#and he's gonna spark a trade war with china and he's going to take away rights for us citizens and ruin the us economy

[srirachaz]

fuck this and fuck all y'all who caused this

[s1cparvism4gna]

I Like You A Lot

WARNINGS: cursing and violence

Tags: @desertvvitch, @courtenbae , @ammaliatrici

Chapter 21

Sunny’s POV

Orca kicked his way out of the helicopter, clutching the Tusk in his gloved hands. The second he noticed us, he looked around for something to defend himself with. He spotted his gun a few feet away from him and immediately began to launch himself into the dirt for it. Nadine snarled and pulled her gun from her hip with the quickness. “Don’t.” She said simply, pointing the gun at him, her nostrils flaring. He peered up at her from his broken visors. With a disheveled grunt, he sat himself up against the helicopter.

“Ma’am.” He sighed, clutching the Tusk close to him as he breathed raggedly. I watched as Nadine kicked his gun away from him, still keeping her aim at him. “You’re looking well—”

“What the hell have you done with my company?” She snarled.

“Made it profitable, for starters.” He answered smugly.

“I think that was a rhetorical question, love.” Chloe commented, also joining at her side.

“I should’ve shot you back on that godforsaken island.” Nadine growled, tightening her grip on the gun.

“I wish you had. Would’ve spared us the sight of watching you turn tail and run—”

“You’re still breathin’, right?” I said, my hand resting on the handle of my gun.

“Not for long.” Nadine mumbled before all three of us pulled our guns on him, taking a step forward with intent to kill. But we were stopped.

“Alright, alright! Just…. hash your shit out on your own time, okay?” Sam called from behind us before pushing between us to reach a hand out. “The tusk, please?”

“You three? Working together?” Orca chuckled weakly. “Either you’ve got a piss-poor memory or you’re even more desperate than I thought—”

“Jeez, I’m just gettin’ it from all sides today, huh?” Sam grumbled to me before walking away. I gave a short chuckle before adjusting my aim.

“I’m not the one reduced to hustling weapons to ragtag insurgents!” Nadine argued.

“That was always your problem… Thinking too small.” Orca replied with a bloody grin. “You really think I would’ve traded this in for munitions?” The way he said that left a bad feeling in my chest.

“What do you me—” I began to ask.

“I don’t give a shit! Hand over the tusk!” Nadine snapped.

“Hell’s bells…. You’re gonna miss the fireworks, man.” He said eerily, pointing to the train that had just begun to leave the rail yard. My heart skipped as my brows knitted together. I looked to Chloe and I could tell she was thinking the same thing I was.

“I won’t ask twice.” I heard Nadine say.

“Fine.” Orca sighed. “Catch.” He suddenly tossed the tusk towards her and quickly began to reach behind his back for his firearm.

“GUN!” I heard Sam shout. I snapped my gaze back to the man before me just in time to watch him pull his weapon on her. But Sam quickly dove to push Nadine out of the way when he pulled the trigger. They landed to the ground as she put four— shit, maybe six— bullets in Orca’s chest. And he fell limp.

“Nice shot.” Sam murmured.

“Thanks.” Nadine sighed.

“Pattern’s just a little wide but—”

“Get off of me.” Nadine ordered and Sam backed away from her.

“Yeah, sure.” He grumbled, getting up as I walked over to Orca’s now dead body to retrieve the tusk. I ogled it a moment before handing it to Chloe, which she handed to Nadine— completely bypassing Sam. I could see something was troubling Chloe. Her blue eyes narrowed in thought as she paced. I looked over my shoulder as Sam and Nadine began to squabble over pay cuts. In the corner of my eye I spotted a piece of folded up paper. Just out of curiosity, I picked it up and unfolded it. It was a detailed blueprint of….. ‘No… That can’t be right….’ I thought, straining my eyes for a better look. My brain began to put two and two together and a panic began to set in.

“Fuck…” I gasped, aloud. Chloe turned to face me as my face fell.

“What’s up, China?” She asked, approaching me. I was so shaken, I could barely speak. I simply handed her the blueprints and let her read them over. Her eyes widened and her prominent brows narrowed as the words of a harsh reality fell from her lips. “It’s a bomb…” she said. I suddenly heard the two idiots behind me stop their argument for a moment.

“What?” Nadine asked, wanting to be sure she heard correctly. I turned my head and locked eyes with Sam, sadly shaking my head as I stressfully dug my fingers into my now messy curls. He made his way over to us.

“Asav… The bastard traded the Tusk for a bomb.” Chloe told them, meeting them halfway, placing the blueprints in Sam’s hands. He opened them up and his relatively hard expression softened up a bit.

“Fireworks….” Nadine recalled Orca saying before his timely death. When I glanced up at Sam, he seemed as shaken as I was. But I could see the gears in his head moving him to the wrong thing.

“Th-Th—This is big…” he stuttered.

“Yeah— no shit.” I muttered, throwing my arms over my head, folding them on top of my head and pacing. Chloe looked horrified.

“Those tracks run right through the city…. Through the market…” she said softly.

“So then we find the nearest town. Notify the authorities—” Nadine suggested. If we had more time and lived in a perfect world, that would’ve been the smart thing to do. But that just wasn’t true on either fronts.

