Monthly Archives - October 2018

Sheaff Brock | S&P 500 is a measuring stick of the 500 largest US corporations

Please Welcome to the Stage…the Standard & Poor’s Index!

It’s a measuring stick, a benchmark, a way to discuss our investment markets. But what, exactly, does it DO? The S&P 500 index measures the value of the stock of the country’s 500 largest corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange or on the Nasdaq Composite. The idea? To provide investors a quick look at the stock market and the economy. And, while many investors first check the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 index is the [...]

Geopolitical Risk | Map of the World | Sheaff Brock

Geopolitical Risks One Factor in Investors’ “Wall of Worry”

“While a ‘wall of worry’ may sometimes consist of a single economic, political or geopolitical issue significant enough to affect consumer and investor sentiment, it more commonly comprises concerns on numerous fronts,” Investopedia explains. “The markets’ ability to climb a wall of worry reflects investor confidence that these issues will be resolved at some point.” Of course, “even when the financial markets are growing at a healthy rate, under financially sound circumstances, investors always find reasons to worry,” Investopedia [...]

REITs | Bricks in the Wall of Worry? | Sheaff Brock

Real Estate Investment Trust Valuations—Bricks in the Wall of Worry?

The “Wall of Worry,” an informal expression used in financial jargon since the 1950s, refers to a market uptrend that occurs when there is significant uncertainly about stock price sustainability. But what about REITS? Are these stock/real estate hybrids bricks in the “Wall” as well? “Long before investors fell in love with Facebook and Amazon.com or even the hot stocks of past generations such as utilities and railroads, real estate inspired dreams of wealth,” writes John Coumarianos. “Some financial advisers and pundits helped [...]