Category: Market News

By Brent Schutte via Iris.xyz. The close of second quarter 2019 marked the 10-year anniversary of the end of the Great Recession. This officially makes this economic cycle the longest continuous expansion in U.S. history, surpassing the previous economic upswing that lasted from March 1991 to March 2001. This reality leads many prognosticators to worry that the aged economic cycle is nearing its expiration date. But as we have been saying for some time, we don’t believe the mere passage of time is a useful indicator of a looming recession.…

By Stephen McBride via Iris.xyz. One of my most painful memories as a kid was having my braces tightened. The orthodontist would grip his pliers, clamp down on the metal wire cemented to my teeth, and crank. I’m happy to have straight teeth today… but man did those things hurt. And they were embarrassing too. Especially during those young teen years when self-confidence is fragile. There was just no good way to hide a mouthful of metal… So Long, Metal Braces Ever notice you don’t see metal braces all that much…

Amazon’s (AMZN) Prime Day, the annual shopping holiday that’s exclusive to Prime subscribers, has spurred competition from conventional and online retailers. On Monday, the first day of Amazon’s 48-hour shopping bonanza this year, retailers that bring in more than $1 billion in annual revenues witnessed a 64% increase in their online sales compared with an typical Monday, according to Adobe Analytics. That’s more than a 54% spike last year, claimed Adobe, which quantifies transactions the majority of the internet retailers in the U.S. Amazon itself is keenly aware of the…

By Robert Ross via Iris.xyz. I’m a safe income guy always on the hunt for the safest and most stable dividend-paying stocks. And I can tell you one thing. There’s always a way to “play it safe,” even with something as volatile as Bitcoin. Here I’ll share the best way to ride Bitcoin’s current bull market without taking on a lot of risk. Bitcoin Is Far Too Risky for Most Investors Bitcoin is a polarizing topic. Some economists think Bitcoin’s value should be $0. Others think it’s as revolutionary as the internet. But…

Gold retail demand seems to be faltering in Hong Kong, where gold recently hit a 6-year high. Gold gift sales are down 4.4% year-to-date and look stagnant in the current month. Shoppers seem concerned by three factors right now. First, those prices are very high; that seems obvious enough.  Second, that the Year of the Pig is viewed as a less-great year to get married in.  And 3rd, that US-China trade war uncertainties meant future economic conditions are less favorable than before. The result is that retail gold demand in Hong Kong…