“It’ll be too late.” I said. “With that bomb type… if it goes off, it’ll kill thousands…”

“And...that is a terrible shame but—” Sam said solemnly, but I knew where he was going with his words. I felt an anger boiling inside me.

“Don’t say it—” I begged quietly for a moment.

“But we did get what we came for…” Sam continued. I scoffed and walked off. “Sunny—”

“You can’t be serious!” I snapped. “Those are innocent people out there!”

“Yeah, I know but Sun—” He tried to reason with me but his reasons weren’t good enough for me.

“You didn’t see when this plane dropped bombs over the city. You did see that mushroom cloud and the fire or hear the screams—”

“Sunny, this isn’t our fight!” He yelled above me.

“WELL IT SHOULD BE!” I screamed. I stared at him a moment in disbelief, my bruised lips trembling.

“Ladies, please talk some sense into her! Chloe?” He looked at Chloe but all she could do was shrug and pace herself. “Nadine…” She looked between the two of us, knowing exactly what we were thinking. Before she could open her mouth, Chloe had already made up her mind. And once she did that, there was no going back. I knew that. She picked up an assault rifle from the ground and cocked it back to check how much ammunition was left before slinging it over her shoulder.

“Wait— you’re not seriously thinking about going after that train, are you?” She asked her. When she didn’t answer, she huffed. “Okay… fine. Do you have a plan?”

“Evidently, that doesn’t seem to be much of a requirement in this organization.” Sam mumbled, looking down at me. Quite frankly, I was disappointed. But what could I expect from someone who’s only ever had to look out for himself.

“Seriously?! You’re just going to let her do this alone?!” Nadine exclaimed at him.

“I… I don’t know!” He shouted defensively.

“She won’t be alone.” I commented, picking up a gun myself and patting bodies down for ammo. I had made up my mind from the very beginning; wishing I could do something. Now was my chance. “I’m goin’ with you.” I told Chloe.

“LIKE HELL YOU ARE!” Sam roared, grabbing my arm.

“WELL I AIN'T STAYIN’ HERE!” I snapped, snatching myself from his grasp. “NOT WHEN I CAN ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING TO HELP THESE PEOPLE, SAM! SOMEONE OTHER THAN MYSELF! But I guess I wouldn’t expect you to understand that.” He stared at me in surprise. Maybe even a bit hurt. But nonetheless, I turned to my friend again, speaking very clearly. “I’m goin’ with you, Chloe. Just tell me what to do.” I said, joining her side.

“No.” Nadine opposed. “No— you said so yourself. This is not our fight! Even if you two blockheads catch that train, what next then? Hmm? Disarm the bomb?!—”

“I’m equipped with the knowledge to do so. I’ve sold and put together bombs like these in the past. I can do it again—” I said rather confidently, my face still as stone.

“That’s not the point, Sunny— this is an impossible job.” Sam objected.

“Maybe so but we’ve got to try, Sam.” Chloe said.

“Frazer—” Nadine began but she was once more interrupted.

“You’re right. This isn’t our fight. It’s my fight.” Chloe insisted. Nadine looked at her in surprise. “That bomb detonates, it’ll spark a civil war. I can’t walk away. I’m tired of walking away…” The look Nadine gave her was absolutely heartbreaking. Her eyes practically glasses over at the thought of losing her.

“You’ll die…” she said weakly.

“I can live with that.” Chloe responded, solemnly yet proud of the decision she’d made. It was the same feeling I had I’m sure. If we died saving thousands of innocents, what were two deaths to anyone?

“Hey—” Chloe said, clearing her throat and trying to end the conversation on a lighter note. There was no time to waste. “Save my share of the Tusk, ‘kay?” She smiled before kissing her cheek and starting for the Jeep. I took a deep breath and turned on my heel to follow when I heard Sam’s withered voice.

“Sunny…” I heard him say. I looked up at him as he approached me. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the vulnerable look in his eyes; like he might lose me, too. “This is crazy…” he chuckled faintly.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.” I replied with a relaxed and awkward smile. I’d made peace with dying a long time ago. If it was time for me to go, it was just my time.

“I… I don’t know what you want me to say here…” he said nervously. I placed a hand on his cheek and looked into his bright puppy dog eyes.

“Don’t say anything. Don’t try and stop me either. I need to do this.” I said. We stared at each other for a second before he engulfed my small body in his arms, hugging me tightly before I kissed him deeply. I could feel a small tear fall down his cheek and I wiped it away quickly, not reacting as so to keep his dignity or whatever.

“I love you.” He murmured against my lips as his forehead rested against mine. My heart finally felt full. I smiled before pulling away and hopping into the backseat of the Jeep with Chloe.

I took a deep breath without looking back and placed a hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “Let’s get ‘er dun, Chloe.” I whispered to her.

“Let’s.” She said with a smile. “Sunflower…. Thank you for this. If you change your mind, I completely understa—”

“I’m not goin’ nowhere.” I said to her. Suddenly, in the corner of my eye, I could see Sam approaching the Jeep. Without a word, he climbed into the passenger seat. The two of us just looked at him in surprise.

