Jobless claims were above all the expert expectations in the latest week.  There has to be demand for companies to hire workers.  The Kansas City Manufacturing Activity was well below expectations, which is further evidence that demand is not there.  … Continue reading →

I keep hearing the market pundits recommending dividend paying stocks.  For many reasons, I can’t help but question this recommendation: if you were looking for income, why wouldn’t you turn to high yield bonds?   Here are the many advantages of … Continue reading →

The high yield market traded mostly sideways this week, with a slight negative tilt despite another week of big inflows. There was a lack of conviction this week in the high yield market, and the Treasury sell-off early in the … Continue reading →

The CPI (Consumer Price Index) up 3.1% year over year and GDP growth estimates between 1% – 1.5%, depending on who you speak to, does not add up to a growth in consumer spending and equity markets as a whole. … Continue reading →

The high yield market is opening flat this morning, after trading slightly weaker yesterday along with equities. It is a somewhat directionless market at the moment, but still a slightly better tilt towards buyers than sellers with money continuing to … Continue reading →

This morning we saw the consumer price index climb the most in 10 months, up 0.4%.  Not surprisingly, the biggest jump was in gas prices.  The Fed may be telling us that these higher fuel costs are temporary, and whether … Continue reading →

So, do you want to own high yield bonds in your portfolio?  I have written and spoken many times about the dangers of investing in this asset class through either a passive/index-based manner or through a large mutual fund.  There … Continue reading →

The High Yield market came under pressure this week on a combination of negative news out of Europe pushing markets lower, as well as a glut of new issues hitting the market Monday and Tuesday, resulting in the first week … Continue reading →