MoneyShow

The S&P 500 Index (^SPX) recently pulled back to 7,611 – chart support from the early June closing high. The index also almost fell to the 10-week exponential moving average (EMA). Focus on attractive trading opportunities here, like Albemarle Corp. (ALB), advises John Eade, president of Argus Research. There was a minor bearish crossover in the SPX from the 5-day/13-day EMA and the 21-day rate-of-change (ROC) is close to negative territory.

Some women complain that men think about the Roman Empire too much. But I think about Rome — a LOT! Often, I’m wondering if America is on the same road to ruin as Rome ended up on. That’s why I'm buying gold, says Sean Brodrick, editor at Weiss Ratings Daily. The traditional date for the fall of the Western Roman Empire is 476 AD. But Rome's decline was a process that unfolded over centuries. Wealth became increasingly concentrated. The middle class weakened. The currency was debased.

Wingstop Inc. (WING) is a fast-casual restaurant franchisor headquartered in Texas that operates one of the largest wing-focused chains in the world. Over the last decade, Wingstop’s adjusted earnings per share have compounded at more than 24% annually, writes Ben Reynolds, editor of Sure Dividend Growth Newsletter. The company now franchises and operates more than 3,250 restaurants across the US and internationally, with roughly 98% of locations franchised.

The environment remains mostly tedious as we leave the summer behind. Our top pick is Five9 Inc. (FIVN), a stock that was left for dead by the market. Its business has remained resilient – and AI is actually helping growth to accelerate, observes Mike Cintolo, editor of Cabot Momentum Trader. There are some stocks acting well overall, but selling on strength is the norm and most indexes and sectors haven’t made much net progress for two to four months.

Sure, crude oil is the talk of the town these days. But don’t just watch WTI or Brent futures. Check out what’s happening in product markets, too! You’ll see what I mean when you look at the MoneyShow Chart of the Day. It shows the year-to-date percentage change in diesel futures and gasoline futures in addition to oil. What’s immediately clear? The price of products derived from petroleum is rising much more than the price of petroleum itself.

Quarter after quarter, more pieces of the puzzle are falling into place for The Walt Disney Co. (DIS). Despite this continued progress and strengthening fundamentals, the stock price still sits roughly where it traded in the summer of 2015. Management is acting accordingly, notes Tom Hayes, editor of HedgeFundTips. Quarterly revenue just rose 7% to $25.2 billion on broad-based growth across all three segments.

The market has been solid. Indexes are close to the highs, and the S&P 500 Index (^SPX) is up over 12% year-to-date. But there are some issues emerging that may cause a problem in the coming weeks. Main Street Capital Corp. (MAIN) remains attractive regardless, advises Tom Hutchinson, editor of Cabot Income Advisor. The culprits are oil prices and interest rates. The price per barrel of oil is back up near $90. That helps feed inflation, which puts upward pressure on interest rates.

What exactly is the “Degenerate Economy”— and what does its evolution mean for investors? I sit down with Howard Lindzon, founder of StockTwits, for this episode of the MoneyShow MoneyMasters Podcast to discuss how investing, speculation, entertainment, social media, prediction markets, crypto, and AI are increasingly colliding. Howard explains why today’s market culture goes far beyond the meme-stock era — and why the line between investing, betting, and entertainment continues to blur.

Many countries aren’t exactly seeing eye-to-eye these days. But most are in the same boat when it comes to a big problem. Interest rates are going up...and the trend is getting worse. Take a look at my MoneyShow Chart of the Day. It shows the yield on 10-year government bonds in Japan, the US, and Germany. The direction is pretty clear. Up in Asia. Up in North America. Up in Europe.

After large increases in oil prices and bond yields recently, energy and fixed income markets are stopping to catch their breath. Equities are rising in response, while gold and silver are recouping earlier losses. The dollar is flat. In the commodities arena, oil prices aren’t the biggest story though. The prices of refined products like diesel and gasoline have risen more than crude in recent weeks.