A Personal Loan Can Bring You a Fortune or Failure

How you handle your personal loans can make the difference between a fortune and failure for life. From birth to death we all have different needs and requirements. To know some basic facts and some real life experience is important to make the best out of life and to avoid misery with personal loans and other kinds of loan-taking.The personal loanThe personal loan is a loan for yourself or your family. In this way it differs from a loan for a business or the loans related to long term mortgage for buying houses and other real estate.The danger of a personal loan is that what you get from it often disappears during a few years. You might ask for a personal loan to finance a vacation, some household goods or for the purpose of dept consolidation.Compared to a business-type loan the personal loan is often a short-term investment – the business-type loan is a more long-term investment, but of course the business can go wrong. Even more long-term is the financing of real estate as an investment and the value of real estate will typical stay there or even increase during longer time spans.A car loanA car loan is in some way an in-between loan: You get the value of the car, and the bank is backed by collateral (the ‘automobile’), but during 10 years the car looses its value and during these years you should get rid of your car-loan. If you aren’t able to get through your installments you will get into misery with your loan. If you don’t fulfill the requirements in the loan contract the bank or another loan provider will take back the car, and you will be left with nothing.Loan and timeTime is an important aspect of all kinds of loan taking. During time the amount of value you have to pay back will typical decrease due to inflation. But at the same time the rates of interest play a more than crucial role. Never, ever take a loan with delayed paying of rates of interest, unless it is a student loan to finance your education and studies. In that case be very basic in your requirements for daily life –as that will help you later.Student loanAs soon as you graduate and get a job make sure you eliminate your student loan with a debt consolidation loan. Student loan consolidation is a must unless you have a wealthy family and then I doubt you will be in need for any student loans. For the student loan consolidation you should be better served by a government sponsored federal student loan than by a private loan. Anyway seek for financial advice and remember that many financial advisors aren’t independent, but earn from their advice and what you agree upon as conditions for a loan.Loan and long-term quality of lifeThe earlier in life the more important it is to be modest in requirements not to build up a lot of debt but to make use of personal loans at a minimum and to use that to increase your long-term quality of life. Save a fixed part of the money you earn and keep your luxury dreams until later in life.Loan and your whole lifeNothing in life is as bad an investment as a superfluous, luxury car. An expensive car loan has paved the road to failure for many, while investment in real estate at the right time has helped many to achieve a fortune without any hard time through a proper equity home loan. Similarly a home improvement loan can be a good investment, especially if such an construction home loan isn’t used for tearing down too much before adding a construction of real value to the house. Loans should be taken for added value.

Hiring a Marketing Expert Vs Doing It Yourself

Marketing is a complex field that includes different strategies designed to improve visibility, establish a brand presence, engage prospective customers, and earn more revenue as a result. Business owners need to invest time and money into marketing if they want to stay ahead of the game and stand apart from the competition. A good marketing strategy can help businesses grow and enjoy more success.However, many small business owners hesitate to hire professional marketers to handle their marketing campaign. It could be lack of trust, no budgetary means for it, or that they feel it’s a manageable task. In the end, they struggle to share responsibilities and delegate tasks while they run a business; which means they don’t outsource marketing and rely on inexperienced in-house employees to plan and implement the strategies that they end up overseeing.Why Hiring a Marketing Expert can HelpModern marketing is an expansive field, and it includes everything from digital marketing online to traditional offline marketing. Business owners rarely have enough time to learn different marketing techniques and understand how to implement them well on their platforms. All kinds of businesses, especially small companies, can benefit from professional assistance. Here are some reasons why hiring a professional is a good idea:1. To Navigate the Complexities of Modern Marketing StrategiesModern marketing strategies involve a wide range of techniques, tools, skills, and platforms, which is why people work in teams to implement it. The digital marketing team includes professionals with different skills and qualifications who handle different tasks. These strategies are just too complex for a single person to manage, even if they’re qualified in the field. Even the simplest marketing strategy requires steps like:

