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Inflation_News_Sentiment_Analysis

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This segment caters to a wide range of customers and businesses and benefits from increased generic utilization, inflation in generics driven by several patent expirations in the next few years and an aging population. Other Key Picks A few top-ranked stocks in the broader medical sector are Edwards Lifesciences Corporation EW , CryoLife, Inc. CRY and Edap Tms S.a. EDAP . More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

By Scott Minerd : In Goethe's 1831 drama Faust , the devil persuades a bankrupt emperor to print and spend vast quantities of paper money as a short-term fix for his country's fiscal problems. As a result of multi-trillion dollar quantitative easing programs, central banks around the world have compromised their ability to control the money supply, making them vulnerable to runaway inflation. Investment Implications To hedge against deterioration in the dollar's purchasing power, investors have already begun migrating toward hard assets such as gold, commercial real estate, artwork, collectibles, and rare consumer products like fine wines.

Southwestern Energy ( SWN ) dropped 16% while Encana ( ECA ) lost 11%. West Texas Intermediate futures were down almost 4% by the close to $29.87 a barrel, and the NYSE Energy Sector Index ended the day down 0.5%. A stronger-than expected acceleration in consumer-price inflation in January raised prospects that the Federal Reserve could soon increase interest rates.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE: BIP) spent much of the past year and a half repositioning its portfolio to accelerate growth. Fueling that growth was the $1.2 billion the company invested in acquiring stakes in a North American residential infrastructure business, Canadian midstream operation, and natural gas pipeline in India. Driving this growth was recent data center investments, inflation-driven price increases on its legacy contracts, and new towers added for its French telecom business.

First, you can invest in gold through the SPDR Gold Trust ( GLD ). This contract will soar in price when Greece defaults, more than offsetting any losses on GLD. In the longer term, money printing and renewed inflation may make the market rise and these options fall back, but by that time GLD will be rising and you can safely sell the puts.

Getting back to the market today, Pepsico( PEP ) and Marriott International( MAR ) both fell following their 3rd quarter results. There was an interesting read in the Wall Street Journal this morning, talking about some Federal Reserve officials considering pushing the inflation button to try and fix what is ailing the economy right now. Meanwhile, Wall Street is celebrating market gains, but when I see commodity prices screaming higher, I know this will eventually hit the consumer in many ways that will not benefit those who are not invested in the high-beta momentum stocks of the day.

Investors who want to be more aggressive can consider the ProShares Ultrashort Euro ETF (NYSEArca:EUO), an ETF geared to move two times the inverse of the euro's movement versus the dollar. The Republicans taking control of Congress has given rise to a key word that was a hot topic in Europe last year-"austerity." One thing is for sure:History shows that printing large amounts of money to pay the bills will lead to inflation.

As we discussed above, the key focus today will be Federal Reserve Chair Powell appearing today before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee at 11 am ET then the House Budget Committee tomorrow. Yesterday the Walt Disney Co (DIS) officially entered the streaming wars with the rather bumpy launch of Disney+. Data Download In a surprise move, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand left interest rates unchanged citing signs the economy will stop slowing and inflation will pick up.

Few stocks escaped the marketwide sell-off in October -- not even blue chip conglomerate Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) . Following the release of third-quarter 2018 earnings results and management's forecast for persistent headwinds as the business enters the final months of the year, investors might be wondering what to expect in the short term. Baker told investors in the press release that the business is strong and that competitive advantages remain in place, but there just aren't enough days left in 2018 to offset stubborn inflationary pressures in raw material and transportation costs.

This is a chart of West Texas Intermediate ( WTI ) crude oil prices. Thatbullish movement has been driven by big institutional investors sending capital into commodities, withhedge andfund managers increasing theirnet long positions across a basket of 18 U.S.futures and options markets by 10% in the week ended March 26. With monetary stimulation from the central banks of the world fueling potentialinflation , the stage is set for crude to make another run to its all-time high above $147 per barrel this summer.

Alamos Gold IncAGI is a Canadian-based intermediate gold producer with diversified production from three operating mines in North America. Click to get this free report Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. (ELS): Free Stock Analysis Report Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp. (SBY): Free Stock Analysis Report Alamos Gold Inc. (AGI): Free Stock Analysis Report Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. (APTS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Since the summer of 2016, headline inflation has climbed steadily, while last month consumer prices rose at the fastest pace in nearly five years on an annual basis.

*based on 5 year performance **based on 3 year performance PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund ( DBA ) While the broader measure of inflation remains subdued, food prices have been surging this year. DBA is a convenient way to get exposure to widely traded agricultural commodities through futures. Click to get this free report >> JPM-ALERN MLP (AMJ): ETF Research Reports PWRSH-DB AGRIC (DBA): ETF Research Reports ETFS-PALLADIUM (PALL): ETF Research Reports SPDR-SP 500 TR (SPY): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Source: Bloomberg, Financial Sense Wealth Management The last factor we want to highlight that is likely to lead to higher inflation is the weak US Dollar ( USD ). Weakness in the USD relative to a basket of foreign currencies leads to higher commodity and import prices, which in turn contributes to a higher general level of inflation. Past weakness in the USD suggests we should see the trend of rising inflation persist throughout 2018 as shown below.