“What?” He said nonchalantly. “There’s no way you’re leaving me back there with her.” He said, nodding towards Nadine, who was left pacing herself. We both smiled widely and I threw my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.

“Plus somebody's gotta look out for you.” He said to me. I’d fallen for him even more now. Then suddenly, Nadine appeared by the side of the car without us even noticing, scaring the bejeezus out of Sam.

“Move.” She said.

“No.” He replied plainly. She pulled her hand gun out and pointed it at him.

“I said, move.” She reiterated.

“Jesus, okay…” he frowned, hopping in the backseat with me as she took his place. Chloe smiled at her broadly and she simply replied with a shrug.

“What?” Nadine asked. But there was no reason to question her. So with that, Chloe started up the engine and began our path on the rough terrain to follow the train.

Read More on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26555698/chapters/73386069

[megacircuit9universe]

Speak of the Devil

I was not planning to do a third installment about the self driving economy but... well  yesterday’s entry went up around 4AM of August 23rd 2019 and... just a few hours later, Trump actually went on a twitter rant, about tariffs, that not only had the news cycle talking all day, but... once again... tanked the stock market.

So, without getting too into the weeds, basically he threatened to raise tariffs (again) on China the other week and... then we had that inverted yield curve that got everybody talking about the economy tanking (including myself) and then yesterday, China fired back and said that if Trump were to raise his tariffs even higher, they would follow suit and jack up their own, waaay higher on American goods such as car parts, wheat, whisky, and coffee... which would devastate his voter base in the bible belt and rust belt.

So, Trump then launched into a tirade on Twitter, doubling down with the threats (as I said he would) demonizing China, threatening to retaliate to any retaliation on their part, and, no joke, saying that he “hereby” ordered all “great American companies” to either find alternatives to China, or bring their business back home to America.

Like... wow!  He actually thinks that our “great American companies” will take marching orders from him... after two tweets explaining how China has been cheating us out of trillions for years, because we’re all stupid.  We’re all stupid, except for Donald Trump.

But he wasn’t done!  

He also blasted the head of the Federal Reserve, Jay Powell (his hand picked apointee), as being an ENEMY OF THE STATE!

And stocks just went into the shitter all day long, each new drop coming within seconds after each new tweet.

So... from the AI perspective, this is just one more crazy dip like the ones that have been happening for a year, and... just as with all the rest of them... it correlates directly to a spike in those familiar strings, “trump,” “donald trump,” and “president trump” in association with that bug.

That’s what the bots see, but what the rest of us see... ever more clearly with time... is that Trump will take this to the point of a full ban on trade with China... by simply cranking the tariffs up to infinity.

He already shut down the US government at the start of this year, for over a month... so we know he’ll go to a full ban on trade... and let it stay there for over a month.

Now... in the case of the shut down (he refused to sign a new budget until he was given full funding for his border wall) he did eventually back down.  He IS capable of backing down when the pressure gets too high.

But this time around, he is not dealing with the House.  He’s dealing with Xi Jinping, who is president of China for life.  And Jinping can afford to maintain a total trade ban, even after Trump backs down, for long enough to seriously injure not only his voter base... but also his friends in the Senate... whose political careers, along with their investment portfolios... could be wiped out.

Meanwhile, America’s greatest companies?.. 

Hoo boy!  He’s talking about, Disney, Amazon, Google, and Facebook!.. all of whom are world-girdling titans who stand to lose billions, if a full trade ban between America and China were to last, even one week!

One would imagine that the pressure they could apply... again to those heretofore unshakably loyal Senators... would be enough to crush coal into diamonds.

Now, rich, Republican Senators from conservative states might have no problem at all standing up for the caging migrant children, and shutting down the government to build a racist wall at the Mexican border... and they might have no problem telling their constituents who are already feeling the pain of the existing trade tariffs to be strong and sacrifice for the greater racist good.

But... there is no Republican Senator, ever born, or ever to be born, who is okay with losing half their personal fortune overnight because of a pointless trade war... or who could survive a reelection campaign in which Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Disney are funding their opponents... in states where all the constituents are destitute, because their own industries have shut down, due to their inability to trade with China.

And believe you, me... these Senators know that.

But I spend this much ink on them, because they hold the power to throw Trump out on his ear tomorrow... and they know that too.

The Democratic House is already ramping up for an impeachment...  though they are taking their time because to truly remove Trump, the Senate has to convict him... which up to this moment, they have not been willing to do under any circumstances, no matter how iron clad a case can be brought against Trump.

But the minute his insanity TRULY threatens their personal fortunes... they will move like lightning to cooperate with the House in kicking him out of office... post haste!

Right here, I should be following that with, “And Donald Trump knows that,” but sadly, I cannot, because he doesn’t know that... because he is batshit crazy.

So... Trump will just keep escalating in everything he’s currently doing to destabilize the markets, and create general discord among the populace until his inevitable day of reckoning... at which point he will, if he can, very much attempt to spark off a civil revolt, in a last ditch effort to cling to power.

That revolt’s not gonna last long, I can tell you that.

But back to the bots...

Today the stock market plunged again... and, come Monday, they will surge again to compensate... bots have this part down.  

