An occasional sampling of what’s catching the attention of professionals at Landaas & Company

Coverage of a Fed governor’s outlook on possible interest rate cuts in 2024 was not as revealing as it was reassuring. An article in The New York Times explained how Christopher Waller, a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, is viewing the economy and inflation and the prospects for reducing interest rates later in the year. It enlightened, but it didn’t show the elusive answers: When? And by how much?

Suggested by Kyle Tetting

When the high-tech stocks known as the Magnificent Seven got off to a slow start in 2024, an article in The Wall Street Journal reminded investors of the contrarian tactic of investing in the so-called Dogs of the Dow. That’s when you buy the 10 stocks with the highest dividend yields in the 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average. Highest dividend yields usually mean lowest stock valuations, so you’re putting your money on the stocks with the lowest expectations. Quipped one analyst in the article, “When expectations are low, it’s easier to beat them.”

Suggested by Art Rothschild

After months and months of grousing about the economy – contrary to data showing low unemployment and slowing inflation, consumers may be starting to perk up. As The Wall Street Journal reports, the latest measures of sentiment and confidence among consumers suggest they’re feeling better about the economy and their personal finances. That could translate into more consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of the U.S. economy.

Suggested by Joel Dresang

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(initially posted Jan. 26, 2024)