A position in TIPS ( TIP ) also makes sense along with precious metals and senior loans ( BKLN ) to protect against the threat of inflation and rising interest rates. Disclosure: I am long [[GTU]], [[PSLV]], [[BAB]], [[HYG]], [[BKLN]], [[AGG]], [[TIP]]. Fiscal Policy Paralysis - A fact that is repeatedly reinforced by the Federal government in Washington is that absolutely nothing of substance is going to be accomplished in addressing the critical issues facing the U.S. economy until politicians are up to their knees in the fire of the problem.

Bank Stocks Getting a Jobs Boost: Morgan Stanley (MS) Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS ) shares are breaking above $48, leaving their February/March highs behind to hit levels not seen since late 2007. That's right: After nearly a decade, MS has erased the worst of its financial crisis losses. Bank stocks are perking up in response, threatening an upside breakout from a multi-month consolidation range on hopes the rise in interest rates - driven by higher inflation and economic growth expectations - will translate into an expansion of net interest margins and thus Wall Street profits.

European banks sold off on the news, including Credit Suisse ( CS ) -3.8%, ING Groep ( ING ) -1.5%, UBS ( UBS ) -2.8% and HSBC ( HSBC ) -1.3%. Barclays Plc ( BCS ) led declines among American depositary receipts of European companies on Thursday after being targeted in a lawsuit alleging securities fraud. European markets fell broadly after St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard said the central bank could raise interest rates as early as the first quarter of 2015 to combat inflation.

Investors turned their attention to Fed news and economic data on Wednesday, driving up U.S. Treasury yields in the process. On Wednesday, U.S. government debt yields rose after the release of key U.S. economic data, including the Federal Reserve's Beige Book. Fed officials also said they still expect labor and material bottlenecks to spur inflation higher, but the Beige Book doesn't find much evidence.

As a result, Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS ) fell for its eighth consecutive session - the longest losing streak for the Wall Street icon since May 2008, in the heart of the financial crisis. On the downside, flower delivery company FTD Companies Inc (NASDAQ: FTD ) fell 23.7% after Q4 earnings and revenues missed expectations on a 7.9% decline in consumer orders. Oracle Corporation (ORCL) Stock Jumps on Mixed Q3 Earnings On the inflation front, consumer price inflation increased a bit more than expected pushing the annual rate to 2.7% from the 2.5% rate in January.

Wall Street analyst upgrades helped shares of PNC Financial ( PNC ) and Family Dollar Stores ( FDO ) end the day in positive territory. Elsewhere, we were watching other big names move in opposite directions with the likes of Time Warner Cable ( TWC ) and Phillip Morris International ( PM ) attracting buyers, while shares of Yum! Buying Power Erosion As the Federal Reserve continues to punish savers, investing in income-producing assets is one of the few options investors have to remain ahead of real-life inflation.

"Despite today's positive performance, UGA is consolidating the October down move in the form of a 'bear flag' (chart pattern)," said Zev Spiro, CEO and chief market technician at Orips Research in New York. United States Gasoline ( UGA ) -- the largest ETF tracking gasoline futures -- soared 3.8% to 56.53. ETFs tracking gasoline prices flared up Friday as futures surged 3.5% on tight supplies in the storm-ravaged Northeast and expectations of the region's slow recovery boosting demand.

Top-Ranked Stocks From Sectors Unfazed by Rising Yields: Dillard's, Inc. (DDS) Arkansas-based Dillard's, Inc. (NYSE: DDS ) operates as a fashion apparel, cosmetics and home furnishing retailer in the United States. DDS is expected to register earnings growth of 21.25%, and has a Zacks Rank #1 and a Growth Score of A. Worries about growing supply of government debt and inflationary pressures from the recent spike in commodity prices, especially oil and metals, triggered the rise.

The central bank further hinted at a gradual hike next year given the considerable improvement in the labor market and increase in inflation from undesirably low levels. This would have a huge impact on commodity-linked investments, reflecting that a rising rate environment will hurt a number of segments. However, the initial phase of increase might actually be good for stocks, as it will reflect an improving economy and a lower risk of deflation.

Axalta Coating Systems Ltd (NYSE: AXTA) Q2 2019 Earnings Conference Call Jul. -- Analyst More AXTA analysis Transcript powered by AlphaStreet This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. Our bottom line growth was delivered despite volume headwinds across most end markets the ongoing FX impact and raw material inflation at mid-single digit percent increases at the adjusted EBIT level, albeit at moderating rates against prior year comparisons as anticipated.

If you still think a gold rebound may come, then gold producers such as GoldCorp (NYSE: GG ) look like the best gold stocks to own right now, rather than the exchange-traded funds like SPDR GoldShares (NYSE: GLD ) . If you think gold has further to fall, as I do, then you could short the GLD outright, perhaps using Goldcorp as a long hedge . As gold bugs aver, the end-result of aggressive monetary and fiscal policies will be sharply higher inflation and depreciation of Western currencies.

In such a scenario, investors could look to an investment such as the ProShares Short 20+ Year Treasury ETF (NYSEArca:TBF) that will rise in value as interest rates rise and bond prices fall. The Republicans taking control of Congress has given rise to a key word that was a hot topic in Europe last year-"austerity." One thing is for sure:History shows that printing large amounts of money to pay the bills will lead to inflation.