But now that everybody’s awake to the fact that Trump must be ejected from the vehicle, the problem becomes, how to keep the car rolling as this is done... such that once he’s out, it can simply speed away from his screaming, fist shaking figure on the shoulder of the road... growing rapidly smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror until it gets lost behind a scenic curve.

Given the emergent nature of the situation... 25th ammendment is the no-brainer solution.

The problem is that it requires the cooperation of the President’s cabinet, which many view as impossible at the moment, given that he���s fired all the cabinet members who might’ve been on board with it, and replaced them with cowering sycophants.

But... cowering sycophants are cowardly... and in the case of Trump, also mentally simple, so... it shouldn’t be all that difficult for an army of AI bots to soften them up for a couple covert back room meetings with desperate party big wigs, to hash out a 25A game plan.

The President’s not feeling well... he’s gone to hospital... Mike Pence will be taking over in his absence... for the next few months...

Sometime in early 2020, it’s declared that Trump is too ill to resume his duties, making Pence the President.  Pence declines to run for reelection, opening the field to any GOP candidates, and a 2020 race between non-incumbents on both sides.

What do they actually do with Trump?  Well, he won’t go willingly, so they’ll have to sedate him, and after that, keep him under some kind of house arrest in some idyllic hideaway, and ban him from contact with the outside world.

But political exile to another country is out of the question, as no nation, not even North Korea will have him.

So... they’ll just have to keep him holed up in that hideaway, and pray that his absence is enough for future DOJ officials to decide not to bother pressing the issue of his past crimes... of which there are many.

That’s how I’d do it... if I were the GOP, anyway.

 I dunno... what are your thoughts?  Hit the like button and leave a comment below... oh... nevermind... no human reads this blog.

Okay well... I guess we’ll see what actually happens.

Have a good night and I’ll talk to you soon.

[giancarlonicoli]

Somewhere, Albert Edwards is doing a victory lap. Little by little, the SocGen strategist's "IceAge" thesis, which sees US 10Y Treasury rates eventually catching down to Bunds and JGBs by hitting 0% and going negative thereafter as a deflationary singularity grips the entire world, is materializing.

On Monday, the market found a newfound appreciation for Edwards' gloomy perspective, as September eurodollars soared 14.5 ticks following Bullard comments greenlighting a Fed rate cut. The EDM9-EDZ9 has plunged, more than doubling in just a few days as low as -0.485 bps today, in a move that shocked rates traders and left them speechless as the market is now pricing in a 60% chance of two cuts or more by September.

But it's no longer just Albert who sees a deflationary tsunami flooding over the US. The grouchy permabear was joined by billionaire Stan Druckenmiller, who said he could see the Fed funds rate going to zero in the next 18 months if the economy softens, and that he recently piled into Treasuries as the U.S. trade war with China escalated.

"When the Trump tweet went out, I went from 93% invested to net flat, and bought a bunch of Treasuries," Druckenmiller said Monday evening quoted by Bloomberg, referring to the May 5 tweet from Trump which threatened an increase in tariffs on China and which sparked the most vicious bout of trade-war related selling yet. Explaining his decision, Druck said that it's “not because I’m trying to make money, I just don’t want to play in this environment."

Incidentally, for those confused what going from 93% invested to flat means, the answer is he liquidated his entire equity book.

In an interview by Key Square Capital Management founder Scott Bessent at The Economic Club of New York, Druckenmiller went against conventional, and Beijing, wisdom which believes that Trump will capitulate ahead of the 2020 elections, and said that at the moment he doesn’t see Trump giving China room for negotiation because the president sees tariffs as a winning strategy for the 2020 election. That, of course, could change if the economy and markets get weaker, he said.

"If you can analyze Donald Trump more power to you. I've been more wrong footed by this guy, and shame on me", Druckenmiller summarized his feelings toward Trump.

At the same time, as we noted earlier when we pointed out that several of Druckernmiller's key warning indicators are flashing an "amber alert", while the former chief strategist for George Soros wouldn’t say whether the U.S. is headed for a recession, he said he sees "many warning signs" adding that he was concerned that Trump may have broken a fragile economy going into the next election and assumes he won’t be re-elected in 2020.

Looking at other asset classes, Druckenmiller said that while Treasuries have become less interesting amid the furious rally in recent days, they remain "the best game in town" if the economy deteriorates, and certainly if rates tumble another 2% to zero or below. “Gold’s not bad either,” he added.

As we reminded readers earlier today, last December Druckenmiller warned that trading conditions could worsen, and that while the indicators he historically used were not red yet...

... they were deep inside amber territory. Alongside former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, Druck also urged the Federal Reserve not to raise rates in December, and while central bank did not follow his advice that time, it has since kept interest rates steady and may cut rates as soon as the June meeting which is suddenly seen as "live."

Below, courtesy of Bloomberg, are some other highlights from the interview of the hedge fund legend whose average returns of 30% over three decades, speaks for itself:

No impeachment: It would “be crazy” at this point to try to remove Trump through impeachment or the 25th amendment, because it would take too long and “the country would go through hell. It doesn't make sense"

Major shake-out in the hedge fund industry is coming:  “There’s probably five to 10 people, women and men, who are worth more than their fees now,” he said. “There are still going to be superstars, but we need to get back to maybe 200 or 300 from 4,000” funds.

