This PSA parody warns people to stop abusing their selfie sticks.
Apparently, self-obsessed people will go to any lengths to top other selfie addicts. This results in longer selfie sticks, and increasingly dangerous situations.
Last week I had the opportunity to attend a charity barbecue cook-off in Memphis.
Turns out I was there the night B.B. King died. Here is a picture at his bar that night.
The group I was with was relatively small ... but accounts for a large portion of the daily ag trading volume on the exchange. As a technical trader, it was interesting to listen to them discuss fundamental trading techniques (like crop forecasts and weather forecasts). But I wasn't ready for what I found when I visited one of their offices.
Taxes on wage income vary heavily around the world.
Here's how the tax wage burden for an average full-time single worker has grown or shrunk in each OECD country between 2007 and 2014. The chart also shows how different countries' tax burdens as a percentage of income compare to each other:
The chart highlights how tax burdens have changed for an average full-time worker between the time before the Great Recession and the present.
The country with the highest average tax burden — Belgium, at 55.6% of income — and the lowest — Chile, at just 7.0% — both saw no change between 2007 and 2014.
Other countries, however, saw larger shifts. The tax wedge in Hungary dropped 5.5 percentage points, from 54.5% in 2007 to 49.0% in 2014. Ireland's tax burden increased by 6.0 points, from 22.2% to 28.2%.
According to popular trading rules, May 1st marks the beginning of a 6-month period of unfavorable seasonality. This is often referred to as "Sell-In-May-and-Go-Away".
Research published by Yale Hirsch in the Trader's Almanac shows that the market year is often broken into two six-month seasonality periods.
From May 1 through October 31 seasonality is unfavorable, and the market most often finishes lower than it was at the beginning of the period.
The period from November 1 through April 30 is seasonally favorable, and the market most often finishes the period higher.
Here is a recent chart showing the returns, for the past 20 years, of this Halloween through April bullish seasonality idea.
While the statistical average results for these two periods are quite compelling, trying to ride the market in real-time in hopes of capturing these results is not always as easy as it sounds.
Assume that bull and bear market pressures tend to override seasonal tendencies.
So what is happening now?
While the NYSE Composite has been doing its best to break to the upside ... but it continues to be stuck in a decision zone.
Short-term momentum indicators, like the the McClellan Volume Oscillator, shows slight weakness.
The McClellan Volume Oscillator is a barometer of volume ... and indicates how overbought/oversold the market is. Direction is most important - because it indicates whether the market is getting stronger (rising) or weaker (falling). The cross-overs are a sign that the trend could be changing. Crossing beneath the zero line is a secondary confirmation.
Recently, it is showing weakness (and recent similar occurrences are marked). Basically, it highlights that price is making highs, but with less momentum.
So, what does it mean?
There are no guarantees in trading. Every year is different and presents its own challenges (despite 'Sell in May' seasonality).
As we approach May, traders get wary. That doesn't mean they sell. Instead, they acknowledge that, historically, a volatile, sideways-moving market is likely ... and they prepare accordingly.
Nonetheless, price is your primary indicator and it makes sense to follow the primary trend.
Here Are Some Links For Your Weekend Reading
Attracting the Faithful isn't as easy as it used to be.
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
Lighter Links:
Trading Links:
Posted at 05:31 PM in Business, Current Affairs, Ideas, Just for Fun, Market Commentary, Science, Trading, Trading Tools, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
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