Establishing Your Audience

Branding the Service for the Audience

Graphic Design & Collateral Creation

Creating a Website that Sells

Making the Website SEO Friendly

Promoting the Website

Creating Social Media Profiles

Establishing Brand Presence

Generating Content

Creating Ads for Paid Platforms

Managing Ad Spend

Managing Authoritative Links to the Website

All of these things require different skills and most business owners have to invest time to learn these skills if they want to handle marketing without professional assistance.2. To Create Content that Establishes Industry AuthorityContent is an important aspect of modern marketing strategies because it helps establish authority in the industry, engages with customers, distributes information regarding products and services, and include keywords to catch the attention of search engines. The Internet is saturated with content, so users are very selective about what they read. It’s not enough to just create generic content and include relevant keywords in the text. The content should provide the target audience with significant value.

Content should be well-written with sound grammar and spelling.

All the information should be current and relevant to the keywords included in the text.

The content should be in long-form and range from 1,000 to 2,000 words. The average word count of the web pages search on the first search engine results page is 1,890.

The keywords used should be specific, and the content should include long-tail phrases.

All information should be well-researched and as accurate as possible.

The primary purpose of content marketing is to attract organic traffic to the website and to ensure that users stay long enough to become interested in the products and services offered. The secondary purpose of content marketing is to establish authority and win the trust of the visitors.Skilled and experienced content marketing experts know just how to generate the right kind of content for their target audience. This job requires skills, training and deep knowledge on the nitty-gritty of writing for online audiences. It’s something most individual business owners aren’t able to manage.3. To Develop Creative and Interactive ResourcesContent marketing doesn’t just involve text though it is one of the most commonly used formats in modern marketing. Text content is easy to create, and business owners can develop good articles and blog posts if they put in some time and effort. However, experienced marketers know content marketing must be diverse and approach the target audience from different directions. A sound content marketing strategy will include:

Videos and tutorials

Podcasts and live streams

Infographics and animations

White papers and research papers relevant to the industry

These types of content require different skills and software, and a business owner doesn’t usually have access to them. In comparison, professional marketers have all the tools and knowledge required to create visual and text content and can handle it with a marketing strategy in mind.4. To Deliver your Brand SociallySocial media is a great platform for small businesses because it allows them to reach out and connect with their target audience. They can engage with their audience regularly, establish a personal relationship, hear customer concerns, complaints, and provide resolutions promptly; this helps ensure customers remain interested in the brand.However, social media is a double-edged sword if it’s not handled properly. Even the smallest mistakes can compromise the reputation of the company and alienate the target audience. Experienced social media professionals know how to navigate these platforms well and will:

Understand different platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., and develop unique strategies to engage audiences on every platform.

Explore the paid ads, promoted content, and other such paid marketing options available on these platforms and use them to the best advantage.

Monitor engagements and interactions between the business and target audience to understand customer preferences.

Handle complaints, questions, and requests from customers on the social media platforms.

Build and maintain a good reputation on these platforms and establish authority through content.

Professional marketers will use sophisticated social media management tools to keep track of all this activity and ensure nothing goes wrong. Managing social media requires time and commitment, but it can be very rewarding. Social media marketers are very savvy on these platforms and know how to engage the audience efficiently.Many small business owners struggle with this aspect of marketing and have neither the time nor knowledge to keep track of their social media accounts. The time to update, post content, respond, and then interact with their audiences just isn’t there.5. To Develop your Brand and Website ConceptsA marketing campaign will fail if the business doesn’t have a well-designed website and a carefully crafted brand presence. A website is the foundation of all marketing campaigns and needs to provide a good user experience to visitors, regardless of the platform they approach it from.The website should be easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, SEO-friendly, quick to load on all platforms, aesthetically pleasing, and informative. It should be designed in accordance with the branding to ensure it conveys the right message to the target audience. Experienced website developers and marketers will consider the factors mentioned below when they create a platform and branding:

Target audiences and their preferences

Type of products and services provided

Competitors and the industry in general

The company’s ethics, goals, and message

The location of the company

All of these factors are considered in the website design and branding process to ensure the online presence is unique and appealing to the target audience. While business owners know their industry, product and target market well, they don’t have the skills and knowledge on how to position themselves best when it comes to branding. A haphazard approach or unplanned branding strategy can have a long-term impact on the success of the venture.6. To Research and Analyze Your Engagement CampaignsModern marketing strategies are fluid and dynamic. They need to change and evolve in response to the changing market conditions, search engine regulations, target audience preferences, and other such influential factors.A marketing campaign that’s successful today might not be as successful six months down the line, which is why experienced marketers always keep an eye on the campaigns through analytics and research latest marketing trends regularly. Here are some of the many analytic reports professional marketers browse through regularly:

The analytic reports containing website activity like a number of visitors (repeat and unique), duration of the visit, bounce rates, most popular pages, etc. This information will help them improve the overall quality of the website.

Analysis of paid ad campaign performance on search engines, social media platforms, and even off-line strategies like direct mail marketing. They keep an eye on the performance of the paid ad campaigns and determine if the ads provide sufficient ROI.

Analysis of organic social media interaction. This often includes impressions, opened posts, comments, likes/dislikes, shares, etc. Experienced social media marketers will study these reports and alter their social media strategy accordingly.

Without regular analytics, it’s difficult to determine if the campaigns are performing well and delivering the right amount of ROI. The information from marketing analytics can also help with content creation, marketing campaign planning, social media campaigns, etc. A business owner will find it extremely difficult to handle all the aspects of analytics, which can lead to the failure of the marketing campaign.7. To Save You Time and MoneySmall business owners have many responsibilities and not a lot of time to attend to them all. Marketing can be an additional burden they don’t need, which is why DIY marketing is never a good idea. While DIY marketing seems affordable, it can have a long-term negative impact on the business, cause the business owner a considerable amount of stress, and draw their attention from tasks that can’t be outsourced and need their attention.While there are multiple avenues and sources providing information about digital marketing strategies, nothing can replace the training, skill, and experience professional marketers have. They also have connections with different entities in the marketing world that can make developing effective strategies easier. Professional marketers will achieve more with less money so even if the initial investment of hiring a professional marketer seems a bit expensive, it can help business owners save money in the long run. Marketing research can prove it.

