Popular Stock Symbols 2024
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DIA - Dow 30
SPY - S&P 500
QQQ - NASDAQ 100
GBTC - Bitcoin
GLD - Gold
AMD
AMZN
GOOG
META
MSFT
NVDA
PLTR
SOUN
TSM -
Expectations in 2025?
My expectations for this year will be markets full of volatility, however, by the end of 2025, the markets will be higher from where they ended in 2024. Both 2023 & 2024 were very good to the S&P 500 Index, a third year of 20+% gains is unlikely.This growth will continue with Large Cap Tech Stocks leading the way, and all signs are showing they will continue to do so.
I also think money will periodically leave the Tech sector and move to Large Cap Value stocks, stocks such as Boeing, Target, Nike & UPS, stocks that have strong consumer brands and have stumbled throughout 2024.
I do not see Health Care stocks doing well in 2025, with RFK Jr. and President Trump talking about getting rid of the Middle Man in Health Care, and to eliminate Pharmaceutical companies from running ads on TV, this sector will be one of the prime targets for DOGE to eliminate US Govt. costs.
Health Care is an area where reducing costs could help what DOGE is trying to accomplish, reducing Medicare Costs, and getting the US Govt. spending under control.
Reducing Drug Costs for Medicare would be an excellent way to reduce costs while not cutting tens of thousands of jobs in a very short period of time.
If that did end up happening, it certainly would impact the consumer spending numbers and impact the economy, not something the Trump administration is looking to hurt.
In 2025, the volatility will come from Mediocre Economic Data causing markets to rise with anticipation Federal Reserve will keep cutting rates as they did throughout 2024, followed by Mediocre Earnings Announcements with Lowered Forward Guidance by companies, causing the market declines.
When companies announce they are Lowering Future Expectations, that generally means their stock price drops.
Stocks are forward pricing, and Lowering Future Expectations tells investors to reduce expectations for accelerated growth rates enjoyed in the past, which most likely pushed the stock price higher.
My Greatest Concern for 2025
I am watching the 10 year Treasury yield to see if it reaches or exceeds 5%. If that even does happen, the Stock Market could see a healthy decline, as we have seen a couple times in the past couple years.
In 2025, there are Trillions of dollars in US Debt needing refinancing, and the new rate will be much higher than in recent years.
These US Debt concerns could weigh heavily on the Stock Market in 2025, however, I am still predicting the Stock market will be higher at the end of 2025 than it was at the end of 2024.
So, WHAT DO I DO YOU ASK, keep investing in Pre-Tax accounts, especially if you are in a 30%-40% Tax Bracket, like 401Ks, Solo 401Ks, SEP & Simple IRAs, sit in Cash / Money Market Funds & collect your 4.25%+ yield, and Very Slowly Buy Stocks Fitting Within Your Risk Profile on market declines.
Negative Markets create Opportunity, although at the time, it seems very uncomfortable to Buy!
If you are looking to Earn Additional Income from your portfolio this year, look into a strategy called "Selling Covered Call Options".
This strategy can be a great source used to create Income from Stocks you already own.
For Stock ideas, Contact Me and I Will Evaluate Your Risk Profile.
- 401K & Solo 401K / IRA / Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025
If you are under the age of 50, max contribution is $7,000 & if over 50 it's $8,000 for your IRA & Roth IRA.Your 401K limit is $23,700 if under 50, $31,000 if over 50 years old.
For individual business owners, Solo 401K contributions in 2024 increased to $70,000 or $77,500 if age 50 or over.
Solo 401K contributions are based net- income from Self-Employment (i.e. you can't contribute more than you make).
- How Much Should I Pay my Financial Advisor or Portfolio Manager?
The fees you will pay a Financial Advisor generally depend on how much money you are asking the Advisor to manage & whether part of those investment dollars include your 401K.Try to avoid dealing with Financial Sales People who only want to charge you Commissions or try and Sell you A-share Mutual Funds.
Posts from: Blog
My Thoughts From DraftKings Recent Earnings Announcement by James R. Wigen, Sr. Portfolio Manager with Independent Financial Management
For the three months ended December 31, 2021, DraftKings reported revenue of $473 million, an increase of 47% compared to $322 million during the same period in 2020. Fourth quarter 2021 revenue exceeded the guidance previously provided by the Company... (more...)
Stock Market Down in February, Just Like January 2022 – by James R. Wigen, Portfolio Manager, Independent Financial Management
In the past couple weeks we have heard earnings announcements from large, mid and small cap companies, results from those announcements all seem to cause their stocks to react the same, DOWN. Some will say stocks were still to high when those companies... (more...)
Sports Betting Will Hit New Records During Super Bowl – mentioned DKNG & PDYPY, updated by James R. Wigen, Sr. Portfolio Manager at Independent Financial Management
On the sports gambling front, the American Gaming Association projected on Tuesday that a record 31.4 million Americans would bet $7.6 billion on the Bengals-Rams game. That’s up from $3.3 billion wagered on the 2021 Super Bowl between the Brady-led... (more...)
Gaming, Streaming, Online Gambling, Industry Consolidation is Heating Up by James R. Wigen, Sr. Portfolio Manager, Independent Financial Management
-Sony Interactive Entertainment’s deal for video game maker Bungie follows Take-Two’s $12.7 billion agreement to buy Zynga and Microsoft’s $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition. -Bungie is behind the multiplayer shooter games Destiny and Halo,... (more...)
China’s EV Recent Car Sales – BYD, NIO, XPEV, LI, TSLA by James R. Wigen, Independent Financial Management
China EV Sales Boom – BYD sold 93,168 so-called new energy vehicles (NEVs) in January, up 362% vs. a year earlier. That’s just below December’s 93,945, according to CnEVPost.com, which cited a regulatory filing. January’s NEV... (more...)
DraftKings (DKNG) Is ‘Too Big an Opportunity to Ignore.’ Penn National (PENN) Also Upgraded by James R. Wigen of Independent Financial Management
Online sports betting can stage a strong comeback this year, making DraftKings a solid wager, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley. Penn National Gaming also received an upgraded from analysts at Macquarie Research. Morgan Stanley analyst Thomas Allen... (more...)
WynnBet App (WYNN) Is For Sale, CEO Cites Unsustainable Sports Betting Market – DKNG, PDYPY, MGM, CZR mentioned by James R. Wigen of Independent Financial Management
Only a few months after launching an advertising campaign that featured the gigantic presence and personality of former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, online sportsbook WynnBet is for sale. The move signals what may be a thinning out of the online sports... (more...)
ChargePoint (CHPT) Upgraded by J.P. Morgan by James R. Wigen of Independent Financial Management
ChargePoint Upgraded by J.P. Morgan. Stock’s Pullback Could Be a Good Entry Point ChargePoint Holdings (CHPT) shares were up Friday after J.P. Morgan upgraded its rating, citing the stock’s recent pullback coupled with increased confidence... (more...)
Louisiana sports betting has arrived and mobile betting apps will launch on Friday, January 28! Updated by James R. Wigen
The action has already begun, as ten brick-and-mortar casinos are already offering wagers on sports. Louisiana sports betting apps are currently offering pre-launch bonuses worth $100-3,000 just for registering before the official launch. The action will... (more...)
Nasdaq Performs Best During Fed Rate Hikes Since 1994 & Individual Stock News by Sr. Portfolio Manager James R. Wigen -click here-
Since the beginning of 2022 we have seen Stocks drop to levels we have not seen for quite some time. In my view, some of the reasons the market has dropped is a little overdone. There is no doubt the Fed Funds rate will start to go up soon, how much... (more...)