Here is hoping that your Easter weekend with family and friends was joyous.
The market was closed on Friday eliminating any knee-jerk reaction to the jobs report last Friday.
It came in as expected at 235,000, which was right at expectations for new jobs.
The unemployment rate still remains low at 3.5%.
This week we will get CPI and PPI that should come in below 6%, but still far above the 2% target.
That has pushed expectations that the Federal Reserve meeting in the first week in May will result in another 25 point increase moving toward the 5 to %.5% Fed funds rate.
We will also start the earnings reports with the big financials like JP Morgan Chase.
The interest there will be what is happening with the movement of cash after the failure of SBB and Signature.
It was noted this week that First Financial omitted its preferred dividend after omitting the common dividend last week to conserve cash.
You have to begin worrying about the ability of banks to loan.
It has been suggested that the banks actually would like to take a pause.
That could be a real cloud over the economy.
We are hearing more analysts predicting a recession, as if we are already in one.
The debate is how severe a recession we will experience.
Tesla announced more price cuts to move inventory.
It was announced last week that GM had significant increases in EV sales and was leading the market in such sales.
Tesla did announce plans for a new battery factory in Shang Hai.
There were calls for support for Micron Technology as Samsung announced that they would not be able to meet semiconductor demand.
Many ignored these generic chips in favor of those that would be used in AI.
It was also announced last week that the chip made by Google outperformed those made by Nvidia.
One of the most respected investors, Lee Cooperman, last week asserted his faith in the energy sector and noted that most bull markets begin when the news is negative, much like what is happening currently.
For all of the talk about the energy industry’s demise, there are rumors that Exxon might buy Pioneer.
Contrary to what you often hear, we have a long way to go to all-electric transport.
It’s necessary to understand that we don’t have the infrastructure to support that much electric demand and no one is stepping up to pay the bill.
These are the hidden costs that no one wants to tell you about.
Of course it is assumed the taxpayer will foot the bill, as it is supposed to be for their benefit.
Tell that to the average person paying their electric bill today, and I dare say they won’t want higher rates.
So, we are into the second quarter and there could not be more diverse opinions on what will come next.
We have China buzzing Taiwan and politics heating up for the upcoming election.
We have yet to pass a debt limit or even talk about a budget.
That is with a growing debt level.
Just more and more to evaluate and to take account of for your investment goals.
