NYSE - Financial Markets Remain Strong
U.S. financial markets are in the process of making history!
Despite the fact that the election is still undecided and facing legal challenges by the Trump administration in several states, the stock market continues its post election surge.According to industry analysts over at MarketWatch, today's performance marks the strongest post-election day for the market in 100 years with the NASDAQ and S&P 500, both much newer indexes, also both breaking their own previous records.DJIA
With futures up 650 points overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (28,215), opened strong, has been rocking all day and is currently up 650 points (2.35%) with no signs of slowing before the closing bell.
The Dow is now 124 years old and the oldest index in the financial world.
The last time there was such a large single day gain for the DJIA in the day after an election was when President (Rep) William McKinley defeated (Dem)William Jennings Bryan in the 1900 election. The DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average grew by more than 3% on that day.
S&P 500
S&P 500 futures saw gains of more than 100 points overnight and the index is now hovering at 3,469, just shy of all-time high territory. In fact, today's 107 point gain represents its biggest post election day rally in history.
First introduced in the 1950's, the S&P 500 debuted on March 4, 1957. It tracks more than 500 large companies (505 as of today) and is now considered one of the most popular and tracked indexes in the world.
NASDAQ
Not to be left behind, the NASDAQ composite is up 4% for the day, marking a solid 445 point gain and the single largest post election day gain for the index. Tracking almost every company listed on the Nasdaq, this index is also very popular among global investors.
What's Next For The Markets?
The question on most people's minds is whether or not this rally will continue or flounder once the results of the election are announced.
Waking up to almost as much uncertainty as when you went to bed, there are certain things which are much clearer. Wall Street is much happier with the prospect of Republicans maintaining control of the Senate.
Why would Wall Street be responding so favorably to the news that the Senate will most likely stay in control of the Republican party, even though they made it clear they were in favor of Joe Biden becoming the next president?
It's pretty simple. It is extremely unlikely that, if elected, Biden would be able to follow through on his promise to raise corporate tax levels, as well as institute tax hikes on the super wealthy in the U.S.
What Should You Do As An Investor?
The most important thing to remember is DO NOT PANIC.
If you are someone who puts their faith in evidence based decision making then the answer couldn't be any clearer....have faith in your decisions, maintain a long term view and hold, hold hold.
Too many times you will hear stories of people who respond to world events by getting spooked and as a result decided to liquidate their positions. 99% of the time this is the wrong decision and could end up costing you your life savings.
As long as you have a diversified portfolio and do not rely too much one sector of the market you are in good shape. It is important to keep in mind that for most individual investors you are looking for a long term solution for where to keep your money, and historically the stock market has provided the best returns and most safety, if done right.
Now is not the time to make hasty decisions, the truth is most industry experts expect the turmoil to continue until the transition to the Biden White House is complete, but it will calm down and eventually it will get back to normal.
Say it with me. Do Not Panic.
History Of The Stock Market
With all the constant drama surrounding the stock market; recessions, boons, bubbles, bull markets, bear markets, it can be super daunting and hard to keep up with, but it is important to have the full picture so you can understand how the financial world fits into our history.
Have you ever wondered where the stock market came from?
Stock markets were started when countries in the New World began trading with each other. While many pioneer merchants wanted to start huge businesses, this required substantial amounts of capital that no single merchant could raise alone.
As a result, groups of investors pooled their savings and became business partners and co-owners with individual shares in their businesses to form joint-stock companies. Originated by the Dutch, joint-stock companies became a viable business model for many struggling businesses.
In 1602, the Dutch East India Co. issued the first paper shares. This exchangeable medium allowed shareholders to conveniently buy, sell and trade their stock with other shareholders and investors.
As the volume of shares increased, the need for an organized marketplace to exchange these shares became necessary. As a result, stock traders decided to meet at a London coffeehouse, which they used as a marketplace.
Eventually, they took over the coffeehouse and, in 1773, changed its name to the "stock exchange." Thus, the first exchange, the London Stock Exchange, was founded. The idea made its way to the American colonies with an exchange started in Philadelphia in 1790.
To most people, the name Wall Street is synonymous with stock exchange. The market on Wall Street opened May 17, 1792 on the corner of Wall Street and Broadway.
Twenty-four supply brokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement outside 68 Wall St. in New York, underneath a buttonwood tree. On March 8, 1817 the group renamed itself the New York Stock and Exchange Board and moved off the street into 40 Wall St.
Every time payday rolls around, I’m on top of the world. Jeff Bezos-level rich - even though I’m anything but. And then somehow the very next day, rent is due.
The cycle continues. The next payday, bills for my apartment. I find myself without a surplus of savings since I just moved and newly-furnished my apartment completely.
Even more terrifying is the looming presence of the holiday season. Halloween’s officially over and before we know it, hello Thanksgiving…and then there’s Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s. It’s insane.
I’ve been feeling very British lately. Not in a Union-Jack-obsessed, “Keep Calm and Carry-On” way. I went through that phase in 2012 with everyone else… no thank you. And it’s not even a surge of patriotism catalyzed by the Queen dying — I’m firmly team Diana and team Meghan.