Staying away from bitcoin: He wouldn’t be short or long Bitcoin, as he doesn’t understand why it’s a store of value. “I don’t think I’m a neanderthal, which is what I’ve been called when I’ve said I didn’t want to own Bitcoin.”

Here are some of Druck's more memorable quotes:

"Coming out of the crisis... I was very fearful that the emergency days were over and that we were going to have a misallocation of resources.”

"We are in the most innovative economic period since the late 1800s.”

"There’s this belief at the fed that if you’re near the zero bound, you’re near inflation... But I’ve never seen an inflation because you’re near the zero bound.”

"It’s very clear to me that you need a hurdle rate for investment and that if you don’t have a hurdle rate for investment, bad things happen.”

"When I got in the business it became clear to me that macroeconomic statistics of precocity the economy, they’re really great at telling where you are and where you’ve been. The best economic predictor is the inside of the stock market. The inside of the stock market right now isn’t saying we are gonna be in a recession but it is saying you better keep your eyes open."

"Those who believe the conflict between the U.S. and China is inevitable, you want the [economic or military] conflict to happen now... My impression is that Trump doesn’t want tariffs [with China.]”

Druckenmiller's parting words were the most memorable. Responding to a question from the audience if the Fed is going to use negative rates, here's what Druckenmiller said:

"They're going to do the works.  Stuff that I thought was brilliant in 2009 and should be used once every 50 years is now being discussed as part of the toolkit even for like a recession. I can easily see 2 Years easily going to zero, and I would say the odds are very high they would cut 50 to a 100 bps in the next year. Everything I see out of central banks globally is radical policies ahead."

His full interview is below.

https://www.facebook.com/econclubny/videos/2248264695265915/

[preciousmetals0]

Trump Touts Containment; Investors Ain’t Having It

Trump Touts Containment; Investors Ain’t Having It:

Going to California

There was an attempt last night to assuage growing coronavirus fears in the U.S. But that attempt went over like a lead balloon.

Following the fifth consecutive drop in U.S. markets, President Donald Trump expressed a whole lotta love for the nation. Trump assured everyone: “Because of all we’ve done the risk to the American people remains very low.”

“We have quarantined those infected and those at risk,” he said. “We are rapidly developing a vaccine. The vaccine is coming along well.”

Unfortunately for Trump, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that not quite everyone was quarantined in the U.S. The CDC revealed the discovery of a patient with no direct ties to the coronavirus’s immigrant song outbreak.

In other words, this particular infection didn’t come from over the hills and far away … it was home-grown near San Francisco, California.

News of the unrelated outbreak hit Wall Street hard today, sparking another sharp sell-off. Investors are particularly concerned that, when the levee breaks on the coronavirus in the U.S., the economy could face a recession … one that even central bankers will be unable to fix.

But President Trump is no fool in the rain. He provided no quarter for the outlook on the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.

“There’s a chance it could get worse; there’s a chance it could get fairly substantially worse, but nothing’s inevitable,” the president said.

The Takeaway: 

Nothing’s inevitable? Death and taxes would like to have a word with you, President Trump.

I won’t ramble on about the coronavirus like I have in the past. With more than 10 years gone, the bull market is sick again. Very sick.

The Dow has plunged more than 9% in the past four days, setting Wall Street’s favorite barometer back to levels last seen in October 2019. The Dow’s next line in the sand appears to be the 25,750 to 26,000 region.

This area is home to the Dow’s October 2019 lows and could provide short-term support for stocks.

So, if you’re looking for a short-term positive for the broader market, that’d be it. A move below 25,750 would be a heartbreaker for the market and a potential sign that things will get much worse.

Right now, you might be dazed and confused, wondering: “Hey … hey, what can I do?”

If you’re a regular Great Stuff reader, you already know what to do. Continue moving out of riskier, aggressive investments — like that winger you took on Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) — and get yourself into more conservative investments … such as gold or bonds.

If you’re not sure what is and what should never be when it comes to investing in gold and bonds, the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (Nasdaq: TLT) and the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are great places to start.

But, if you’re feeling particularly trampled underfoot with the market sell-off, there’s no reason to visit the gallows pole. The experts at Banyan Hill are here to guide you through Wall Street’s communication breakdown!

For instance, it doesn’t matter if the market experiences good times, bad times … you know we’ve all had our share … mega tech trends such as 5G and electric vehicles aren’t down for the count. No sirree, Bob!

If you invest in the right mega tech trend stocks, your time is gonna come, and Ian King’s Automatic Fortunes can help get you there.

You can find out more about Ian’s tech trend research here.

But… (And there’s always a but, isn’t there?)

If this virus shebang has you fighting the battle of evermore, you don’t want to miss out on what may turn into a prime time to buy. In that case, Jeff Yastine’s research is just what the plague doctor ordered.

Jeff knows how to spot standout companies trading for pennies on the dollar — and there are a lot of those out there right now.

You can find out more about Jeff’s research by clicking right here.