At this time, my firm currently has exposure to the following ETFs discussed in this article:SH, FXY, BIV, GLD, HYD, TIP and PCY. iShares Barclays TIPS Bond ETF (NYSEArca:TIP) is composed of a basket of Treasury inflation protected securities ( TIPS ). In the event of inflation, TIPS will help protect the current yield from deterioration caused by inflation.

According to an analysis conducted by healthcare data company Truveris earlier this year, prescription drug inflation topped 10% in 2015, spearheaded by an average price increase in branded pharmaceuticals of 14.77%. In September, the "Bad Boy of Pharma," Martin Shkreli, drew unwanted attention after his company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, acquired a rare disease drug known as Daraprim and promptly raised its price by roughly 5,500%. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton earlier this month offered up the idea of creating a federal task force whose job would be to act as a watchdog for excessive drug price hikes.

In fact, Goldman Sachs GS believes the Fed will let inflation run higher, allowing it to refrain from near-term rate hikes. The company's expected earnings growth for the current year is more than 100%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has moved 60.5% north over the past 30 days.

In the U.K., car production in June surged 10.4% from the year-ago period, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders ( SMMT ). The broad-based major European markets closed lower in Thursday's trading session, as investors turned sour on automotive stocks and banking companies. In Germany, the inflation rate (consumer price index) is expected rise 0.4% in July, from the same time last year, according to the Federal Statistical Office Destatis.

If inflation continues at the pace of last week’s Producer Price Index surge of 1.7 %, iShares Barclays TIPS Bond (TIP) will continue to set 52-week highs. While stocks received all the headlines following the Federal Reserve’s decision to launch QE3 without an expiration date, the dollar getting cracked went relatively unnoticed. Fortunately, there a number of ways investors can protect their purchasing power against a slumping dollar but reaching for higher yields with safety is becoming more difficult.

Microsoft ( MSFT ), Dell ( DELL ) and Wal-Mart ( WMT ) have each roughly tripled earnings per share, but their stock prices have nothing to show for it. He believes that Central Bankers are leading the world to inflation where his stocks should at least perform "nominally well," but says, "If a business or asset is good and cheap - absolutely, not relatively - we'll buy it." Aon focuses on several business areas: risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services.

That's where Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities ( TIPS ) exchange traded fund (ETFs) come in handy as a bet against potential rising inflation. Unprecedented government spending, interest rates near zero, and the potential for stagflation - slow growth coupled with high inflation - are just some of the reasons Alexander Green for Investment U recommends TIPS. But TIPs get the added benefit of a higher principal each year by the amount of inflation as measured by the consumer price index ( CPI ).

(RTTNews) - Reflecting a continued jump in energy prices, the Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing producer prices increased in line with economist estimates in the month of April. The annual rate of core price growth was also unchanged at 2.4 percent. On Friday, the Labor Department is scheduled to release a separate report on consumer price inflation in the month of April.

5 Best GARP Stocks Based on Discounted PEG First Interstate BancSystem Inc (NASDAQ: FIBK ), with a Zacks Rank #2 and Momentum Score of A, has witnessed its current-year earnings estimates moving 4.9% upward over the last 30 days. The report highlighted that improving economic growth, stimulus from the tax cuts and rise in inflation support a more aggressive stance by the Fed in hiking rates. 5 Overlooked Smart Beta Dividend ETFs Worth Buying Now Compare Brokers The post 3 Bank Stocks Not Likely to Lose Momentum appeared first on InvestorPlace .

Among the worst performers today were W.W. Grainger (NYSE: GWW) , Badger Meter (NYSE: BMI) , and Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) . The stock market bounced back on Tuesday, with investors focusing on strong economic data and favorable earnings reports from a wide variety of companies to create a generally optimistic view of the investing world. Inflation data showed a solid advance in prices, which is reassuring those who had feared that the prospect of deflation could give monetary policymakers no choice but to continue to leave rates at unusually low levels for the foreseeable future.

Notable reports include Weyerhaeuser (NYSE:WEY), National-Oilwell Varco ( NOV ), Mastercard ( MA ), Mattel (MAT), AbbVie (ABBV), Chevron (CVC), and Tyson Foods (TSN). This morning the Central Bank of Russia announced that it would continue to conduct unlimited forex market interventions as long as the ruble remained weak against other major currencies. Additionally, the PCE deflator, the inflation gauge that shows what consumers lose from their purchasing power, is expected to rise to a 1.1% year-over-year rate.

The Taiwan ETF ( EWT , quote ) is the easiest way to play here. Even though the central bank is worried about the impact of Japan's earthquake on global economic growth, the risk here is apparently much more on the side of inflation. Capital expenditures on chip equipment will come in at a record, up 30% this year as TSM works to expand its already vast manufacturing capacity to keep up with the world's demand for high-end silicon.

The FTSE fell 0.44%, the DAX dropped 0.43%, and the CAC-40 lost 0.59%. The broad-based major European markets closed lower in Thursday's trading session, as investors turned sour on automotive stocks and banking companies. In Germany, the inflation rate (consumer price index) is expected rise 0.4% in July, from the same time last year, according to the Federal Statistical Office Destatis.

