{"id":67486,"date":"2021-07-03T02:15:27","date_gmt":"2021-07-03T09:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lenpenzo.com\/blog\/?p=67486"},"modified":"2022-07-31T08:54:45","modified_gmt":"2022-07-31T15:54:45","slug":"black-coffee-3-july-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lenpenzo.com\/blog\/id67486-black-coffee-3-july-2021.html","title":{"rendered":"Black Coffee: Up In Smoke"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe …<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance.<\/p>\n

I’ve got some Independence Day holiday barbecues to attend, so let’s get right to this week’s commentary …<\/p>\n

A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

— Yogi Berra<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trust your landmark and run through the smoke. It’s going to open up eventually.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

— Ezekiel Elliott<\/strong><\/p>\n

Credits and Debits<\/strong><\/p>\n

Debit:<\/strong><\/span> Did you see this? The Wall Street Journal<\/em> reported this week that, “the number of unemployment-benefit recipients is falling at a faster rate in Missouri and 21 other states canceling enhanced and extended payments this month, suggesting that ending the aid<\/a> could push more people to take jobs.” Wait … so discontinuing benefits that pay people more not<\/strong><\/em> to work, actually encourages them to get off the couch and find an employer? Imagine that.<\/p>\n

Debit:<\/strong><\/span> In other news, I see that last week the Russell 2000 rebalanced its index of small company stocks. Unfortunately, it appears as if the reshuffling has resulted in a further deterioration<\/a> in quality of the Russell 2000 Index’s components because the proportion of money-making companies in the index is now at its lowest level since 2000. Not surprisingly, with the Fed continuing to backstop the market, that doesn’t seem to have investors worried.<\/p>\n

\n

Stocks heading to the next room in your house..bullish<\/p>\n

Djdent (@DjdentDavid) July 1, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n