Going: Penney for Your Thoughts

If you had told me yesterday that J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) would be one of today’s hottest stocks … I’d have probably called you crazy. And yet, here we are … watching JCP shares rally amid another Wall Street bloodbath.

The department store hasn’t had the best track record in the earnings confessional in the past year, but Santa Claus apparently took pity on Penney. The company reported a surprise fourth-quarter profit of $0.13 per share, blowing away consensus expectations for a loss of $0.06 per share.

Revenue was also better than expected, falling 7.9% to $3.49 billion, but it still arrived ahead of Wall Street’s $3.38 billion target. Same-store sales dropped 7% on the quarter but were better than the expected 7.3% decline.

Finally, Penney indicated that the worst may have finally passed in its turnaround efforts. The retailer forecast same-store sales to fall a mild 3.5% to 4.5% for 2020, halving the consensus target for a 7.7% decline.

Clearly, J.C. Penney isn’t out of the woods just yet, but it’s finally making some headway. If the company can continue to progress with turnaround plans amid the coronavirus outbreak, it may finally be time to take Penney seriously again.

Going: Be Best

Strong prior-quarter results are no longer enough to cut it in this coronavirus world. Just ask Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY).

The big-box electronics retailer reported strong fourth-quarter results. Earnings rose 7% to $2.90 per share, while revenue sallied 3% higher to $15.2 billion. Both figures easily topped analyst expectations.

Best Buy’s earnings and revenue beats are even more impressive when you consider the company’s 2019 struggles with Chinese tariffs and the trade war. Best Buy has an extensive supply chain in China.

But it’s out of the fire and into the frying pan, with the coronavirus sweeping across China like a Mongol horde. “As we enter fiscal 2021, we are closely monitoring the developments related to the coronavirus outbreak,” said Chief Financial Officer Matt Bilunas.

Best Buy expects 2020 earnings of $6.20 per share on sales of $43.8 billion. “Our guidance ranges for both Q1 and the full year reflect our best estimates of the [coronavirus] impacts at this time,” noted Bilunas.

Both figures were well below Wall Street’s expectations — which seems odd, considering that analysts know Best Buy’s China situation. Personally, I see this as more proof that Wall Street hasn’t completely accepted the full potential impact of the virus.

Keep an eye on Best Buy. The company is strong and well-run, meaning you could find a diamond in the rough if you jump on BBY shares at the right time.

Gone: Shut the Windows

And the list continues to grow…

Last week, I told you about how Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) was the canary in the coal mine regarding coronavirus warnings. Today, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) joined the party.

“Although we see strong Windows demand in line with our expectations, the supply chain is returning to normal operations at a slower pace than anticipated at the time of our Q2 earnings call,” the company said in a statement. That second-quarter earnings call was just last month. My, how quickly things can change.

So, what’s the impact? The company says that its personal computing, Windows and Surface sales will not be up to snuff due to the virus outbreak. Microsoft’s personal computing unit accounted for 36% of total revenue last quarter, meaning that a slowdown here could materially hamper current-quarter results.

MSFT shares were punished hard for the warning, but ol’ Softy will be back — you can bet on that. Remember, Microsoft is the company that outlived the dot-com bust … and several other market disasters along the way.

That’s right, Great Stuff readers … this sell-off in MSFT is a buying opportunity. Maybe not right now. The market has a pretty nasty cold. But if you hold MSFT, there’s no reason to sell. In fact, look for opportunities to buy … just be careful about when.

Rabble, rabble, rabble. It’s time for Great Stuff readers to babble!

Welcome to your weekly Reader Feedback!

This week, we asked you for your thoughts on Warren Buffett, the market and the coronavirus. So, let’s get things kickin’, shall we?

China’s West Province

Howz it goin’!

– Don’t follow Buffett, he makes most of his money selling puts, or he just buys the companies, or he waits for the leeches to come to him and rips them off … lol.

– If Trump is still president, S&P 500 will be up.

– If you mean corona viral market, I have my own gauge. When hundreds of infections start showing up here in China’s west province … British Columbia, Canada … lol (sad but true ), then I’ll start worrying ’cause there has to be a few full 747s coming in daily.

– Like your newsletter, read it every night.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers!

Tony D.

Here’s a guy who followed this week’s assignment to the letter. You get an A+, Tony.

I, too, will start to really worry when hundreds of infections start showing up in North America. With today’s news of a spreading infection near San Francisco, I’m thinking you might get pinched from below … instead of air-dropped from Chinese 747s.

Stay safe, brother, and thanks for reading Great Stuff!

Plug Into Options

Hi, I really enjoy Great Stuff, and Profits Unlimited has made me some money. Would Joseph like any comments on Tesla from an options trader?

Gary F.

’Sup, Gary! So, you want to trade Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) options … hmmm. You know, you haven’t picked the best market time to consider this option, right? Volatility is through the roof right now. That means that Tesla options (heck, all options) are a bit expensive.

Thirty-day volatility on TSLA right now is higher than 90% of all readings taken in the past year. In layman’s terms, that’s pretty high, and TSLA options are expensive.

Remember, Gary, options trading is not for the faint of heart. And your strategy depends on what you want to get out of the trade. Are you looking to own Tesla stock at a lower price? Or, are you looking to profit from TSLA’s decline or rally?