Small Business Financing Options – Despite the Credit Crunch

There’s no question that the financial crisis and ensuing credit crunch have made it more difficult than ever to secure small business financing and raise capital. This is especially true for fast-growth companies, which tend to consume more resources in order to feed their growth. If they aren’t careful, they can literally grow themselves right out of business.Amidst all the gloom and doom, however, it’s important to keep one thing in mind: There are still options available for small business financing. It’s simply a matter of knowing where to look and how to prepare.Where to LookThere are three main sources you can turn to for small business financing:Commercial Banks – These are the first source most owners think of when they think about small business financing. Banks loan money that must be repaid with interest and usually secured by collateral pledged by the business in case it can’t repay the loan.On the positive side, debt is relatively inexpensive, especially in today’s low-interest-rate environment. Community banks are often a good place to start your search for small business financing today, since they are generally in better financial condition than big banks. If you do visit a big bank, be sure to talk to someone in the area of the bank that focuses on small business financing and lending.Keep in mind that it takes more diligence and transparency on the part of small businesses in order to maintain a lending relationship in today’s credit environment. Most banks have expanded their reporting and recordkeeping requirements considerably and are looking more closely at collateral to make sure businesses are capable of repaying the amount of money requested.Venture Capital Companies – Unlike banks, which loan money and are paid interest, venture capital companies are investors who receive shares of ownership in the companies they invest in. This type of small business financing is known as equity financing. Private equity firms and angel investors are specialized types of venture capital companies.While equity financing does not have to be repaid like a bank loan, it can end up costing much more in the long run. Why? Because each share of ownership you give to a venture capital company in exchange for small business financing is an ownership share with an unknown future value that’s no longer yours. Also, venture capital companies sometimes place restrictive terms and conditions on financing, and they expect a very high rate of return on their investments.Commercial Finance Companies – These non-traditional money lenders provide a specialized type of small business financing known as asset-based lending (or ABL). There are two primary types of ABL: factoring and accounts receivable (A/R) financing.With factoring, companies sell their outstanding receivables to the finance company at a discount of usually between 2-5%. So if you sold a $10,000 receivable to a factor, for example, you might receive between $9,500-$9,800. The benefit is that you would receive this cash right away, instead of waiting 30, 60 or 90 days (or longer). Factoring companies also perform credit checks on customers and analyze credit reports to uncover bad risks and set appropriate credit limits.With A/R financing, you would borrow money from the finance company and use your accounts receivable as collateral. Companies that want to borrow in this way should be able to demonstrate strong financial reporting capabilities and a diverse customer base without a high concentration of sales to any one customer.How to PrepareRegardless of which type of small business financing you decide to pursue, your preparation before you approach a potential lender or investor will be critical to your success. Banks, in particular, are taking a much more critical look at small business loan applications than many did in the past. They are requesting more background from potential borrowers in the way of tax returns (both business and personal), financial statements and business plans.Lenders are focusing on what are sometimes referred to as the five Cs of credit:o Character: Does the company have a strong reputation in its community and industry?o Capital: Lenders usually like to see that owners have invested some of their personal money in the business, or that they have some of their own “skin in the game.”o Capacity: Financial ratios help lenders determine how much debt a company should be able to take on without stressing the finances.o Collateral: This is a secondary source of repayment in case a borrower defaults on the loan. Most lenders prefer collateral that is relatively easy to convert to cash, especially equipment and real estate.o Conditions: Conditions in the borrower’s industry and the overall economy in general will play a big factor in a lender’s decisions.Before you meet with any type of lender or investor, be prepared to explain to them specifically why you believe you need financing or capital, as well as how much capital you need and when and how you will pay it back (if a loan) or what kind of return on investment a venture capital company can expect. Also be prepared to discuss specifically what the money will be used for and what kind of collateral you are prepared to pledge to support the loan, as well as your sources of repayment and what measures you will take to ensure repayment if your finances get tight.You should also ensure that your financial statements and records are current and that your internal control systems are adequate for handling the level of accounting and bookkeeping lenders and investors expect.

Why Entertainment Companies Gravitate to Social Networking

The groups that gravitate to social networking for business success are usually the businesses that deal with entertainment. In fact, if the client has the right amount of fame, then it is very easy to build up a client base. However, most entertainment companies love to use social media because their product fits right into the platform. Social media is mostly about entertainment and there are no better experts at entertainment than those who work in the industry.Word of mouth is the driving force of a lot of businesses. This is especially true in the entertainment business. Entertainment relies on this form of marketing once the original push of advertisements has run their course. Entertainment relies on the strength of the product to drive higher revenues and more viewership. This, of course, can be greatly enhanced by the use of social media. Companies will pay people to talk about their products and they will spend money to give things away to get more people talking about their product on the social media platforms.These businesses may also encourage their clients to use the social media systems themselves. This is because the actors and actresses in the entertainment business generate fans who want to hear more from their favorite actress or actor. The ability of the client to use the social media platform gives the movie further advertising. This is all pluses for an entertainment company that looks to grab whatever advertising it can especially when it is cheap advertising (or free in this case).These businesses may also petition for new actresses or actors to work with them through the social media profiles. It is not unusual for an agent to try to convince a person to leave their current representation for another competitor through a direct message or social media post. This allows a company to gauge the interest of an actress or actor before they commit man-hours or money into swaying the mind of that prospective client.Another underused resource that entertainment companies are good at using is the testing a movie’s trailer before releasing the movie. This lets the company know if they are spending their money in the right place before needing to spend the money. Market research is always important in any business. This is especially true when the amount of investment needed to make the asset can be over 4 million dollars.In closing, most entertainment companies are on social media outlets. These outlets allow them to work quickly and find new prospects to work with on a daily basis. They can also see what is hot in the market and make plans to monetize those trends quickly. They also use their employees existing networks of fans and followers to advertise their products (movies).Every business can learn a lot from the practices of entertainment companies. There are many uses far beyond what the normal businesses use them to do. A business could recruit new employees through the system, they could also test new products before allocating funds for those products, and they could also pitch their services or products there (this is a standard practice). Every business needs to look at the way entertainment businesses use social media and implement it into their own practices.

Going Into Business Online

Going into business online is the smartest way to supplement your existing offline business or to merely supplement your income as a secondary source of income. In today’s economic conditions, hedging your financial security, by going into business online, is a wise move indeed. The days of relying on your employer, regardless of their Fortune 500 status, is no longer, so taking business personally, is the right choice to make.Before going into business online, you owe it to yourself to learn some very basic and fundamental rules of engagement. Oh, you can easily begin an online business in a matter of minutes, if you want to struggle and wonder why nothing is happening in favor of your profits, but learning some key points first, could reap large rewards later on.So many entrepreneurs make the mistake of thinking that appearance and eye appeal is the key to online success. Actually, some of the most hideous websites online, make the most money. I’m talking about respectable business models and not those of immoral means. The difference is all in how well they are received in the search engines.Take Craigslist for example, not a pretty site, and yes it receives lots of visitors, but that wasn’t the case initially. The Drudge Report website is still a mystery to most who have seen it. It is a popular political opinion website and a truly ugly site to behold. So, how is it that websites this ugly get so much exposure and repeat attention?The truth of the matter, the guys behind Craigslist, The Drudge Report, and even Plenty-of-Fish.com, knew what they were doing. They focused on the technical side of a website and literally fed the search engines computer steak, fillet mignon, as a matter of fact.When choosing to play or participate in a new venture, especially a business online, it definitely pays to know how to set it up correctly and position yourself to be a means in which to be reckoned with. If you are seeking true financial freedom, by going into business online, then you may want to learn exactly how online business works.To encourage you to at least trying your luck, it’s important to point out, that no matter what niche or field of business you have an interest in, the size of your business is not a factor online. Even a person with a desk, a chair, and access to a pc, can actually compete with any industry giants like; Walmart, Sears, Target, etc. That is the essence of online business. If you do it right, it will do you right.Before you go and think you need a computer programmer, stop, you really don’t. What you need is a few pointers, to know how you should set up a website and how to attract business online. This is really not hard to do. The good news is, most people skip the most important parts when going into business online, and this can be a great advantage for your business.Doing a little research in whatever niche you choose, and deciding how you approach your website layout, will create a distinct advantage over your competition in most business niches. Did you know that you could find your business website on the first page of the major search engines, like Google, within just a few days? It’s true, and it can be done absolutely free! It’s those little known secrets, about well known subjects, that really do make all the difference.Going into business online, affords you the entire world, as your customers. I was personally blown away when I first began selling products online, and people literally on the opposite side of the planet, were buying from me. I had to get out my globe to see where these orders were coming from. I really felt dumb, when I was doing business with people, I didn’t even know existed. No, the whole world has gotten a lot smaller and at the same time, my business grew a lot larger virtually overnight.Before I ramble on, into a side conversation about the things I have actually surprised myself with, I want you to know that whatever business desires you have, there is still a frontier awaiting your dreams of owning and operating a successful business online.

Personal Loans – A Loan For All Times

Today in this fast paced life, money is needed almost to meet every kind of needs. But every day is not always destined to be a good day. Similarly, it is not possible for every person in this world to have sufficient money with him always. Sooner or later, he will definitely face a situation where he will be short of required money. At that time, the same person will get confused and will try to postpone his needs up till that time when he has ample money with him. But what the same person will do when his demands or financial needs would be urgent. Thus to save people from facing these situation, Personal Loans have been conceptualized.These loans are the kinds of loans that are generally meant to meet personal causes. However, this is not a big issue as the borrower can avail these loans for any legal reason. They will not be required to specify the reason to the lending authorities. These loans can be further classified into two categories unsecured personal loans and secured personal loans.Talking about the secured personal loans first. These loans are of secured type in nature. In other words these loans require the loan applicant to put any off his personal asset whether home, land or any other valuable property with the lending authority as a security. This security is a sort of guarantee to the lending authority that their money will be recovered in case of any default of installment made in the behalf of the loan aspirant. These lenders on these kind of loans generally charge a reasonable rate of interest. The repayment period too in these kinds of loan is also very long. This is done to ensure that the borrower does not face any problems in the repayment of loan.The other kind of personal Loans such as unsecured personal loans. These loans are the loans which any borrower can avail without going through many legal hassles. Also these unsecured loans do not require any kind of pledged security. However, these kinds of loans carry a higher rate of interest than the secured counterparts as the interests of the lender are in a far dangerous position since there is no involvement of any security. These loans are great options for those who do not want to risk their intangible or tangible assets while availing the loans. Such people may include tenants, non property owners. Also these loans are best suited for the people who are suffering from bad credit history. But here it is important to understand what actually is this problem of bad credit history.This is a track record of person who has defaulted in the repayment of earlier loans or debts. However this is only the general perception. It also include CCJ’s, person who have not made prior use of any credit card. It also include the person who change their residents or employment very frequently. But that does not mean that the above mentioned person can’t avail loan in any case. In that case they just need to apply Online and the they will be served with an exhaustive list of lenders across the globe and then the loan applicant can choose the best deal for himself.Hence, personal loans provide the best deal for any borrower depending upon the circumstances he is facing. He is free to choose the kind of loan he wants to avail.

Pre Approved Auto Loans Make Your Car Loan Process Pleasurable

Want to buy your dream car? Are you afraid of car loan rejection? Are you worried that you will be stuck with high rate auto dealership financing? Well, you can get yourself a pre- approved auto loan and forget worrying about car financing.A pre approved auto loan is an easier and an excellent way to buy the car. You will not only save money but will also save yourself from dealing with dealership financing. It is possible that dealers who may not offer you lower rates. You certainly don’t want to get a raw deal. But with a pre approved automobile loan, you can stay away from higher interest rates and last minute changes in loan terms and conditions.With a pre qualified car finance, you know the exact amount of money that you can spend. You automatically remain in budget. As you know each and every detail of the car loan, there are no chances of unpleasant surprises in the future.Pre qualified auto financing is good because it gives you greater negotiation power. The dealer knows that you have ready money and so, he won’t have any problem in reducing the car price. Also, you will be able to negotiate better terms and conditions.How To Get Instant Approval on Pre Approved Auto Loans?Know Where You AreAssessing your financial statements should be the first step in getting an auto loan. You must have your current pay stubs with you. It can be used as a proof of your income and employment. Your utility bills can ensure the lender that you have been making regular payments.Study your credit report. Identify the mistakes and report it to the credit bureaus. Your credit score will improve as soon as wrong entries and unwarranted transactions are removed from your report. Paying off old debts and making regular payments can also help in increasing your credit score.Shop AroundOnce you have all the necessary documents, you can apply for a pre approved car loan. Don’t apply with a single lender. Instead, apply with several lenders and then, compare car loan quotes. When you apply at several places, you have the opportunity of choosing the best pre-approved auto loan program.It is time consuming to visit local lenders and dealers and apply for a pre-qualified car loan. You can make use of the internet and get your free car loan quotes. All your work will be done at the click of mouse and you won’t even have to leave your home.Choosing The Best Pre Approved Auto Loan QuoteWhen you receive auto loan quotes, compare them and find the best car loan program. Don’t choose an auto loan quote because it has the lowest monthly payments. Consider several aspects like interest rates, loan term, APR, car loan conditions, pre-payment penalty, additional fees and charges, etc.Once you choose a car loan quote, the lender will give you the check. It is generally valid for a limited period such as two or three months.With a check in hand, you have the freedom to choose your favorite car. Truly, pre approved car loans are a perfect way of avoiding any unpleasant surprises in future. So, don’t waste any time and apply for a pre approved auto loan today!

