Stocks Need to Rebuild New Uptrend
Stocks Need to Rebuild New Uptrend Weekly BriefMarch 25, 2026•7 min read An uptrend can lose momentum for many reasons. Sometimes, unexpected political, economic, or global events disrupt the market and reverse direction. Other times, a rally simply becomes overextended, with investors searching for an excuse to take profits. In most cases, positive momentum gradually […]
Investors Not Panicking
Investors Not Panicking Weekly BriefMarch 18, 2026•4 min read On June 12–13 of last year, Israel carried out large-scale airstrikes against Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, military bases, and senior commanders and scientists. Dozens of sites were neutralized, and several top Iranian military leaders were killed. Despite the escalation, U.S. institutional investors showed little concern and […]
How Productive are Countries?
How Productive are Countries? Weekly BriefMarch 04, 2026•4 min read Today I was evaluating economic data on the major countries around the world. One of my economic resources updated the chart below on the status of various key countries: My first observation is that the United States, while ranking third in population (343.1 million), generates […]
The Bipolar Stock Market
The Bipolar Stock Market Weekly BriefFebruary 18, 2026•7 min read The Mayo Clinic has defined bipolar disorder as: “A chronic mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings, alternating between intense highs and severe lows, sometimes to levels of depression. It can impact energy, sleep, judgment, and daily functioning, and the exact cause is unknown.” […]
Small Business Owners and Consumers Slow Sentiment Improvement
Small Business Owners and Consumers Slow Sentiment Improvement Weekly BriefFebruary 11, 2026•7 min read Over the past three days, we’ve received reports on the state of consumer sentiment and small business confidence. The results show that both groups are slowly becoming more optimistic about the future, though improvement remains modest. Starting with consumers, the University […]
Santa Claus Happy with Wall Street
Santa Claus Happy with Wall Street Weekly BriefFebruary 04, 2026•5 min read Several years ago, Simon Maierhofer, editor and founder of iSpy ETF Newsletter, introduced me to a combination of three barometers that have had interesting results in predicting the future S&P 500 performance of the new year. These three barometers are monitoring the performance […]
Consumers Depressed But Still Spending (Jan 2026)
Consumers Depressed But Still Spending Weekly BriefJanuary 28, 2026•6 min read Since 1972, the University of Michigan has surveyed approximately 1,000 households each month to produce its Consumer Sentiment Index. The index ranges from 0, representing extreme pessimism, to 110, reflecting peak optimism. Over its 73-year history, the median reading has been 80, a level […]
Gold and Silver
Gold and Silver Weekly BriefJanuary 21, 2026•6 min read Last year, we began adding gold and silver mining companies to the Up Capital Model portfolios. I give credit to the client, Annie Alexander, who first introduced the idea of miner stocks to me early in 2025 as a developing, favorable asset class. We ultimately decided […]
Santa Claus Barometer for 2026
Santa Claus Barometer for 2026 Weekly BriefJanuary 14, 2026•4 min read Many years ago, Simon Maierhofer, founder and editor of the iSpy ETF Newsletter, introduced me to a powerful market framework. Simon is one of the most analytically rigorous market observers I’ve ever met, with a unique ability to extract meaningful signals from equity market […]
Why Venezuela Doesn’t Matter Yet
Why Venezuela Doesn’t Matter – Yet Weekly BriefJanuary 07, 2026•5 min read It is only six days into the new year, and already the holidays feel like a distant memory. Our family welcomed the New Year on the Texas coast near Port Aransas. Forecasts warned of dangerous cold as an Arctic blast pushed south from […]