Notable earnings expected on Friday include: Big Lots (NYSE: BIG ) is expected to report second quarter EPS of $0.30 on revenue of $1.20 billion, compared to last year's EPS of $0.31 on revenue of $1.23 billion. The nation's consumer price index increased to 1.3 percent annually in July, suggesting that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policies have been successful. After implementing a massive sales tax hike in April, many worried that the nation would suffer, but with inflation rising toward the government's two percent target, Japan's economic recovery looks to be on track.

Click to get this free report NASDAQ-100 SHRS (QQQ): ETF Research Reports SPDR-SP 500 TR (SPY): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Well, CPI gains can be attributed to many factors: strong economic growth, tightening labor markets, rising input costs due to tariffs, etc. In July, President Trump even asked the de facto leader of OPEC, Saudi Arabia, to increase its output, as low inventory put a toll on the pockets of U.S. consumers.

On Frankfurt's DAX, technology major Siemens, Infineon, a manufacturer of semiconductors and Henkel, a chemical and consumer goods company, were all 2% higher while thyssenkrupp, an industrial steel-maker, was up by 1.9%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 Index was 0.82% higher, London's FTSE 100 Index was up by 0.47%, Frankfurt's DAX was up by 1.20% and Paris' CAC-40 was 1.19% higher at the time of writing. European equity benchmarks followed Asian stocks higher on Monday morning as oil prices gained traction, Eurozone inflation continued to rise and acquisition news buoyed sentiment across the region.

For a look at the issues currently facing the markets, make sure to read today's Ahead of Wall Street article The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) decreased more than 0.3%, to close at Array6,639.97. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported that the personal consumption expenditure price index (PCE) - an important indicator of inflation - rose 0.4% in January, higher than December's increase of 0.2%. Gains from companies like Chesapeake Energy Corporation ( CHK ) and salesforce.com, inc. ( CRM ) following better-than-expected revenue reports also pushed the market upward.

Notably, TIPS offer robust real returns during inflationary periods, unlike its unprotected peers in the fixed-income world. TIPS ETFs in Focus Investors with a long-term view can count on the potential uptick in inflation as U.S. economic backdrop remains robust and things in the energy space should improve sooner or later. BlackRock also believes that "TIPS are incredibly cheap."

Real estate investment trusts have gotten absolutely crushed over the past three months and particularly since Donald Trump's surprise victory in the -…-6 presidential election. The perception is that Trump's economic policy will blow out the budget deficit, fuel inflation and send bond yields higher. Read More: Cognex Corp ( CGNX ) CEO& President Robert Willett Sold $5.6 million of Shares About GuruFocus: GuruFocus.com tracks the stocks picks and portfolio holdings of the world's best investors.

Check out the iShares Barclays 20+ year Treasury Bond fund ( TLT ) . A lengthy period of stagflation pushed rates toward (and eventually past) the double-digit mark on the heels of anemic economic growth and rising inflation. As long as you focus on companies that have a history of maintaining or boosting their dividend , it's very hard to see how you won't make more money in these stocks than in bonds right now.

The Overall Fundamentals Gold futures on the COMEX Division of the New York Merc closed modestly lower Wednesday, as players booked profits in anticipation of an unfavorable decision to be announced by US Federal Reserve. Most analysts still believed that Gold would keep the Bull charging in the long run, as the supportive forces, including economic slowdown and inflation, remained intact. The most active Gold contract for Dec. delivery declined one USD, or 0.055%, to 1,808.1 oz.

By Scott Minerd : In Goethe's 1831 drama Faust , the devil persuades a bankrupt emperor to print and spend vast quantities of paper money as a short-term fix for his country's fiscal problems. As a result of multi-trillion dollar quantitative easing programs, central banks around the world have compromised their ability to control the money supply, making them vulnerable to runaway inflation. Investment Implications To hedge against deterioration in the dollar's purchasing power, investors have already begun migrating toward hard assets such as gold, commercial real estate, artwork, collectibles, and rare consumer products like fine wines.

Conversely, if you think gold has more room to run and large government deficits will inevitably lead to high inflation, then the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF ( GDX ) might be the play. Or accept higher interest rates on any future bond offerings, which would likely lead to the rising inflation that many gold bugs expect. Unrest in the Korean Peninsula, along with economic concerns in Europe, are pushing up gold prices, decoupling the trade from the long-standing inflation fears.

Premium meat products company Hormel Foods CorporationHRL is scheduled to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2017 (ended October, 2017) results on Nov 21, before the market opens. Conversely, we caution against stocks with a Zacks Ranks #4 or 5 (Sell rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is witnessing negative estimate revisions. Nevertheless, Hormel Foods fears that continued inflation in the prices of major inputs such as pork and beef trim or challenges in the Jennie-O Turkey Store business might dent its bottom-line performance.

For example, the Direxion Daily 7-10 Year Treasury Bull 3x Shares ETF (NYSEArca: TYD ) and Direxion 7-10 year Treasury Bear 3x (NYSEArca: TYO ) helped provide a long and short leveraged 300% daily stance on Treasury debt securities with seven to 10 year maturity. Fed officials also moved toward a consensus on a proposal to start gradually shrinking its $4.5 trillion in holdings of Treasury and mortgage securities later this year. Supporting the rate outlook, the U.S. is seeing increased economic growth, rising inflation and greater employment numbers.

