24Dec2019 Pre-Market Commentary: Wall Street Poised For More Records On Christmas Eve, DOW Futures Up 26 Points, WTI Crude Up At 60.74, US Dollar Up At 97.72

Here is the current market situation from CNN Money

European markets finished mixed as of the most recent closing prices. The FTSE 100 gained 0.11%, while Germany’s DAX was off 0.13%. Shares in France were unchanged with the CAC 40 at 6,029.55.

Beauty brands tap TikTok influencers for holiday campaigns

In a TikTok video with the hashtag #awesomekiss, viral teen star Charli D’Amelio uses an eos Products lipbalm before kissing the screen and transforming into a dancing, costumed Santa in an ad for her 12 million followers.

Futures muted as indexes hover near record-highs

U.S. stock index futures hovered near record-highs on Tuesday, buoyed by optimism about the global economy in the wake of improving trade relations between Washington and Beijing.

New Boeing boss Calhoun is a tough-minded veteran of crisis

Beleaguered Boeing Co is putting its future in the hands of an industrial veteran who has led several companies in crisis, began his career at engine maker General Electric Co and has already spent a decade on the board of the world’s largest planemaker.

Emaar says may raise funds against Burj Khalifa viewing decks, not selling them

Dubai’s Emaar Properties said on Tuesday it was considering raising capital against cash flows generated by the observation decks on its Burj Khalifa skyscraper, but was not looking at selling them.

New Boeing boss faces EU pressure over Embraer tie-up: sources

As Boeing’s new boss tackles the immediate crisis over its grounded 737 MAX jet, he also faces pressing questions from European regulators over a deal to buy the commercial arm of Brazil’s Embraer – seen as key to its longer-term strategy.

Oil prices rise in Christmas Eve trade amid supply cuts

Oil prices rose on Tuesday in thin pre-Christmas trading after Russia’s energy minister said cooperation with OPEC to support the market would continue and as analysts forecast a second weekly decline in U.S. crude inventories.

Nissan top executive Seki to resign in blow to turnaround plan

The executive tasked with leading a recovery at Nissan Motor Co Ltd said he had decided to resign just weeks into his new job, a move that could disrupt the automaker’s push to turn the corner on scandal and slumping sales.

Festive world markets pause for breath near record highs

World stocks flatlined near record highs on Tuesday and remained on track for their best year in a decade, as China’s latest policy easing pledges added to the optimism generated by signs of detente in the 17-month long Sino-U.S. trade war.

Electric vehicle startup Rivian scores $1.3 billion investment from T.Rowe Price, others

Electric vehicle startup Rivian said on Monday it closed a $1.3 billion investment round led by T. Rowe Price and including existing investors Amazon.com and Ford Motor Co.

Exactly One Year After The Bear Market, Futures Hit Record High For 9th Day

Exactly One Year After The Bear Market, Futures Hit Record High For 9th Day

World stocks hit another record high on Tuesday on track for their best year in a decade in an extremely low-volume overnight session, with the S&P set to for an intraday record high for the 9th day in a row, the longest such streak since March 1998, as China’s latest policy easing pledges added to the optimism generated by what Reuters lazily fell back to as sign of trade war optimism (just how many times can one recycle the exact same thesis).

Buchanan: Today France, Tomorrow America?

Buchanan: Today France, Tomorrow America?

Authored by Patrick Buchanan via Buchanan.org,

As that rail and subway strike continued to paralyze travel in Paris and across France into the third week, President Emmanuel Macron made a Christmas appeal to his dissatisfied countrymen:

œStrike action is justifiable and protected by the constitution, but I think there are moments in a nation’s life when it is good to observe a truce out of respect for families and family life.

Macron’s appeal has gone largely unheeded.

œThe public be damned! seems to be the attitude of many of the workers who are tying up transit to protest Macron’s plan to reform a pension system that consumes 14% of GDP.

Macron wants to raise to 64 the age of eligibility for full retirement benefits. Not terribly high. And to set an example, he is surrendering his lifetime pension that is to begin when he becomes an ex-president.

Yet, it is worth looking more closely at France because she appears to be at a place where the rest of Europe and America are headed.

In France, the government collects 46% of the GDP in taxes and spends 56% of GDP, the highest figures in the Western world.

And Paris appears to be bumping up against the limits of what democratic voters will tolerate in higher taxes, or reductions in benefits, from the postwar welfare states the West has created.

A year ago, when Macron sought to raise fuel taxes to cut carbon emissions, the œyellow vests came out in protests that degenerate …

Investors Have Already Forgotten The Most Important Financial Lessons Of The Past Decade

Investors Have Already Forgotten The Most Important Financial Lessons Of The Past Decade

With only a few trading sessions left in the decade, the Wall Street Journal’s investing columnist Jason Zweig, the longtime author of paper’s “Intelligent Investor” column, is looking back on some of the biggest blunders of the decade.

As it turns out, there were a lot: Remember, investors started the decade with US stocks near their post-crisis lows, with few anticipating the unbridled rebound that would come to pass during the ensuing months and years.

Even more surprising was the drop in interest rates: Negative interest rates were a defining feature of the decade. But few expected them to persist as long as they did, nor did they expect Treasury yields to remain mired in the 1- and 2-handle territory for as long as they have. Ten years ago, most investors expected yields and interest rates to climb back into a “normal” range north of 4% on the ten year.

This Is America: 10 Examples That Show How Dramatically The U.S. Has Changed

This Is America: 10 Examples That Show How Dramatically The U.S. Has Changed

Authored by Michael Snyder via TheMostImportantNews.com,

One thing that you can count on in life is that things are going to change. And these days the pace of change in America is absolutely breathtaking. Our culture is in the process of being radically transformed, and the direction of that change has not altered very much at all no matter which political party has been in power in Washington. Many of the values that are now embraced by a solid majority of the population run directly counter to the values that once dominated our society, but only a small minority of Americans seem alarmed by that fact. It appears to be exceedingly unlikely that there will be any deviating from the path that our nation has chosen, because at this point the American people seem quite satisfied with the dramatic œprogress that is taking place.

Manmohan’s 1991 playbook could help Modi get 2020 right

Manmohan’s 1991 playbook could help Modi get 2020 rightLot of progress, from the emergence of a attuned software services industry and capital markets, is at risk.

Why your local jeweller is shutting shop

Why your local jeweller is shutting shopAs India is bringing in structural changes, the Rs 3 lakh cr gold jewellery biz is seeing a transition.

Former Maruti MD Khattar booked for fraud

Former Maruti MD Khattar booked for fraudThe agency has named Khattar and his company Carnation Auto in the fraud case.

Trucking Industry Growth Remains In Contraction In November 2019

Written by Steven Hansen

Headline data for the American Trucking Association (ATA) and the CASS Freight Index reported the year-over-year growth rate continues in contraction.

Metals Stocks: Gold price’s rise puts metal on track for highest settlement in 7 weeks

Gold prices on Tuesday head for a second straight gain and their highest level in about seven weeks, as the yellow metal scores some defensive position bets ahead of the Christmas holiday, market experts said.

Mark Hulbert: Putting all your money into stocks like a CNBC anchor advocates is a bad idea

Despite low bond yields, it still makes sense to split your portfolio between stocks and bonds, says Mark Hulbert.

SPY versus SPY? The world’s biggest ETF clones itself

State Street Global Advisors created the first-ever exchange-traded fund more than 25 years ago. This year, they may be pioneering another phase in the evolution of ETFs.