Market News

Rejected Ballots Deliver Win to Trump. It's Election Night 2020. Democratic contender Joe Biden is ahead in the popular vote as of 9 pm ET. Traditional "Blue" states like Washington, Oregon, California, New York and Illinois have been called for Biden. Key battleground states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania with their rich number of Electoral votes are still undecided. Will those states go to Trump or Biden? Americans across the country are glued to ... >> Read More        

Will we get an October surprise? News events are moving at breakneck speed. In the span of one week: President Trump was hospitalized for COVID-19, released and is now back at home in the White House giving re-election rally speeches. The second presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden was cancelled as Trump declined to participate in a virtual debate. The FBI charged six men with a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor ... >> Read More        

The Red Mirage…and Blue Shift  It's Election Day 2020. Tensions are high. Alarm bells have been sounding for weeks with President Trump's repeated statements that mail-in ballots are rigged. Polls in recent weeks have shown that Democrats planned to vote by mail at a much higher rate than Republicans. Indeed, in key swing state Wisconsin, a Marquette University poll revealed that 47% of Democrats plan to vote by mail, while just 18% of Republicans do ... >> Read More        

Between now and Election Day, we present to you an in-depth Blanchard exclusive Presidential Election series. Please join us each week as we cover six hypothetical scenarios and detail potential outcomes for the economy, geopolitics, the stock market and precious metals if these scenarios unfold. We invite your comments, questions and insights below in this interactive event. Read Part 1 here: “What happens if….” Trump Wins in a Landslide The Blue Sweep Election Day 2020 ... >> Read More        

Political risks are rising. The stock market sank last week as the September sell-off continues, with technology stocks leading the way down. The Nasdaq 100 has plunged 12% since September 2nd. The FAANG stocks, which include Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet (Google) have tumbled 15%. The S&P 500 has dropped 9% so far in September. The stock market is lurching lower amid the growing uncertainty over the state of the economy, worries over the ... >> Read More        

Are you ready for October? Crash month. It's right around the corner. October often triggers fear and panic among investors as memories of the 1929 and 1987 market crashes come alive. Indeed, history is littered with downright scary moves in October. Remember the 554-point drop on October 27, 1997? Don't forget Friday the 13th in 1989. More recently, the Dow crashed 18.2% in October 2008 (1,874 points). Investors are rightly concerned that the recent tech-led ... >> Read More        

Blanchard Fed Report: September 2020 Not only for its unprecedented 0% interest rate and money printing policies, but because it is creating one of the most positive environments for gold that we have seen in modern history. Today, we saw another Federal Reserve meeting. And, yes, another reason to buy gold and silver.   The Fed kept its benchmark interest rate at zero percent today.   That was expected.   Yet, the more we listen ... >> Read More        

High-flying tech stocks fall fast. Warning: volatility lies ahead! Football is back, children are in school (or on Zoom classes), a chill is felt in the morning air and in some parts of the country the leaves are beginning to turn yellow, red and brown in Mother Nature's stunning fall display. Yet, despite this small sense of the new normal, the stock market cratered last week in a topsy-turvy week in which investors dumped high-flying ... >> Read More        

How do you plan for uncertainty? This question has plagued investors since the beginning of time. Moreover, it is an inherent challenge for most people attempting to build their long-term wealth because outpacing inflation means making your money grow with equities, bonds, or commodities, all of which represent levels of uncertainty. The problem, however, is more specific than mere uncertainty. After all, investors expect occasional drops in the value of their assets. The serious problem ... >> Read More        

The origins of Labor Day may surprise you. For many Americans, Labor Day marks a day off from work –  a traditional end of summer rite of passage marked by backyard barbecues, street parades (pre-pandemic of course), parties and fireworks. As we witness history in 2020 unfold, with new protests this weekend at the Kentucky Derby and elsewhere, we offer perspective to reflect back on what was occurring in our nation just over 125 years ... >> Read More