This week, the Securities and Exchange Commission decided to allow the launch of 11 Bitcoin spot ETFs, while also issuing a warning to investors that “investments in securities for crypto assets can be exceptionally volatile and speculative.”
In this week's ETF Wrap column, Isabel Wang reports on which new Bitcoin ETFs saw the highest inflows following the SEC decision, while also looking at how well the leading ETFs have performed over the years.
One of the major fund operators – Vanguard – has decided to move away from managing portfolios containing Bitcoin BTCUSD,
This prompted some clients to transfer their brokerage accounts to competing companies.
You might expect the renewed interest in virtual currencies to bode well for Coinbase Global Inc.
Which pioneered the field of individual accounts for investors to own and trade virtual currencies. Then again, Coinbase shares fell 7% on Thursday and were down another 7% on Friday. Tommy Kilgore explains what could be a 'lose/lose' scenario for Coinbase.
More reactions to the SEC's decision on Bitcoin:
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Mark Hulbert: Do Bitcoin ETFs have a Place in Retirement Portfolios?
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Bitcoin is a “public good,” says ARK’s Cathie Wood as ETFs debut
Tension on Apple
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Therese Politi explains why investors have been reluctant to buy Apple stock so far this year.
Continue reading: Why Microsoft stock is a better investment than Apple stock
Now what about Nvidia stock?
The above articles about Apple AAPL,
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT),
The focus is on valuations and fundamentals, but there is another way traders look at stocks – technical analysis of trading patterns and momentum. Tommy Kilgore takes a look at this week's hack of Nvidia Corp. NVDA,
It then examines whether the stock is overbought or not, according to its Relative Strength Index.
Ratings game: Disney shares have been suspended. Answering this question may lead to it continuing again.
The stock market approach is crazy: The popularity of Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs has led to big gains for these stocks
Social Security and planning your retirement
Hopefully, you're in a position to decide when you want to start receiving Social Security payments during your retirement.
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Take a look at your Social Security estimates. You'll likely see that your estimated benefits will increase by about 8% per year for each year you wait after age 62 to start receiving payments, until age 70. You may find that your payments will increase by about 84% if you wait until you are 70, starting at the minimum age of 62.
You may live for decades after the age of seventy.
But there are always other factors to take into consideration. Alessandra Malito writes the Help Me Retire column, and this week she has reader tips on how to decide when to start taking Social Security.
More about Social Security and assistance with planning and retirement decisions:
Help pay for college
College students will be smiling once the arduous process of filing the FAFSA is complete.
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If you are the parent of a college student or high school senior who plans to attend college soon, you must fill out the New Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The model has been simplified, but also postponed: it will be released this month, while it would normally be available on October 1st.
Beth Pinsker explains how you or your child can apply for more financial aid as part of this process. Many people do not realize that they can appeal and that doing so can be beneficial.
More from Beth Pinsker: I purchased I-bonds to pay for my nephew's children's college tuition. Should I move them to a 529 account?
A brighter outlook for IPOs
Investment bankers expect the volume of initial public offerings to rise this year after a difficult 2023.
Illustration by MarketWatch/iStockphoto
The volume of initial public offerings slowed to a crawl last year, but the prospect of lower inflation and lower interest rates could prompt more action in 2024. Ciara Linnane and Emily Barry examine recent IPO proceedings and list a range of potential candidates for this year.
New technology hub
This year's Consumer Electronics Show is being held in Las Vegas. John Swartz interviews executives who predict the migration of Silicon Valley technology companies to Las Vegas will transform what was once a casino paradise into a new technology hub.
Company news
Delta's financial guidance sent shares of other airlines lower on Friday.
AFP via Getty Images
The Big Four US banks kicked off their fourth-quarter earnings season on Friday, and some of the news was bleak:
More earnings news:
Dow Jones at 100,000 is a reasonable expectation
James Demert of Main Street Research expects the Dow Jones Industrial Average to rise to 100,000 within 10 years.
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed at 37,592.98 on Friday. James Demert, chief investment officer at Main Street Research, believes the Dow could rise to 100,000 within seven to 10 years as AI technology rolls out.
Regardless of the impact of AI, 100,000 is not an unusual level for the Dow Jones, given history. If the Dow Jones rose from its current level to 100,000 in 10 years, the compound annual return would be 10.3%. Over the past 10 years, the Dow's total return (with dividends reinvested) was 128.7%, for a compound annual return of 10.3%. 11.2% according to FactSet.
Reaching 100,000 in seven years — the lower part of Demert's range — would be a taller order, but the compound annual return under that scenario would be 15%.
More market news and opinions:
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The closely watched recession signal is changing for reasons that have nothing to do with economic growth prospects, a strategist says
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'Continuous thinking' can expose stock market investors to losses: Howard Marks
A thorn grove for our friend money
Quentin Futrell is money.
Market watch illustration
Quentin Futrell writes the Moneyist column, in which he helps readers deal with difficult financial decisions and struggles:
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