by Mark Chandik | Feb 9, 2026
The so-called January Barometer holds that the market’s performance in January—measured by the S&P 500 Index—tends to foreshadow how stocks will perform during the year. Since 1970, January finished higher 33 times and fell 23 times, excluding this month’s...
by Mark Chandik | Feb 2, 2026
The so-called January Barometer holds that the market’s performance in January—measured by the S&P 500 Index—tends to foreshadow how stocks will perform during the year. Since 1970, January finished higher 33 times and fell 23 times, excluding this month’s...
by Mark Chandik | Jan 26, 2026
Much has been made of the sluggish hiring environment, but less attention has been paid to an important counterpoint: the persistently low level of layoffs. Figure 1 highlights the number of individuals who go online or head to their respective state’s unemployment...
by Mark Chandik | Jan 20, 2026
Let’s review one narrow economic indicator that provides a useful, though not standalone, measure of the overall economy’s health. The US Census categorizes it as ‘food services and drinking places.’ That can best be described as restaurants and bars. When the economy...
by Mark Chandik | Jan 12, 2026
On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nonfarm payrolls increased by 50,000 in December, underscoring a year of persistently sluggish job growth. The unemployment rate offered a glimmer of optimism, edging down to 4.4%. November’s 4.6% rate was...
