Better Buying Opportunity: Large-Cap or Small-Cap Stocks?
Markets slid after top economic advisor to the Trump Administration, Gary Cohn, resigned. This added to the concerns Wall Street already had on rising rates and the President's steel and aluminum tariffs. Lamar Villere, Portfolio Manager of the Villere Balanced Fund, was with us to discuss the state of the markets.
Trade war not good for business, but it's really bad for multi-national corporations. Villere added that small caps will be more shielded from a trade war because they are less exposed to international macroeconomic variables.
The portfolio manager said rising interest rates are a bigger risk for markets than the steel and aluminum tariffs. The reason is because it is too hard to predict how other countries will respond, Villere adds.
Villere is on ETF bubble watch, which he says is a crowded space. He warns that "you don't want to be in a crowded trade." He adds that these ETFs are not as diverse as people think.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Hear from Gabino & Stephen Roche on Saphyre’s institutional AI platform that centralizes pre‑ and post‑trade data, redefining settlement speed and accuracy.
Elon Musk’s X has reached a tentative settlement with former employees of the company then known as Twitter who’d sued for $500 million in severance pay.