In fact, the SPDR Gold Trust ETF (NYSEARCA:GLD) and iShares Gold Trust ETF (NYSEARCA:IAU) have never had a down year for as long as they have been around. Gold has been one of the most talked about hard assets of the last two years, as the metal soared to all-time highs, only to watch its price take a tumble in the months that followed. This has all happened despite the current $85 billion monthly printing from Ben Bernanke and the Fed, which many thought would spark inflation thereby sending gold higher.

Q1 earnings start today, with Alcoa (NYSE: AA ) reporting after the close, and some analysts have been saying that comparisons with last year's results could be difficult. On Friday, investors seemed more focused on the federal government's budget negotiations and on upcoming Q1 earnings than on buying or selling stocks. Despite the steep angle of advance seen with silver and other commodities, these groups continue to offer investors the best opportunity for near-term success due to their ability to offset the possible future inflationary trend referred discusses by the Fed at their recent FOMC meeting.

The SPDR S&P International Energy ETF (NYSEArca:IPW) rockets ahead of the rest of the segments that make up the All Country World Ex-US Index, represented by the iShares MSCI ACWI ex US Index Fund (NasdaqGM:ACWX). "GDP growth will be slower, headline inflation will be higher, housing prices will stay weak longer," he notes. As proof, Kotok offers the following observation:Look at all the components of the S&P 500 Index and you'll see that energy is the only segment on an upward trend.

Fundamentally speaking, the dollar's ( quote ) real challenge here is the prospect that a sustained oil shock will accelerate global inflationary pressures. In the United States in particular, the dollar is seen as vulnerable to the prospect that the Federal Reserve will effectively surrender to inflation in order to avoid raising interest rates before the last possible moment. Even a perfunctory interest rate hike could drive Greece, Portugal, Ireland or even Spain back into another funding crisis -- which would likely have a net negative impact on the euro down the road, to say the least.

Huntsman CorporationHUN is among the world's largest global manufacturers of differentiated and commodity chemical products for a variety of industrial and consumer applications. A sustained period of low growth and low inflation has ensured that basic materials stocks have been out of favor for quite some time now. Prospects of a sustained period of growth and a pickup in inflation are likely to brighten the prospects of basic materials companies.

The high levels of inflation, as well as currency depreciation, was forcing the company to continually raise the prices of its products, which consequently, had a negative impact on its growth. Moreover, the softness in the economy prompted the governments to raise taxes, including for the food and beverage industry, which hampered the purchasing power of consumers. Volume sales of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar have grown by double digits globally year-to-date, with the strongest growth in Europe and Latin America, regions where this product is most widely available.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals gained 17% in midday trading after announcing a deal with Walgreens Boots Alliance ( WBA ). Stocks rose on Tuesday as higher crude oil prices and bullish inflation data carried the Dow Jones Industrial up by almost 200 points and pushed the Nasdaq Composite Index above its 5,000-point threshold. Equity markets across Europe all finished significantly higher Tuesday, with France and Germany outperforming following gains in oil, commodity and banking stocks.

Gasoline prices are up 21% since the start of the year, which may have negative implications for US consumers, Stifel said in a note to clients on Monday. Consumers have become increasingly dependent on lower gas prices at the pump to supplements their balance sheets, Stifel said. "Thus, a backup in energy prices will no doubt undermine the consumer's ability to spend out in the marketplace in the absence of significant improvement in earnings."

Yesterday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell observed that the U.S. economy is in a "good place" but also hinted that he wouldn't get too worked up if inflation edged above the central bank's 2% target. "We believe both views will be challenged in autumn by higher wage growth & Asian economic slowdown; hence summer rally will need to be sold." McDonald's (MCD) is down after the Illinois Department of Public Health said it was investigating a potential case of food-borne illness linked to the restaurant's salads.

Mohawk Industries, Inc. 's MHK focus on introducing innovative products, increasing prices to offset inflation and improving productivity are encouraging. Click to get this free report Mohawk Industries, Inc. (MHK): Free Stock Analysis Report The Dixie Group, Inc. (DXYN): Free Stock Analysis Report Crown Crafts, Inc. (CRWS): Free Stock Analysis Report Interface, Inc. (TILE): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The company enjoys a competitive edge over peers like Interface, Inc. TILE , The Dixie Group, Inc. DXYN and Crown Crafts, Inc. CRWS , courtesy of its industry-leading designs, patented technologies and brands.

REIT prices tend to react negatively initially to rate rises which results in short term volatility, but an unadjusted yield of close to 4% on the Vanguard REIT ETF (VNQ), for example, offsets that volatility somewhat over time. That situation should improve somewhat as rates begin their upward path but those who need income from their investments still face some tough choices. The Fed has begun the normalization of interest rates on the assumption, supported by data from around the world, that we are finally approaching a period of inflation.

China's consumer prices may rise as much as 5.5% this month. The gauge, used by Intercontinental Exchange Inc. ( ICE ) to track the "Greenback" vs the currencies of 6 major US trading partners, touched 73.735 on April 21, the lowest since August 2008. CICC said consumer prices may rise between 5.2% and 5.5% in April, compared with the government's full-year inflation target of 4%.

