I thought the stock market was supposed to do poorly

[HALLGATOR]

The word, right after Obama won his 2nd term, centered around the stock market being in free fall and was going to continue to do badly. I also recall quite well that there were those a few years back who claimed the market would go down to around 5500 in the near future and and it never happened. I am beginning to believe you guys know about as much about where the market is going as I do. And that is very little.

Today the S&P hit a 5 year high; the Dow at this time is up over a 100 points and sits at around 13,600 while the Nasdaq is up over 21 points. This came about due to positive new on jobs and housing.

In with the good there is always a bit of not so good and the same holds with this date. Do these people not know something that some of you do?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks climbed on Thursday, with the S&P 500 advancing to a five-year intraday high on signs of strength in the housing and job markets and on better-than-expected results from online marketplace eBay (EBAY).

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to a five-year low last week and housing starts jumped last month to the highest since June 2008.

Strength in the housing and labor markets is key to sustained growth and higher corporate profits. Job market improvement helps stimulate consumer spending while a recovery in housing means more purchases of appliances, furniture and other household goods as well as a source of employment.

The S&P is on track for its third consecutive advance, which pushed the index above an intraday peak set in September to its highest since December 2007. The PHLX semiconductor index (.SOX), up 1.7 percent, reached its highest level in eight months.

http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas...t=stock+market

[rivergator]

Yep. Unemployment was going to skyrocket. Stock market was going to crash. All the business owners in the country were going to shut down and going on welfare and food stamps, because life is so much easier that way.

[mdgator05]

Originally Posted by rivergator

Yep. Unemployment was going to skyrocket. Stock market was going to crash. All the business owners in the country were going to shut down and going on welfare and food stamps, because life is so much easier that way.

No the workers were all going on welfare and food stamps. The business owners were going Galt, because a tax increase of 4% just made it not worth it to work hard.

[Minister_of_Information]

It's usually best to bet against sentiment.

[orangeblueorangeblue]

As I said before the election, most people on Wall Street couldn't possibly care less about politics as part of their jobs. Anyone who makes business decisions based on petty partisan politics will be a broke man very soon.

[neisgator]

Well, he is the Wall Street President. So, it would stand to reason that the market is going to do ok.

Oh, and this just in...the economy still sucks...bad.

[JerseyGator01]

Obama is Wall Street's best friend ... and the poor's at the same time. It's media brainwashing at it's finest. Job market is still horrendous and has been for nearly 10 years unless of course you are living off of the government like over 50% do. Then everything is O.K.

[mdgator05]

Who knew that you could be both a Socialist and the best friend of large scale profit-seeking commerce?

[ChartsandGrafs]

This thread reminds me of all the people back in 2005 who were crowing about how great the housing market was.

[Burke]

The Fed pumping $85 billion a month into the economy as QE in addition to keeping interest rates slightly above zero is effectively a subsidy for the stock market. I wouldn't want to be holding stock when it stops, as it inevitably will.

In fact, I don't want to be holding stock period and haven't thought they were good investments for several years.

As many have noted, we have a political economy today.

[JerseyGator01]

NJ unemployment is at 9.6% after 30,000 jobs were created in one month (most since 1990). See Hurricane Sandy.

[DeanMeadGator]

Originally Posted by rivergator

Yep. Unemployment was going to skyrocket. Stock market was going to crash. All the business owners in the country were going to shut down and going on welfare and food stamps, because life is so much easier that way.

Recall that the Wall Street Journal has for years compared the success rate of dart throwers [darts thrown into a board with different named stocks] with the success rate of well known stock brokers. On more than a few occasions, the dart throwers were more successful.

Anyone who says they know what the stock market will do isn't familiar with the unpredictable nature of the market. Otherwise, they would be millionaires [and subject to the success tax].

[rivergator]

Originally Posted by DeanMeadGator

Recall that the Wall Street Journal has for years compared the success rate of dart throwers [darts thrown into a board with different named stocks] with the success rate of well known stock brokers. On more than a few occasions, the dart throwers were more successful.

Anyone who says they know what the stock market will do isn't familiar with the unpredictable nature of the market. Otherwise, they would be millionaires [and subject to the success tax].

It's interesting to go back and read the doom-and-gloom predictions from our resident conservatives here, starting with this uncanny one:

I guess the markets aren't too happy about last night... they see the fiscal cliff coming... and don't like it. I guess my original view that the reduction of uncertainty may support the market today was wrong. The producers are scared.

The market is not happy... and won't be for a long time I suspect..


Read more: http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas...#ixzz2IHCkw290

[surfn1080]

Originally Posted by Burke

The Fed pumping $85 billion a month into the economy as QE in addition to keeping interest rates slightly above zero is effectively a subsidy for the stock market. I wouldn't want to be holding stock when it stops, as it inevitably will.

In fact, I don't want to be holding stock period and haven't thought they were good investments for several years.

As many have noted, we have a political economy today.

If unemployment stays this high, we won't see them stop for a while. But you are correct.

[dudehead]

Originally Posted by Burke

The Fed pumping $85 billion a month into the economy as QE in addition to keeping interest rates slightly above zero is effectively a subsidy for the stock market. I wouldn't want to be holding stock when it stops, as it inevitably will.

In fact, I don't want to be holding stock period and haven't thought they were good investments for several years.

As many have noted, we have a political economy today.

Yep, Ben has been blowing up this balloon even more than Greenspan did with his "Greenspan put." I've been thinking that either the fiscal cliff or debt limit political skirmishes might be enough to pop the balloon but now I'm not so sure. I now think it might take something more like another "shock" in the energy markets caused by Bibi pulling the trigger on Iran and that whole part of the world blowing up.

[MichaelJoeWilliamson]

There is a concatenation of all events in the best of possible worlds. It is a joy to live in such a place!

[Minister_of_Information]

From a purely amatuer point of view, I would advise being long stocks in 2013. Bonds have been punishing investors for 5 years now, and there is finally some evidence of sector rotation into equities. If you want to take some off the table later in the year that could be a sensible play. Then again, I think we are a couple of years away at least from serious fiscal consequences, so there is decent probability that this bull run will last longer. I would stay away from commodities for the time being, unless they fall significantly.

[G8trGr8t]

Originally Posted by Minister_of_Information

From a purely amatuer point of view, I would advise being long stocks in 2013. Bonds have been punishing investors for 5 years now, and there is finally some evidence of sector rotation into equities. If you want to take some off the table later in the year that could be a sensible play. Then again, I think we are a couple of years away at least from serious fiscal consequences, so there is decent probability that this bull run will last longer. I would stay away from commodities for the time being, unless they fall significantly.

Dollar weakening as we print, record cold temps destroying crops and livestock in China, China depleting their coal reserves trying to stay warm, and the ME ready to blow up on several fronts all lead me directly into commodities.

[egator1245]

Give it time!

[wargunfan]

Profits were taken in 2012 to avoid Obama's new taxes on dividends and capital gains. Some of that money is now going back in. Lets see where the market is in December. Are all liberals day traders?