TommyIV's TSP Talk Blog

Stocks were on course to end the weekly losing streak until chaos in the trade war sent stocks falling more than 2% Friday. Stocks held steady at the top of the August trading channel for most of the week. Volatility had dropped and we were seeing minimal movement in equities that had been wild for the first half of August. The focus was on Jerome Powell's speech in Jackson Hole where investors were searching for sign of the Fed's plans in the coming months. Mr. Powell did not guarantee rate cuts ...

Stocks fell for the third consecutive week with news headlines and the yield curve in the driver's seat. Stock indices began the week down before news of a delay on the tariffs promised by the Trump Administration gave instant life to buyers who left when the tariffs were first announced. The good times were short lived after investors were spooked Wednesday when the 10-year Treasury yield momentarily fell below the 2-year yield; a popular indicator of an upcoming recession. Stocks produced their ...

Stocks had their greatest single day loss of the year Monday after trade disputes continued over the weekend, but prices climbed out of the early hole throughout the week to minimize the damage. The price of the Chinese Yuan to the dollar has been the primary driver for market action this week. The price of the Yuan fell sharply Monday and stocks followed. President Trump accused the Chinese of manipulating their currency to add fears to investors of the tactics the governments will use to win the ...

Stocks had their worst weekly performance since December triggered by surprise tariffs that followed a hawkish Fed rate cut. Action was quiet ahead of the Fed decision to cut rates a quarter percent. The size of the cut was not a surprise but the communication by Jerome Powell in the press conference left traders confused and unsatisfied. The message was basically a warning that the rate cut was a mid-cycle adjustment not the start of an extensive easing program.

Stocks began to regain ...