Now that fall is officially here, the holidays will sweep in and I’ll have to contend with the fact that I won’t be spending them with my family in the UK. I went home to London earlier this year, so there’s not much left in my travel budget for another trip across the pond. A few domestic jaunts might be in my future, but the closest I’ll get to England this winter is watching Love Island and Love, Actually.
So in that spirit, I’ve been filling my days with content from my favorite Brits. I’m listening to all the old British rock bands I grew up listening to, patiently awaiting the new Arctic Monkeys album, and rewatching anything with Michaela Coel in it. I even shipped myself an order of British Baked Beans, so you know it’s dire.
I’ve also been watching British YouTubers like Grace Beverley — my favorite. Generally, I only go on YouTube to watch Vogue Beauty Secrets and AD Open Door videos. But I’m so glad I stumbled on Grace. Her content is a mix of London lifestyle (what lured me in), relatable entrepreneurship, and mindful productivity. I’m not a hustle-and-grind-girlboss, but as a creative person in a 9-to-5, I need all the help I can get to stay plugged in. So, the video “how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmed” changed my approach to WFH.
Grace outlines her own productivity method: the to-do table. Instead of making a simple to-do list, she divides her tasks into a table that anyone can follow. As someone who’s survived with to-do lists for years, I recently implemented Grace’s method, and it’s revolutionized my workdays.
how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmedwww.youtube.com
I follow her routine to a tee. Here’s how it works:
Essentially, she divides her daily responsibilities into four categories: quick ticks, tasks, projects, and non-negotiables.
- Quick Ticks: Actions that take less than 5-minutes
- Tasks: To-do’s that take up to 30-minutes. Probably don’t take too much brain energy.
- Projects: Long-term list items. These help guide your priorities, even if you’re not crossing them off in one day.
- Non-negotiables: Pick 3 things each day that you must get done. This is how you’ll truly measure success.
With everything written down and sorted, next address your schedule. Meetings, deadlines, and time blocks — whatever works best for you. Write it down. Then make a pact with yourself to stick to them.
This way of categorization provides a roadmap for prioritizing your day — making you far more productive. Have you ever spent the entire day on small tasks and then suddenly realized you hadn’t moved the needle on any task? Or do you spend way too much time on tasks that aren’t a priority? No more. With your non-negotiables laid out, you know what to laser-focus on and what to dedicate energy towards.
Also, it pays to know your working style. I’m not a morning person. Yet, I have to be up and at ‘em super early. So, first thing in the morning, I march through my Quick Ticks to warm me up. I set a time limit, so I can knock out some easy wins which is totally inspiring. Then I move on to bigger things without lingering on emails or admin. For others, it might be more helpful to tackle the big things with all that early-in-the-day brain power earlier.
Grace has great tips on avoiding overwhelm and burnout. My favorite is taking more intentional breaks rather than scrolling through social media. I call this scrolling “productive” because I’m “coming up with pitches.” Oh, the lies we tell ourselves. It’s more productive in the long run to giving my brain a break with non-screen related stimuli.
Grace’s solution? Set a timer to read a real, an actual book. I’ve never thought of this. It’s a genius way to check off some books on my TBR and kickstart my creativity. After reading a good book, I’m completely inspired to write. So having books near my desk helps me step away from the computer during my lunch break for an actual reset. (And yes, the current books I’m reading are by British authors: Assembly by Natasha Brown, and Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalolu.)
In my pursuit of switching out my WFH set-up and getting my life together, I’ve engineered my workstation for success. With my new WFH essentials and Grace’s productivity technique, I’m revitalized for work — despite the fall blues and my melancholy about the pending holidays.
Here are the things getting me hyped for work and helping me crush my Grace Beverley-inspired to-do tables — no lists in sight:
Southwest Airlines Sale 2022
Pack your bags — Southwest Airlines is having a major sale! Fares are as low as $59 one-way if you book by October 3rd.
This end-of-summer super sale is a game-changer for your travel plans through the end of the year. Summertime travel gets all the glory. But why not take advantage of your long weekends, holidays, and PTO this fall. You’ll be surprised at how much travel you can fit in. Keep the fall/winter season exciting with domestic trips that give you all the excitement without breaking the bank. All thanks to Southwest.
Here’s the breakdown:
Where can you go?
You’ll find discounted tickets to and from most airports. Sale fares apply to cross country travel, and even Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean! Whether you’re visiting a new city or revisiting your last beach vacation, this sale has fares to make your travel dreams come true.
What do the fares cover?
Southwest Airlines has multiple fare tiers, each with various benefits. Wanna Get Away fares start at $59, while Wanna Get Away Plus fares start at $89. You can also find great deals on Anytime fares, which offer priority boarding and express lanes. Then there’s Business Select tickets for a luxe experience at an affordable price point.
Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member?
You may think these sale fares are too good to be true. Is there a catch? Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member to access them? You’re in luck — anyone can attain these fares for a limited time.
But, insider tip, you should consider signing up for Southwest Rapid Rewards. With a free sign up, you earn points and miles with each trip you take. And with this sale, each dollar you spend on these discounted tix can stretch super far until you eventually earn free travel. The only thing better than a sale is free stuff.
So pack your bags and brace yourself for those chaotic airport lines. Everyone’s hopping on this deal so get on it. Don’t miss out — grab your sale tickets by October 3rd!
I’ve been browsing the Southwest Airlines site, checking out flights and dreaming.