MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor was one of the biggest advocates of bitcoin as it rose and rose throughout 2020 and 2021. His software company started acquiring the cryptocurrency as a Treasury reserve asset, presuming it might be a more stable store of wealth than their dollar-based assets. It wasn’t, and now Michael Saylor is just a few bad trading days away from a $3.96 billion margin call.
Big Tech stocks have bounced back in recent weeks, thanks in part to signs that inflation might be slowing. If so, the Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes would be near their end — but I’m not so sure. Today I’ll show you why inflation is nowhere near over, and why the Fed’s weapons to fight it off are weaker than they’ve ever been before.
So, it might seem odd that I’ve recently talked about catalysts impacting stocks in phases or following a neat pattern like a row of toppling dominoes. That almost implies that some orderly course of events can make the next market move predictable. But as I’ve demonstrated throughout 2022, it’s possible to spot the next big move when you combine experience with a disciplined and objective approach. That’s why I want to show you the next shoe to drop for stocks.
Last week, I wrote that in its quest to defeat inflation, the Federal Reserve wants to make investors like us poorer. The “wealth effect” says happy and bullish investors tend to spend more money than sad and bearish ones. So, as far as the Fed is concerned, plummeting portfolio values are a good thing. But that’s only part of the story…
Regardless of whether the stock market goes up or down, regardless of whether you’ve ever bought or sold options, it’s still crucial to keep an eye on this massive market. More and more investors are keeping an eye on options experts (like our own Clint Lee) to stay informed and one step ahead.
Because today’s options trades could potentially dictate how your stocks trade tomorrow.
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James Hickman (aka Simon Black) is an international investor, entrepreneur, [...]
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