SPDR® S&P 500 ETF
Latest SPDR® S&P 500 ETF News and Updates
Which Industries Increased Industrial Production in October?
The October Industrial Production report was released by the Fed on November 16 and showed a continued rebound in key sectors of the US economy.
How Did DVN’s Dividend Cut Affect Its Dividend Yield?
Devon Energy Corporation’s 56.0% dividend cut in 2016 was followed by a 43.0% cut in 2017.
Is Blockchain Technology Really the New Internet?
It’s important that we understand the core technology behind cryptocurrencies if we want to appreciate the ingenuity of the bitcoin creation.
How the First Bitcoin Was Created
Satoshi Nakamoto is considered to be the founder of bitcoin, but the actual identity of Satoshi Nakamoto is not known.
Target’s Growth Initiatives Are on Track
Target announced several customer-friendly initiatives that are resulting in higher sales. The company ramped up its delivery mechanism.
How an Increase in the Producer Price Index Affects the Economy
The October Producer Price Index rose 0.4% month-over-month, and it was unchanged compared to the September reading. On a year-over-year basis, the index has risen 2.8%.
Will AT&T Agree to Sell CNN or DIRECTV for Time Warner Buyout?
Amid rising competition in the wireless space, AT&T (T) has its hopes in the proposed acquisition of leading content provider Time Warner (TWX).
US Dollar Could Pressure Crude Oil Futures This Week
The US Dollar Index rose 0.13% to 94.4 on November 13, 2017. It limited the upside for US crude oil (UWT) (DWT) prices on the same day.
Walmart: Segments’ Sales Trends in Fiscal 2018
During the last reported quarter, the Walmart U.S. segment’s sales rose 3.3% year-over-year to $78.7 billion, reflecting a 1.8% increase in comps.
Key FOMC Insights and the New Fed Chair
The US FOMC left rates unchanged after the November 2017 meeting, as expected, setting the stage for a potential rate hike in December.
A Look at Oracle’s Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning Prospects
According to a new report by research firm MarketsandMarkets, the global enterprise resource planning (or ERP) market is set to expand at a healthy annual rate in the next few years.
IMF: Why US Economic Growth Could Slow
The International Monetary Fund (or IMF), in its “World Economic Outlook” (or WEO) released in October, upgraded the economic forecast for the United Statess for 2017.
These Key Economic Indicators Have Just Been Released
These economic indicators are important for global investors because they reflect the condition of the global economy.
These Major Economic Indicators Were Released Last Week
In this series, we’ll analyze the performance of the Eurozone Consumer Confidence Index and the ZEW Economic Sentiment Index in October 2017.
Why Expectations for Business Conditions Fell 50% in September
The October Conference Board LEI reported that average consumer expectations for business conditions for September are 0.37 above the mean.
Understanding the Leading Credit Index for September 2017
The Leading Credit Index is an economic model that’s modeled on the performance of six major financial market instruments.
The Smell of Natural Gas: Ripe for a Pullback?
On October 18, natural gas November futures closed at $2.85 per MMBtu (million British thermal units)—3.6% below the last trading session’s closing price.
Making Sense of the AT&T-TUMI Collaboration
AT&T-TUMI According to research company Boston Consulting Group, three industries (discrete manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and utilities) will likely account for 50% of IoT (Internet of Things) spending by 2020. Research company IDC predicts that global IoT spending will surpass $1.0 trillion by 2020. Attracted by the bright prospects of the transportation subset of the IoT, US […]
Which Industries Increased Production Last Month?
The Federal Reserve released its September industrial production report on October 17. The report indicated that key sectors in the US economy increased production in September.
The Aims of the AT&T-Time Warner Merger
Better TV audience targeting In seeking to merge with Time Warner (TWX), AT&T (T) is motivated by advertising prospects. For AT&T, combining Time Warner’s media assets, especially high-quality content, with its technology and massive user data should make a huge difference in its advertising business. For example, AT&T hopes that the combination will enable it […]
Twitter’s Average Revenue per User
Monetary value of a user Social media companies Twitter (TWTR), Facebook (FB), and Snap (SNAP) show how much money they make off each of their user accounts as average revenue per user, or ARPU. ARPU is a measure of monetary value a user brings to a platform. Whereas Facebook and Snap released their ARPU for 2Q17, […]
What’s the IMF’s View on Tax Reform?
According to the IMF (International Monetary Fund), a moderate progressive tax system may not negatively impact economic growth in developed economies (SPY) (EZU).
Why Many Analysts Aren’t Positive on Ford in October 2017
According to data compiled by Reuters as of October 11, 25% of analysts covering Ford (F) stock have given it a “buy” recommendation.
How Global Indicators Are Affecting Precious Metals
Gold reached its two-week high price of $1,294.5 an ounce on Tuesday, October 10, and ended the day at $1292.1 per ounce.
What Investors Should Consider before Investing in REITs
A REIT (or real estate investment trust) is a company that owns and manages income-producing real estate.
Are Small Caps Worth the Risk Right Now?
The small-cap stock universe started rallying after Trump’s victory in November.
US Dollar Is near a 10-Week High, Could Upset Crude Oil Bulls
The US Dollar Index fell 0.1% to 93.55 on October 9, 2017. However, it rose almost 1.1% last week. The US dollar (UUP) is near a ten-week high.
