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Dow at 50,000 says AG Bondi

edited February 12 in Other Investing
Thought some might like a stock market update from the AG in comments made before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Epstein issue earlier this week. I think it's interesting, even instructive as investors, to note how market levels are now inseparably linked to pllitical fortunes. The connectivity may suggest the lengths to which political leaders will go to stimulate markets to ever greater levels. How will it all play out (in the markets)? I don't know. But I do think this UTube clip has relevance to investors. If you choose to turn this into a political rant or attacks on personalities (which seems more than likely) I'll move it to OT. I no longer read the OT board. But, will be happy to move it there.

https://youtube.com/shorts/c3W1rHYXUnY?si=6hEHM32vvhCAfHr0

Comments

  • In the past year, the Dow has gone from 44368 (Feb 12, 2025) to 49452 - up 11%.
    In the same time, the Nikkei has gone from 38963 to 57639 - up 48%.

    Yes, the markets are about politics:
    * But Japan's market story is primarily about politics.

    Japan first elected Takaichi last October. She's the first woman to serve as the country's prime minister. After just a few months, she called for a snap election — it was a gamble; prediction markets gave her a 50% chance of winning a simple majority.

    * On Sunday, she won a two-thirds supermajority.

    * The Nikkei 225 hit new records in the days following her win.

    Follow the money: The stock market appears to like Takaichi's aggressive spending proposals, including one that would temporarily suspend sales taxes on food for two years.

    * That rhymes with the market reaction to President Trump's reelection, a gain that's largely evaporated as his policy choices have roiled the markets.

    The bottom line: Stock markets can fall out of love with political leaders fast.
    https://www.axios.com/2026/02/11/japan-korea-stock-market

    ---------

    While economic policies and market returns are inexorably linked (all presidents try to grease the economy in election years), perhaps some parts of politics should be decoupled from investment concerns.

    In the interest of comity, I'm offering a link to a clearly political (dare I say humane) take rather than embedding the cartoon as an image.

    https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Uw2UAyvSz7ZBrRcbbRREeg-768-80.jpg
  • edited February 12
    Wow! That cartoon is deeply moving @msf. Succinct too. Thanks

    (We're still above water here.)

    There's an old expression (Franklin I think) that if slightly altered reads, "He that is of the opinion that the market can do anything may well be suspected of doing anything for the market."
  • Well, since @hank is comfortable with the cartoon, here it is:

    image
  • "Pam, you have something on your nose.....its brown.......Pam."
  • Yes, the Markets hate uncertainty. The current regime in Washington has created a great deal of uncertainty--- and volatility. Investors are more and more putting money offshore. The observation made already, about the results of the snap election in Japan, is spot-on. "The markets possess no conscience; they are amoral.People should." (Crash, at MFO.) Not every bit of risk and volatility is connected to unethical policies and decisions and actions by government. But such volatility can certainly prompt many investors to look elsewhere to make their money. Political disagreements will always be. The current instability is utterly unnecessary.
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