Big Tech companies are the new conglomerates
December 17th, 2021
How Technology Companies are Becoming the New Mega-Conglomerates For decades, companies like Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and Dupont were widely known in the U.S. as expansive, do-it-all conglomerates. The goal was not to make one product or provide one service. The goal was to deploy savvy management and leadership teams across multiple industries, establishingRead Entire Article…
Semiconductors and the U.S. Economy: Past, Present and Future
December 2nd, 2021
What Semiconductors Say About the U.S. Economy’s Past, Present, and Future Chips are everywhere these days. It’s not just computers and iPhones that have semiconductor chips – it’s also coffee makers, washing machines, refrigerators, new cars and trucks, even dog grooming machines. Chips make everyday products and gadgets “smart,” and there are a lot ofRead Entire Article…
Will Holiday Retail Sales Disappoint the Markets?
November 15th, 2021
Will Holiday Retail Sales Disappoint the Markets? Most readers are likely aware of the supply chain issues facing the U.S. and the world. Products are missing from the shelves, delivery times keep getting longer, and the prices of many goods and services have been moving higher. Surging demand, rising input costs, jammed ports, labor shortages,Read Entire Article…
How will inflation and rising rates affect the market?
October 26th, 2021
Are Inflation and Rising Interest Rates Going to be a Problem for Markets? Inflation is everywhere, and there’s a possibility it may not be as ‘transitory’ as the Federal Reserve had once hoped. In a Labor Department report released last week, September’s consumer price index posted a 5.4% increase from a year earlier, which maintainsRead Entire Article…
Is “sustainability” an investment trend or a fad?
October 1st, 2021
Is “Sustainability” a Durable Long-Term Investment Trend? Readers of this column may be familiar with some of the buzzwords floating around the business world these days: sustainability, sustainable investing, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing – to name a few. All of these terms frame what might be considered a ‘movement’ in the corporateRead Entire Article…
Has the Tech Boom Peaked?
September 17th, 2021
Is the Tech Boom Finally Peaking? Technology companies have enjoyed a remarkable run of growth and stock price appreciation in recent years. When the pandemic shut down the global economy and led to a sharp two-month recession, technology companies were hardly fazed. Many leading technology companies even saw an uptick in growth during the earlyRead Entire Article…
ETFs Surge in Popularity – How Zacks Advantage Stays Nimble
September 1st, 2021
Investors are increasingly flocking to exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and for good reason – ETFs give investors low-fee access to diversified baskets of securities, often allowing people to mimic the performance of a benchmark index. Whether it’s a broad-based index or a category like Energy, ETFs are widely available to give investors flexibility and access. ItRead Entire Article…
The Cryptocurrency Markets Face Major Regulatory Headwinds
August 12th, 2021
Cryptocurrencies have emerged in recent years as an alternative, high-risk asset class often characterized by a lot of hype, complex technological innovations few understand, and the occasional pop culture reference. They are also notorious for very high, unpredictable bouts of volatility. We do not invest in them here at Zacks Advantage. Cryptocurrencies have been inRead Entire Article…