Yesterday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell observed that the U.S. economy is in a "good place" but also hinted that he wouldn't get too worked up if inflation edged above the central bank's 2% target. "We believe both views will be challenged in autumn by higher wage growth & Asian economic slowdown; hence summer rally will need to be sold." McDonald's (MCD) is down after the Illinois Department of Public Health said it was investigating a potential case of food-borne illness linked to the restaurant's salads.

Yet in the carnage that the market's roller-coaster movements left behind, one particular sector -- real estate -- hasn't shown signs of bouncing back. But the thing to understand about REITs and real estate stocks is that their price movements are a lot more continuous than what most people are familiar with seeing. With an already solid economy that will now see the impact of large tax reductions at the corporate level, concerns about nascent inflation are on the rise.

Did anyone see this morning's CPI (consumer price index) data? Oil and gas prices are spiking and the energy price data shows a decrease! On the flipside, Deere & Company ( DE ) and Staples ( SPLS ) got hit hard on numbers that disappointed investors.

Click to get this free report SPDR-DJ IND AVG (DIA): ETF Research Reports SPDR-SP 500 TR (SPY): ETF Research Reports NASDAQ-100 SHRS (QQQ): ETF Research Reports SPDR-EU STX 50 (FEZ): ETF Research Reports VANGD-FTSE EUR (VGK): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. In a news conference currently ongoing, ECB President Mario Draghi said that he sees "inflation continuing to rise in 2018 and 2019." The European economy in aggregate has found much more solid footing since, which is the main reason for markets rising on this news.

Hartford Financial ( HIG ) did its part to help the averages after reporting earnings results Wall Street liked. In the past couple of days and with a rising stock market, the accolades are numerous for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The idea that he has studied what happened in Japan and will do everything in his power to prevent deflation by continuing the printing press of U.S. dollars could become quite dangerous in a "be careful what you wish for" scenario.

Gasoline prices are up 21% since the start of the year, which may have negative implications for US consumers, Stifel said in a note to clients on Monday. Consumers have become increasingly dependent on lower gas prices at the pump to supplements their balance sheets, Stifel said. "Thus, a backup in energy prices will no doubt undermine the consumer's ability to spend out in the marketplace in the absence of significant improvement in earnings."

The Fed is expected to hike interest rates multiple times this year to tame inflation. For instance, etf.com data tells us that iShares TIPS Bond ETF (TIP) has witnessed $350.2 million in inflows in February so far. iShares TIPS Bond ETFTIP This fund focuses on providing exposure to TIPS, U.S. government bonds that adjusts its principal based on inflation numbers.

"The further rise in core CPI inflation to an 11-year high of 2.4% in August won't stop the Fed from cutting interest rates again next week," said Andrew Hunter, Senior U.S. He added, "But it does provide further reason to believe that market expectations of significant further easing will ultimately be disappointed." A separate report released by the Labor Department on Wednesday showed a modest uptick in U.S. producer prices in the month of August.

Well, the reason why markets reacted that way is because the lower figure is partly the beneficiary of a previously announced change--effective January 2011--in the weight of items included the CPI basket calculation. Not to mention food prices soared 10.3% after rising 9.6% in December - Grain escalated 15.1%, fresh eggs climbed 20.2%, and fruit spiked 34.8% from a year ago, according to the official report. Moreover, the worst drought in 60 years hitting China northern “wheat belt” will only putting more upward pressure on the already rampant food price inflation, although Beijing so far has downplayed it.

I recently discussed the appeal of the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF ( EEM ) and still think that its blue-chip portfolio is gong unappreciated by global investors. Large Trade Deficits Sources: CIA World Factbook, United Nations Note that many emerging-market economies have been home to some of the most dynamic growth rates in the past decade. In the nearterm , a weaker currency for any nation that runs trade deficits means that import prices are rising, and an upward move ininflation can lead central banks to raise interest rates to reverse the trend.

Top gold mining stocks, both in earnings and stock performance, include Randgold,Agnico Eagle ( AEM ),Iamgold ( IAG ),Royal Gold ( RGLD ) andAllied Nevada Gold ( ANV ). But low interest rates and fear of inflation, due in part to quantitative easing, give gold a chance to show its strength as a shape-shifting asset. As for gold miners, said HSBC Securities analyst Patrick Chidley, "I think the stocks are very cheap and trading on multiples we haven't seen in decades."

(RTTNews) - A report released by the Labor Department on Wednesday showed consumer prices in the U.S. increased by slightly more than anticipated in the month of November. He added, "In that environment, we expect the Fed to remain on the side-lines for a lot longer than today's FOMC meeting." On Thursday, the Labor Department is scheduled to release a separate report of producer price inflation in the month of November.

Despite weak retail sales and lackluster earnings, all three major indices closed higher with the Nasdaq Composite outperforming due to strength in biotech and chipmaker stocks. Overseas markets were also on the plus side Wednesday despite disappointing economic data on Chinese retail sales, EU industrial production and a contraction in Japan's GDP of 1.7%. Also, the Atlanta Federal Reserve reported that businesses expect inflation to increase to a 2.0% rate from 1.9% in July.

