What investors might watch for in 2024's second half

Hey, mooers!

Sarge highlighted some critical factors that investors can keep an eye on for the rest of the year:

Sarge noted the strong performance of the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, hitting new all-time highs at the beginning of July, but expressed concern about narrow market breadth. Sarge emphasizes the importance of following trends and broader market rotation to help manage the risk of a potential downturn, even in an election year.

Sarge emphasized caution but not inactivity during economic uncertainty and the upcoming election. He suggests monitoring trends and policy changes from key figures like Jerome Powell and Janet Yellen. If high-performing stocks like NVIDIA slow down and competitors close the gap, it could signal a market shift.

Stock Splits: Historically, stocks tend to run up before a split and sell off slightly afterward. But this isn't supposed to be impactful or mean much. While some stocks have done well after splits recently, it's not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Indicators of a Market Bubble - Valuation Metrics: When evaluating sectors like the Artificial Intelligence sector, Sarge suggests using price-to-sales or price-to-book ratios to identify potential bubbles. The commercial real estate bubble appears to have popped, and the residential real estate market is at a crossroads, with home prices highly volatile.