Basic options strategies like buying calls or puts are going to be rough in a high-volatility environment. You’ll pay a lot and miss out on returns because of it. But, if I were forced to trade TSLA options, I would probably look at short-term puts … maybe in April or May, just to give myself some breathing room.

But that’s only if I were forced to trade TSLA options. I’m not forced, so I won’t.

By the way, Gary, I see you have Profits Unlimited … did you know that Paul Mampilly also has an options trading research service? If you’re interested in TSLA options, you should really check out Rebound Profit Trader.

You can find out more by clicking here.

All right, Gary wore me out. I’m sorry if I didn’t get to your question today. I’ll try to hit you up next week, so keep writing in!

And if you haven’t written in yet … what’s stopping you? Drop me a line at GreatStuffToday@banyanhill.com, and let me know how you’re doing out there in this crazy market.

That’s a wrap for today. But if you’re still craving more Great Stuff, you can check us out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

[goldira01]

Going to California

There was an attempt last night to assuage growing coronavirus fears in the U.S. But that attempt went over like a lead balloon.

Following the fifth consecutive drop in U.S. markets, President Donald Trump expressed a whole lotta love for the nation. Trump assured everyone: “Because of all we’ve done the risk to the American people remains very low.”

“We have quarantined those infected and those at risk,” he said. “We are rapidly developing a vaccine. The vaccine is coming along well.”

Unfortunately for Trump, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that not quite everyone was quarantined in the U.S. The CDC revealed the discovery of a patient with no direct ties to the coronavirus’s immigrant song outbreak.

In other words, this particular infection didn’t come from over the hills and far away … it was home-grown near San Francisco, California.

News of the unrelated outbreak hit Wall Street hard today, sparking another sharp sell-off. Investors are particularly concerned that, when the levee breaks on the coronavirus in the U.S., the economy could face a recession … one that even central bankers will be unable to fix.

But President Trump is no fool in the rain. He provided no quarter for the outlook on the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.

“There’s a chance it could get worse; there’s a chance it could get fairly substantially worse, but nothing’s inevitable,” the president said.

The Takeaway: 

Nothing’s inevitable? Death and taxes would like to have a word with you, President Trump.

I won’t ramble on about the coronavirus like I have in the past. With more than 10 years gone, the bull market is sick again. Very sick.

The Dow has plunged more than 9% in the past four days, setting Wall Street’s favorite barometer back to levels last seen in October 2019. The Dow’s next line in the sand appears to be the 25,750 to 26,000 region.

This area is home to the Dow’s October 2019 lows and could provide short-term support for stocks.

So, if you’re looking for a short-term positive for the broader market, that’d be it. A move below 25,750 would be a heartbreaker for the market and a potential sign that things will get much worse.

Right now, you might be dazed and confused, wondering: “Hey … hey, what can I do?”

If you’re a regular Great Stuff reader, you already know what to do. Continue moving out of riskier, aggressive investments — like that winger you took on Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) — and get yourself into more conservative investments … such as gold or bonds.

If you’re not sure what is and what should never be when it comes to investing in gold and bonds, the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (Nasdaq: TLT) and the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are great places to start.

But, if you’re feeling particularly trampled underfoot with the market sell-off, there’s no reason to visit the gallows pole. The experts at Banyan Hill are here to guide you through Wall Street’s communication breakdown!

For instance, it doesn’t matter if the market experiences good times, bad times … you know we’ve all had our share … mega tech trends such as 5G and electric vehicles aren’t down for the count. No sirree, Bob!

If you invest in the right mega tech trend stocks, your time is gonna come, and Ian King’s Automatic Fortunes can help get you there.

You can find out more about Ian’s tech trend research here.

But… (And there’s always a but, isn’t there?)

If this virus shebang has you fighting the battle of evermore, you don’t want to miss out on what may turn into a prime time to buy. In that case, Jeff Yastine’s research is just what the plague doctor ordered.

Jeff knows how to spot standout companies trading for pennies on the dollar — and there are a lot of those out there right now.

You can find out more about Jeff’s research by clicking right here.

Going: Penney for Your Thoughts

If you had told me yesterday that J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) would be one of today’s hottest stocks … I’d have probably called you crazy. And yet, here we are … watching JCP shares rally amid another Wall Street bloodbath.

The department store hasn’t had the best track record in the earnings confessional in the past year, but Santa Claus apparently took pity on Penney. The company reported a surprise fourth-quarter profit of $0.13 per share, blowing away consensus expectations for a loss of $0.06 per share.

Revenue was also better than expected, falling 7.9% to $3.49 billion, but it still arrived ahead of Wall Street’s $3.38 billion target. Same-store sales dropped 7% on the quarter but were better than the expected 7.3% decline.

Finally, Penney indicated that the worst may have finally passed in its turnaround efforts. The retailer forecast same-store sales to fall a mild 3.5% to 4.5% for 2020, halving the consensus target for a 7.7% decline.

Clearly, J.C. Penney isn’t out of the woods just yet, but it’s finally making some headway. If the company can continue to progress with turnaround plans amid the coronavirus outbreak, it may finally be time to take Penney seriously again.