Copper prices have risen sharply over the past two months as a result of firming demand-side conditions. Copper prices have declined over the past couple of years largely as a result of weakening economic growth in China. In addition, accelerating measures of wholesale price inflation have added to the certainty of firming domestic demand in China.

Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH ) based in Shanghai, China, the company is engaged in providing independent services primarily comprising of distribution of wealth management products to the high net worth population in China. Noah Holding has expected earnings growth of 16.4% for current year. Notably, President Trump's tariff policies raised fears of a global trade war and spurred inflationary concerns and geopolitical conflicts, resulting in stock market volatility.

My biggest takeaway from this chart is that I don't buy into the supposed safety of the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond Fund ( TLT ) . You can buy them at a hefty discount right now… 2 Cheap Income Generators to Buy Today But MUB and TLT aren't the best ways to play this game. When it comes to ultra-safe US-issued bonds, I think the volatility in TLT and the inevitability of stronger inflation in the near term make it a bad choice.

Click to get this free report SPDR-DJ IND AVG (DIA): ETF Research Reports NASDAQ-100 SHRS (QQQ): ETF Research Reports SPDR-SP 500 TR (SPY): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The PPI is arguably the bigger determinant toward future economic inflation, concerns of which have led to the past two weeks of market turbulence. Pre-Markets in the Green Market index futures did not budge much from their positive sentiment following the release of PPI data, which analysts had drawn a trained eye toward.

Second on the list was the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEArca:XRT), which suffered $156.5 million in redemptions, or about a quarter of its assets. The iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSEArca:TLT) rounded out the top three funds on the inflows list, with creations of $152.6 million. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 165.07 points, or 1.5 percent, to 10,978.62 on China's surprise move to lower its official interest rates by a quarter percentage to keep inflationary pressures in check for its fast-growing economy.

But despite the rising inflation numbers, new discussions are appearing in the British media of another round of quantitative easing by the BOE to stimulate the UK economy, similar to their US counterparts at the Fed. This bout of inflation may have been caused by loose monetary policy by the Bank of England ( BOE ) in their fight against the economic downturn. Given that an increase in interest rates could stymie the tepid 1.2% growth in the UK economy, the BOE will most likely not raise interest rates anytime soon.

UBS Group AG ( UBS ) reported fourth-quarter 2014 net profit attributable to shareholders of CHF 963 million ($998.3 million), increasing 5% year over year. Click to get this free report UBS GROUP AG (UBS): Get Free Report DEUTSCHE BK AG (DB): Free Stock Analysis Report ROYAL BK SC-ADR (RBS): Free Stock Analysis Report HSBC HOLDINGS (HSBC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The rise was due to increased risk, compliance and related costs, inflationary pressures and investment in strategic initiatives to support growth.

Short treasuries via TBT. That 4.7% return on today's long bond would look pretty darn good if deflation hit the USA hard over the next decade or so. The Bottom Line: The bond market pretty much screamed inflation as they become increasingly more concerned about our trillion dollar deficits.

Great Basic Materials Stocks to Buy Ahead of Q2 Earnings: TimkenSteel Corp (TMST) TimkenSteel Corp (NYSE: TMST ) engages in manufacturing alloy steel, as well as carbon and micro-alloy steel. Source: Andre Robillard Via Unsplash Currently, multiple factors are working in the sector's favor, boosting its investment worthiness in the short run. 3 Ways to Profit From Trump's Space Force Gasoline prices boosted both indexes, with the PPI advancing 3.4%, the largest increase since November 2011.

PowerShares DB U.S. Dollar Index Bullish ( UUP ), measuring the greenback against a basket of major foreign currencies, shed 0.3% to 21.91. As usual the gold bulls and bears butted heads over whether Thursday's action marks the beginning of a new uptrend or just a dead-cat bounce in a long-term downtrend. He has put 5% to 8% of his clients' assets in metals and natural resources as a hedge against inflation that he believes will arise from central banks around the world printing money to stimulate their economies.

Nonetheless, Mr. Bernanke understands that inflation pressures remain very low (even though he has failed to apply or promote the proper solution to our current balance sheet recession). But I believe gold prices are moving higher due to the public's opposition to fiat currency, fiscal stimulus and what is generally viewed as continued "money printing". It has caused the increasing rally cry for reduced government spending and continued shrieking from deficit hawks who haven't differentiated between the currency system in the EMU and in most other developed nations.

However, commodity cost inflation is expected to be 3% in fiscal 2015 as commodity costs have been rising sharply in the past few months. Other better-ranked stocks in the food industry include Hain Celestial Group Inc. ( HAIN ), Treehouse Foods, Inc. ( THS )and Inventure Foods, Inc. ( SNAK ). Click to get this free report GENL MILLS (GIS): Free Stock Analysis Report HAIN CELESTIAL (HAIN): Free Stock Analysis Report INVENTURE FOODS (SNAK): Free Stock Analysis Report TREEHOUSE FOODS (THS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Nonetheless, Mr. Bernanke understands that inflation pressures remain very low (even though he has failed to apply or promote the proper solution to our current balance sheet recession). But I believe gold prices are moving higher due to the public's opposition to fiat currency, fiscal stimulus and what is generally viewed as continued "money printing". It has caused the increasing rally cry for reduced government spending and continued shrieking from deficit hawks who haven't differentiated between the currency system in the EMU and in most other developed nations.