ADP Jobs Data Dragged Lower by Hurricanes in September
As per the September ADP National Employment Report, the US private sector added 135,000 jobs during the month. The figure is a sharp decrease from 228,000 in August.
What Really Moved W&T Offshore Stock Last Week?
W&T Offshore (WTI) stock rose ~7% last week (ended September 29), while crude oil and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) rose ~2% and ~0.7%, respectively.
Southern and Nextera Energy: First Solar’s Key Customers
High customer concentration In 2016, First Solar (FSLR) sold solar modules to customers in the United States, India, and the United Arab Emirates. Approximately 23% of its total revenue was from third-party module sales. The majority of First Solar’s customer base is in the United States, which makes up to more than 80% of total […]
Why Is AMD Stock So Volatile?
In the previous part of the series, we saw that analysts revised their fiscal 2017 revenue growth estimates for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), NVIDIA (NVDA), and Intel (INTC) in the past few months.
Understanding the Leading Credit Index
Understanding the Leading Credit Index The Conference Board LCI (Leading Credit Index), a constituent of the LEI (Leading Economic Index), is constructed based on the performance of six financial market instruments. These components track lending conditions in the US economy. Performance of the LCI Improving credit conditions are considered positive for the economy. When the LCI […]
The Link between the S&P 500 and the Leading Economic Index
The S&P 500 is stuck The S&P 500 (IVV) index has been stuck near the 2,500 level for more than a month now. The recent war of words between US president Donald Trump and North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho has increased risk aversion. However, the index has been resilient despite the rise in volatility. […]
Tracking the Conference Board Leading Economic Index
In this series, we’ll analyze each component of the Conference Board Leading Economic Index and understand its implications for the consumer discretionary (XLY), industrial (XLI), and housing (XHB) sectors and the overall market (SPY).
Does China’s Gradual Economic Growth Support Emerging Nations?
China (FXI) (YINN) is an important emerging nation. The gradual improvement in its economic growth is a positive sign both for emerging nations (EEM) and developed nations (EFA).
Why the Brent and WTI Crude Oil Spread Hit a 26-Month High
November WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil (UWT)(DWT)(DBO) futures contracts fell 0.2% and were trading at $52.12 per barrel in electronic trading at 2:20 AM EST on September 26.
US Retail Sales Dropped: How Will It Affect the S&P 500 Index?
According to data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, US retail sales fell 0.2% in August 2017.
Are Crude Oil Futures Signaling a Breakout?
November US crude oil (UWT) (DWT) (USO) futures contracts rose 0.8% to $50.3 per barrel in electronic trading at 2:10 AM EST on September 20, 2017.
How Did Markets Fare in the Summer of 2017?
Summer months have a tendency to be unfavorable for the stock market. Empirical evidence has shown that average returns for the S&P 500 are negative during summer months.
How Freeport-McMoRan Benefits from Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
Investments in renewable energy bode well for global copper demand, as the copper intensity in renewable energy is higher than in non-renewable energy.
Will Major Oil Producers Extend the Output Cut Deal past March?
October WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil (USO)(UCO)(DIG) futures contracts rose 0.16% and were trading at $49.98 per barrel in electronic trading at 2:10 AM EST on September 18.
Top 10 Steel Consumers: Where Does the United States Stand?
China was the largest steel consumer last year, with the mainland’s ASC at 681.0 million metric tons.
Stocks with High Dividend Yields in the Financial Sector
In this series, we’ll look at 11 S&P 500 companies offering high dividend yields.
Basic Energy Services: The Only Declining Oilfield Services Stock
In the week starting September 11, Basic Energy Services (BAS) fell from $15.66 to $14.98—a decrease of ~4%.
Why US Natural Gas Futures Hit a 2-Week High
US natural gas (DGAZ)(UGAZ)(UNG) futures contracts for October delivery rose 0.32% to $3.07 per MMBtu (million British thermal units) on Thursday, September 14.
Is Natural Gas a Good Short for Bears at $3?
On September 13, natural gas October futures closed at $3.058 per MMBtu (million British thermal units). The same day, natural gas prices rose 1.9%.
Behind the iPhone X: Breaking Down Apple’s Price Discrimination
Apple has stuck to its tradition of releasing its new iPhone models in September, but it veered away from a pricing culture that it has practiced for years.
Why Goldman Sachs Is Optimistic about e-Commerce
The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM), which tracks the performance of emerging markets, rose nearly 27.3% on a year-to-date basis as of September 7, 2017.
How ONEOK Has Managed Its Impressive Dividend Yield
How ONEOK has maintained a 4% yield ONEOK (OKE), the general partner and 41% owner of ONEOK Partners, owns one of the country’s premier natural gas liquid systems. The company’s revenue grew 15% in 2016 after falling 36% in 2015. The growth was driven by its Natural Gas Gathering and Processing, Natural Gas Liquids, and […]
How Iron Mountain Has Maintained Its Dividend Yield
How Iron Mountain has maintained a 5% yield Iron Mountain (IRM) is an enterprise information management services company. The company’s revenue grew in 2016, supported by its North American Records and Information Management Business, North American Data Management Business, Western European Business, and Other International Business segments. Its revenue fell 4% in 2015 before rising 17% in 2016. Its operating income fell 5% in 2015 and 4% in 2016 due to […]