggressive antitrust approach from the Federal Trade Commission headed up by Chair Lina Khan. A year-and-a-half Federal Reserve rate hiking campaign also slowed the pace of deals. Trump, however, has…

Once a soaring emblem of American creativity and supremacy in aerospace, Boeing is now in existential crisis. A new and strong rival is developing as the firm tries to bounce back from the catastrophic 737 MAX disaster and ongoing supply problems. The threat from China is a consistent decline of market share. With the C919 aircraft launched successfully and ambitious plans for the C929, COMAC is no more a far-off threat but a direct competition. COMAC is prepared to disrupt the global aerospace industry with the help of government funding and a rapidly expanding home market. China is carefully establishing…

Trump’s win cements what we’ve been saying for months: You can forget about a hard landing or a soft landing—This economy is headed for no landing at all. In the last few weeks, I’ve started to see the mainstream media pick up on our thinking here. Nice to see they’re finally catching up! We’ve got two “refined” trades on Trump 2.0 below (ranked in order of appeal). They’re both growing their dividends, and they’ve both been unfairly left behind in this year’s rally. Before we get to them, let’s take a look at the post-election state of play so we…

You’d never admit it as a kid, but your mother likely had a lot to teach you. That belief led Larry Mathis, founder and CEO of Phoenix-based Mathis Wealth Management to write a book inspired by his mom’s story. Light: What inspired you to write Mom Was Right? Mathis: My inspiration came from watching my mother, a single parent raising seven kids, achieve something truly remarkable—retiring debt-free. In Mom Was Right: Family Tragedy to Financial Freedom—How a Widowed Mother of Seven Retired Debt-Free, I shared her story because I realized that the values she instilled in me weren’t just life…

Most expect the Federal Open Market Committee to cut interest rates in 2025. However, the question remains how much and how fast. Fixed income market futures project that short-term interest rates could fall in 2025 perhaps as low as 3%. Alternatively given certain economic data, rates could remain relatively close to the current band of 4.5% to 4.75%. FOMC policymakers project that rates will most likely end 2025 between 3% and 4%, and more likely at the lower end of that range. However, that was a September FOMC forecast, and economic data has been somewhat supportive of incrementally higher rates…