http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick? The Retired Investor/@theMarket Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:35:46 EDT en-us http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4655 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4655 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:41:00 EDT What do Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have in common? Yes, they are both octogenarians, but even more important, they want to establish a sovereign wealth fund in the U.S. They may differ in their approach, but it is an idea whose day has come.   The number of sovereign wealth... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4654 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4654 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:06:00 EDT The price of oil is now trading at only $10 a barrel above its pre-war level. A new Federal Reserve chief zeros in on combating inflation, and investors celebrated by pushing stocks toward all-time highs.   The 14-point agreement between Iran and the U.S. to a 60-day ceasefire and... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4653 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4653 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:23:00 EDT Last Tuesday, the House narrowly voted to award $70 billion to federal agencies responsible for immigration enforcement. That was the second multibillion-dollar infusion of cash to the Department of Homeland Security in a year. Will that money be well spent?   Over the years, I... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4652 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4652 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:22:00 EDT Thursday marked the 39th time that the president has announced a deal with Iran. One of these days, it will come true. Until then, expect continued volatility in the markets.   His decision to back off his threat to increase this week's series of military air strikes on Iran... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4651 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4651 Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:47:00 EDT The immigration policies of the Trump administration may have some unexpected consequences in an era when Baby Boomers are leaving the workforce. Couple that with the AI boom, and we may be in for decades of lower productivity and a declining workforce.   Illegal immigration has... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4650 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4650 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:28:00 EDT The non-farm payroll numbers for May, announced on Friday, were met with dismay by the market. The consensus forecast was for a gain of 89,000 jobs. Instead, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced 172,000 and revised the last two months of jobs data upward. Together, that amounted to the... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4649 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4649 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:12:00 EDT The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is up for review on July 1, 2026. If all three countries agree, the present deal could be extended for another 16 years. If not, the agreement can continue or not.   The amount of trade involved is significant. Last year, because of the... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4648 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4648 Fri, 29 May 2026 14:39:00 EDT Momentum traders can't get enough of all things AI. The entire technology sector is on fire. Other areas of the market are struggling. Concentration risk is rising, but that's nothing new, and most traders are optimistic.   That doesn't mean all is well. On the... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4647 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4647 Thu, 28 May 2026 16:12:00 EDT A year ago, Colossal Biosciences introduced to the world their version of the dire wolf, an animal extinct for over 12,500 years. The company's scientists are hoping to bring back the woolly mammoth by 2028. On the list for resurrection are the blueback, extinct for two centuries, the giant... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4646 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4646 Fri, 22 May 2026 13:38:00 EDT The clock is ticking. The red line in the sand on oil prices indicates July as the date when oil could do real damage to the economy and the stock market if it remains above $100 a barrel.   Why July? For one, that's peak seasonal gas demand in the U.S. At the same time, global...