On the flip side, EOG Resources ( EOG ), Agrium ( AGU ) and Garmin ( GRMN ) all saw selling on their earnings news. In the past couple of days and with a rising stock market, the accolades are numerous for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The idea that he has studied what happened in Japan and will do everything in his power to prevent deflation by continuing the printing press of U.S. dollars could become quite dangerous in a "be careful what you wish for" scenario.

Facebook can leverage Messenger Kids to influence the 13-and-under crowd so that when they turn into teenagers, they are drawn towards Facebook's ecosystem of apps and not towards Snap Inc (NYSE: SNAP ). That will erode the equity risk premium, drive inflation higher, and dilute the present value of "down-the-road" profits, which is where these hyper-growth stocks get a ton of their value from. This makes sense, but it ignores the fact that these same hyper-growth tech stocks will also get a huge earnings boost as a result of the tax bill.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. Japanese opposition candidate for Prime Minister Abe reiterated his stance on the Bank of Japan overnight, stating that the BoJ should adopt a 3 percent inflation target (currently 1 percent) and commit to unlimited QE to weaken the yen. Earnings Notable companies expected to report earnings Friday include: Foot Locker (NYSE: FL ) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.54 vs. $0.43 a year ago.

Market Vectors Vietnam ETF (NYSE: VNM ) Due to inflation problems that, until this year, could best be described as rampant, the State Bank of Vietnam has not been able to cut interest rates in more than two years . If that does happen, expect a bounce in VNM. Granted, Abe is less than two weeks removed from victory, but his pre- and post-election rhetoric about weakening the yen and getting Japan's inflation rate to two percent has been sharp.

For example, MVO Oil Trust ( MVO ) pays a mouth-watering 9% and is expected to grow earnings per share +20% this year -- not too shabby. Worldwide consumption is forecast to rise nearly +2% to 86.2 million barrels a day in 2010, according to a monthly report from the International Energy Agency. The massive increase in debt issued by the U.S. government has raised the specter of inflation, which could continue to put upward pressure on commodities like gold and oil.

Nonetheless, Mr. Bernanke understands that inflation pressures remain very low (even though he has failed to apply or promote the proper solution to our current balance sheet recession). But I believe gold prices are moving higher due to the public's opposition to fiat currency, fiscal stimulus and what is generally viewed as continued "money printing". It has caused the increasing rally cry for reduced government spending and continued shrieking from deficit hawks who haven't differentiated between the currency system in the EMU and in most other developed nations.

The company's projections for fiscal 2014 reflect higher costs across the board due to the ongoing infrastructure investments and pre-opening costs related to its Canadian venture along with its Rack store expansion plans. This cost inflation is further expected to impact earnings throughout fiscal 2014. Higher costs projections for the year reflect SG&A expenses, as a percentage of sales, to rise 10 to 30 bps.

Consider H&R Block's ( HRB ) earnings report from last Wednesday. There is chaos spreading in the middle east, the U.S. legislature is polarized and paralyzed like never before in American history, wages are falling, inflation is returning, and the word on the Street, based on recent corporate earnings announcements, is-all's well. The Street has been watching Adobe carefully since last year, when the company decided to forgo traditional software sales for a cloud services / licensing model.

Bank of America ( BAC ) rose 1.5% after earnings topped analysts' estimates but Wells Fargo ( WFC ) slumped 2.8% after missing Street expectations on the top and bottom line. Equities in the U.S. reached new record highs in their third increase in four days, sending the measures to weekly advances as earnings season took focus and Friday's economic data added support. Inflation also accelerated last month, but the majority of the 0.5% gain in the nominal index was attributed to a 13.1% spike in gas prices resulting from supply disruptions due to Hurricane Harvey.

Energy stocks led the way, with ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP ) up 3% and Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL ) up 3.4%. Barclays estimates the lift to companies' 2018 earnings-per-share to be about 8.1% - reduced to around 6.3% after accounting for items like one-time repatriation costs and deferred tax liabilities and assets. Next year features many headwinds: Mid-term elections and the specter of Democratic gains in Congress, a more aggressive rate hike path from the Fed (with a new chairman at the helm), further turmoil in China and the appearance of inflation here at home.

The country's rampant inflation is making it harder for Brazilian companies to operate, with Vale being forced to tap its emergency credit lines for funding because it was unable to secure outside financing. This oversupply has caused a lot of pain for aluminium giant Alcoa (NYSE: AA) and iron ore specialist Vale SA (NYSE: VALE) . However, both companies have some catalysts on the horizon that could make each a compelling investment: Alcoa with the spinoff of its parts manufacturing business, Arconic, and Vale with the completion of its massive S11D mine.

Investors should note that WisdomTree Emerging Currency Strategy ETF CEW ) lost over 0.6% in the last one month (as of January 10, 2017). Click to get this free report ISHARS-JPM EM B (EMB): ETF Research Reports PRO-ST USD EMB (EMSH): ETF Research Reports WISDMTR-EMG CUR (CEW): ETF Research Reports PWRSH-EM SVN DP (PCY): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Trump's vows to cut taxes and boost fiscal spending raised inflationary expectations, pushing bond yields higher.