Coronavirus Cases Continue to Climb

Both stocks and bonds are close to unchanged levels in early morning trading.  To see the stock market maintain its strength under the pressure of even more cases of the deadly coronavirus being announced is great for investors.  With yesterday’s addition of 4,823 people to the total infection count, this should be taking a bigger toll on stocks than it has.  Overall, the longer term impact to the global economy remains unknown.  Clearly, even this isn’t enough to rattle the optimism of stock investors.  At this point, the market seems invincible.

The Headline Retail Sales number for January came in strong.  However, the control group was below the market’s expectation.  This was disappointing news for the overall strength of the US economy, and could lead to lower GDP numbers for reports going forward.

With bond prices remaining in a sideways trading channel, this is a gift and a great opportunity to lock in an exceptional interest rate.