Energy Sector Layoffs Could Alter Labor Data Trends

When Jobless Claims were reported down sharply last Wednesday, one might have felt compelled to attribute it to the season. However, there’s no arguing against the long-term trend for claims. It clearly shows tangible and impressive improvement in the labor market. However, recently halved oil prices have energy companies reducing their spending plans for 2015, and that means layoffs are coming. See our report on the energy sector impact on the labor market here. Interests SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY), SPDR Dow Jones (NYSE: DIA), PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: QQQ), Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLE), SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production (NYSE: XOP), Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX).

GDP Up 3.5% After the Fed - So Buy, Sell or Hold Stocks?

Third quarter GDP was reported up 3.5%, and that’s good news. No really, it’s good news. In the recent past, when investors hoped for mildly positive economic data in order to keep the Fed at bay, really good news meant the Fed might turn hawkish faster. Today, though, now that we know the Fed’s plans are solid, really good news is really good news. Wednesday, when the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced it would indeed conclude its quantitative easing program and look toward higher rates in 2015, stocks (NYSE: SPY) altered their previous upward trajectory and headed lower. If you have been following along with my column, then you were able to ride the market higher over the week and a half into the meeting on my forecast and you were ready for the change in plan as well. See my market report here, and be sure to catch my next report covering the positive driver for the market next week.

Have No Fear About the Consumer Confidence Drop

When the Conference Board reported Consumer Confidence for the month of September, some on the Street worried about the so-called bad news. But, dear friends, don’t fret, as consumer spending will not reflect this decrease. We have much more important things to worry about out here on the battleground anyway. See our full report on consumer confidence here. This article matters to investors in Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), SPDR S&P Retail (NYSE: XRT) and Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLY).