Capitalogix

Which Markets Did Best In the First Half of the Year?

There is always something working.  It still surprises me how often it changes.

For example, take a look at Coffee's rise.

The chart below shows the top-and-bottom performing markets so far this year.  The data is color coded based on sector. The first column shows year-to-date performance, followed by six columns of the most recent yearly market performances.

Click the image to jump to the full chart.

 

  

Click this link to view weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly views of this data.

So, how does that compare to other markets around the world? Here is an interactive chart to answer that question.

Here Are Some Links For Your Weekend Reading

Why are vacations so stressful?

 

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

 

Lighter Links:

• The Negative Side of Positive Thinking. (Explore)
• The Dalai Lama’s Ski Trip: What you can learn in the slush with His Holiness. (Slate)
• The Not-So-Distant Future When We Can All Upgrade Our Brains. (TheAtlantic)
• Scientists Just Discovered How To Regrow Teeth Using Laser Beams. (DigitalTrends)
• The Odd (And Effective) Routines of Famous Minds like Beethoven, Maya Angelou, and Francis Bacon. (FHWW)

 

Trading Links:

• U.S. Household Net Worth Hits Record High On Stocks, Property. (ChicagoTribune)
• Super Zips. Map highlights the highest ranking zip codes based on income & education. (WP)
• China's Ghost Cities In 2014 - The Problem Is Getting Bigger. (BusinessInsider)
• Here Comes a Decade of Crummy Stock Market Returns. (Society Generale)
• Why Investors Love Hedge Funds. (Bloomberg)

Where Your Taxes Go

One of the biggest businesses ... is government.

Did you ever wonder where your taxes go?  Here is a chart that shows you.

 

via National Priorities Project

 

That is a different breakdown than I would have expected.  What about you?

 

More S&P 500 Stocks Above Their 50-Day Averages than NASDAQ Stocks

As shown below, 75% of the stocks in the S&P 500 are currently trading above their 50-day moving averages. 

 

via Bespoke.

This indicator has been trending slightly downward for about a month now, but it hasn't fallen below the 75% mark for quite some time.  Generally, whenever this breadth reading gets above the 80% level, the market is due for a breather.

In contrast, less than 50% of NASDAQ stocks are above their 200-day moving averages.

According to Martin Pring, that means that relatively few stocks are participating in the rally, and an even lower number are registering new highs. Moreover, there are currently slightly more stocks at new 52-week lows than highs, even though the NASDAQ is very close to its bull market high

Here Are Some Links to Start Your Week

Do you prefer dreams of the future or a history of the past?

 

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

 

Lighter Links:

• Disruptive Technologies: Advances transforming life, business, & the economy. (McKinsey)
• Why the Only Thing Better Than Big Data Is Bigger Data. (Quartz)
• Vitamin Supplements Come Up Short Once Again. (Forbes)
• If You Want to Be More Productive, Get More Sleep. (Michael Hyatt)
• The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Mastery. (James Altucher)

 

Trading Links:

• How Greylock Partners Finds the Next Facebook. (Newsweek)
• Is Silicon Valley the Future of Finance? (NYMag)
• Aiming Financial Weapons From Treasury War Room. (NYTimes)
• Salary Required To Buy A Home In 12 US Cities. (BusinessInsider)
• BlackRock's Chief Strategist: Get Ready For Ho-hum Stocks & Higher Rates. (Forbes)

What Happens On the Internet in 60 Seconds (Updated

Talk about information overload, almost 139 million emails are sent each minute.

 

A lot more than that happens in a minute on the Internet. 

 

This infographic looks at what happens in just one minute on social web.

 

 

 

via Qmee.

 

It is interesting to think about the scope and scale of what's happening ... and what is yet to come.

 

China - Twenty Years Ago and Now

Had a quick stop-over in Beijing and got to visit to the Great Wall of China.

 

 

Interesting to see how modern China is becoming.

 

My first visit to China was in the 1990s. A lot has changed (mostly for the better).

 

Here is a picture that compares today's Shanghai with what it looked like twenty years ago.

 

 

Progress.

 

 

What's The Biggest Business In Your State?

Obviously, business effects the economy of states. But, as the Washington Post notes,  businesses are not created equally - bigger businesses naturally have outsized influence, generating more revenue, paying more taxes and employing more people.

The following chart shows the largest company, by revenue, in each state.  Some of these seem like easy guesses.  For example: GM in Michigan, ExxonMobil in Texas, Berkshire Hathaway in  Nebraska, Nike in Oregon, Walmart in Arkansas, and FedEx in Tennesse.

via Washington Post.

But some of the others were surprising.  For  example, in Washington (home of Microsoft and Amazon), it is CostCo. Equally surprising, to me, was Verizon in New York, and Chevron in California.

Here Are Some Links For Your Weekend Reading

Airlines are trying to make it easier to choose your seat for summer travel.  But, here is one I wouldn't choose.

 

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

 

Lighter Links:

• Here Are The Top 10 Skills For The Future. (Forbes)
• The Surprising Reason We Procrastinate. (Salon)
• Where Do Our Thoughts Physically Exist? (EpochTimes)
• The Science of 'Transcendence' isn't Just Fiction—It's Surprisingly Real. (DailyDot)
• Meet the New Google Self-Driving Car: No Steering Wheel, No Pedals, No Problems? (GigaOM)

 

Trading Links:

• Will Russia Colonize The Moon? (PopularScience)
• Disruptive Innovations List 2014. (Citi Research)
• What Are The $10+ Billion Big Industries Of The Future? (Forbes)
• Share Of Teens Working Tumbles 42% Since 2000 In Labor Market Crisis. (Investors)
• The Average Stock Is More Expensive Now Than It Was At The Peak Of The Dot-Com Bubble In 2000. (BusinessInsider)

Across the world, the number of people who say the economic situation in their country is “bad” is climbing

Across the world, the number of people who say the economic situation in their country is “bad” is climbing — despite the much-vaunted recovery we all keep hearing about from politicians.

  

 
via Grant Williams.

The stock market is not the economy, and vice versa ... but when you are interested in one, it doesn't hurt to pay attention to the other.