Going: Be Best

Strong prior-quarter results are no longer enough to cut it in this coronavirus world. Just ask Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY).

The big-box electronics retailer reported strong fourth-quarter results. Earnings rose 7% to $2.90 per share, while revenue sallied 3% higher to $15.2 billion. Both figures easily topped analyst expectations.

Best Buy’s earnings and revenue beats are even more impressive when you consider the company’s 2019 struggles with Chinese tariffs and the trade war. Best Buy has an extensive supply chain in China.

But it’s out of the fire and into the frying pan, with the coronavirus sweeping across China like a Mongol horde. “As we enter fiscal 2021, we are closely monitoring the developments related to the coronavirus outbreak,” said Chief Financial Officer Matt Bilunas.

Best Buy expects 2020 earnings of $6.20 per share on sales of $43.8 billion. “Our guidance ranges for both Q1 and the full year reflect our best estimates of the [coronavirus] impacts at this time,” noted Bilunas.

Both figures were well below Wall Street’s expectations — which seems odd, considering that analysts know Best Buy’s China situation. Personally, I see this as more proof that Wall Street hasn’t completely accepted the full potential impact of the virus.

Keep an eye on Best Buy. The company is strong and well-run, meaning you could find a diamond in the rough if you jump on BBY shares at the right time.

Gone: Shut the Windows

And the list continues to grow…

Last week, I told you about how Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) was the canary in the coal mine regarding coronavirus warnings. Today, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) joined the party.

“Although we see strong Windows demand in line with our expectations, the supply chain is returning to normal operations at a slower pace than anticipated at the time of our Q2 earnings call,” the company said in a statement. That second-quarter earnings call was just last month. My, how quickly things can change.

So, what’s the impact? The company says that its personal computing, Windows and Surface sales will not be up to snuff due to the virus outbreak. Microsoft’s personal computing unit accounted for 36% of total revenue last quarter, meaning that a slowdown here could materially hamper current-quarter results.

MSFT shares were punished hard for the warning, but ol’ Softy will be back — you can bet on that. Remember, Microsoft is the company that outlived the dot-com bust … and several other market disasters along the way.

That’s right, Great Stuff readers … this sell-off in MSFT is a buying opportunity. Maybe not right now. The market has a pretty nasty cold. But if you hold MSFT, there’s no reason to sell. In fact, look for opportunities to buy … just be careful about when.

Rabble, rabble, rabble. It’s time for Great Stuff readers to babble!

Welcome to your weekly Reader Feedback!

This week, we asked you for your thoughts on Warren Buffett, the market and the coronavirus. So, let’s get things kickin’, shall we?

China’s West Province

Howz it goin’!

– Don’t follow Buffett, he makes most of his money selling puts, or he just buys the companies, or he waits for the leeches to come to him and rips them off … lol.

– If Trump is still president, S&P 500 will be up.

– If you mean corona viral market, I have my own gauge. When hundreds of infections start showing up here in China’s west province … British Columbia, Canada … lol (sad but true ), then I’ll start worrying ’cause there has to be a few full 747s coming in daily.

– Like your newsletter, read it every night.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers!

Tony D.

Here’s a guy who followed this week’s assignment to the letter. You get an A+, Tony.

I, too, will start to really worry when hundreds of infections start showing up in North America. With today’s news of a spreading infection near San Francisco, I’m thinking you might get pinched from below … instead of air-dropped from Chinese 747s.

Stay safe, brother, and thanks for reading Great Stuff!

Plug Into Options

Hi, I really enjoy Great Stuff, and Profits Unlimited has made me some money. Would Joseph like any comments on Tesla from an options trader?

Gary F.

’Sup, Gary! So, you want to trade Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) options … hmmm. You know, you haven’t picked the best market time to consider this option, right? Volatility is through the roof right now. That means that Tesla options (heck, all options) are a bit expensive.

Thirty-day volatility on TSLA right now is higher than 90% of all readings taken in the past year. In layman’s terms, that’s pretty high, and TSLA options are expensive.

Remember, Gary, options trading is not for the faint of heart. And your strategy depends on what you want to get out of the trade. Are you looking to own Tesla stock at a lower price? Or, are you looking to profit from TSLA’s decline or rally?

Basic options strategies like buying calls or puts are going to be rough in a high-volatility environment. You’ll pay a lot and miss out on returns because of it. But, if I were forced to trade TSLA options, I would probably look at short-term puts … maybe in April or May, just to give myself some breathing room.

But that’s only if I were forced to trade TSLA options. I’m not forced, so I won’t.

By the way, Gary, I see you have Profits Unlimited … did you know that Paul Mampilly also has an options trading research service? If you’re interested in TSLA options, you should really check out Rebound Profit Trader.

You can find out more by clicking here.

All right, Gary wore me out. I’m sorry if I didn’t get to your question today. I’ll try to hit you up next week, so keep writing in!

And if you haven’t written in yet … what’s stopping you? Drop me a line at GreatStuffToday@banyanhill.com, and let me know how you’re doing out there in this crazy market.

That’s a wrap for today. But if you’re still craving more Great Stuff, you can check us out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff