A peace deal between the U.S. and Iran is signed, but you might not know it if you listen to the market pundits. It usually seems like the end of the world to those who seek clicks more than they provide helpful investment information. This week's musings are inspired by the 1987 song "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" by R.E.M. Here is some trivia about the song: The song was not especially popular when released, as it only reached #69 on the Billboard charts, but

This week was flush with activity as markets tried to bounce back from last Friday's sell off amid increased tensions in the Middle East and signs a deal might actually get done. Investors should realize there is no such thing as a "perfect" market to put money to work. This week's musings are inspired by the 1987 movie "Mannequin." Here is some trivia about the film: The movie wasn't a smash hit, but it did earn more than $42 million on a $6 million budget. However, the m

There's a divergence between sentiment in the market and economic data. This could go down as one of the "least loved" bull markets in history. The view that things aren't so good from a quality of life perspective with soft economic data stands in stark contrast to equity markets making new all-time-highs and solid hard economic data. We seem to have a battle behind the scenes between two opposing forces. This week's musings are inspired by the 1984 movie "Red Dawn." Her

There's only one word for market movement over the past few months - oil. Headlines have pushed markets around while investors have tried to figure out what will happen next. The messaging from both sides in the U.S.-Iran conflict has left investors' heads spinning. This week's musings are inspired by the 1983 movie "War Games." Here is some trivia about the film: The movie was a surprise hit, earning almost $125 million at the box office in 1983 on a meager $12 million b

Markets will usher in a new Federal Reserve Chairman this week, news on the Middle East continues to sway investors, and economic data is somewhat upbeat. With the back-and-forth in Middle East negotiations, investors need to simply take it one day at a time. This week's musings are somewhat related to last week's musings and are inspired by the 1975 TV show "One Day At A Time." Here is some trivia about the show: The show first aired on December 16, 1975 and enjoyed a stro

Markets have continued their march higher after a strong rebound in April. However, it's not just the reduction of tension in the Middle East that has markets moving. The underlying fundamentals have improved and recession fears have so far proven ambiguous. It's almost as if investors have forgotten what moves markets. This week's musings are inspired by the 1986 movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Here is some trivia about the film: The movie had a few up-and-comers and