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Check out our 2Q2024 Market Review and Investment Outlook for the remainder of 2024

Lion statue in Chinese temple

Fast Food Nations

Photo of author, Will Carter, JD.
Will Carter, JD
Senior Advisor
This article about obesity and diabetes in China illuminates one factor driving stock market growth over the next decade or two – namely, that increasing household consumption in developing nations, much of it driven by the same underlying biological desires for more calories and comfort of middle class lifestyle that drove growth in western countries during the second half of the 20th century, will fuel rising corporate profits even if household consumption and wages are stagnant in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
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The Few. The Proud. The Elephants.

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A.I.: Rise of the Markets

In the Terminator movie franchise, the third installment was titled Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and continued the original movie’s theme of how the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) would ultimately lead to the end of civilization, as AI would discover that it no longer had need of humans. Fortunately, as AI is still in its infancy, the stock market is pricing in only the positive aspects of the technology. While graphic chips provider Nvidia (up 82% in Q1) has served as the poster child for Artificial Intelligence investments, many other technology companies (such as Super Micro Computer – up 255% in Q1) with some connection, or perceived connection, to AI rallied strongly in the first quarter. This led to an overall positive market sentiment throughout the period that lifted the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ 100 higher.

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Elvis Has Left the Building – Has the Fed Declared Mission Accomplished?

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Read more about Senior Investment Strategist Dave Nolan's 4Q2023 market review and what may be ahead for 2024.

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