S&P 500 Rallies As U.S. Dollar Pulls Back Towards Weekly Lows

Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.

The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.

Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.

Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.

Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.

From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.

S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730

S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.

On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.

SPDN: An Inexpensive Way To Profit When The S&P 500 Falls

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.

S&P 500 Biotech Giant Vertex Leads 5 Stocks Showing Strength

Your stocks to watch for the week ahead are Cheniere Energy (LNG), S&P 500 biotech giant Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Cardinal Health (CAH), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Genuine Parts (GPC).

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While the market remains in correction, with analysts and investors wary of an economic downturn, these five stocks are worth adding to watchlists. S&P 500 medical giants Vertex and Cardinal Health have been holding up, as health-care related plays tend to do well in down markets.

Steel Dynamics and Genuine Parts are both coming off strong earnings as both the steel and auto parts industries report optimistic outlooks. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy saw sales boom in the second quarter as demand in Europe for natural gas continues to grow.

Major indexes have been making rally attempts with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 testing weekly support on Friday. With market uncertainty, investors should be ready for follow-through day breakouts and keep an eye on these stocks.

Cheniere Energy, Cardinal Health and VRTX stock are all on IBD Leaderboard.

Cheniere Energy Stock
LNG shares rose 1.1% to 175.79 during Friday’s market trading. On the week, the stock advanced 3.1%, not from highs, bouncing from its 21-day and 10-week lines earlier in the week.

Cheniere Energy has been consolidating since mid-September, but needs another week to forge a proper base, with a potential 182.72 buy point formed on Aug. 10.

Houston-based Cheniere Energy was IBD Stock Of The Day on Thursday, as the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas eyes strong demand in Europe.

Even though natural gas prices are plunging in the U.S. and Europe, investors still see strong LNG demand for Cheniere and others.

The U.K. government confirmed last week that it is in talks for an LNG purchase agreement with a number of companies, including Cheniere.

In the first half of 2021, less than 40% of Cheniere’s cargoes of LNG landed in Europe. That jumped to more than 70% through this year’s second quarter, even as the company ramped up new export capacity. The urgency of Europe’s natural gas shortage only intensified last month. That is when an explosion disabled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia that had once supplied 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.

In Q2, sales increased 165% to $8 billion and LNG earned $2.90 per share, up from a net loss of $1.30 per share in Q2 2021. The company will report Q3 earnings Nov. 3, with investors seeing booming profits for the next few quarters.

Cheniere Energy has a Composite Rating of 84. It has a 98 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share price movement with a 1 to 99 score. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 41.

Vertex Stock
VRTX stock jumped 3.4% to 300 on Friday, rebounding from a test of its 50-day moving average. Shares climbed 2.2% for the week. Vertex stock has formed a tight flat base with an official buy point of 306.05, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The stock has remained consistent over recent weeks, while the relative strength line has trended higher. The RS line tracks a stock’s performance vs. the S&P 500 index.

Vertex Q3 earnings are on due Oct. 27. Analysts see EPS edging up 1% to $3.61 per share with sales increasing 16% to $2.2 billion, according to FactSet.

The Boston-based global biotech company dominates the cystic fibrosis treatment market. Vertex also has other products in late-stage clinical development that target sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and certain genetically caused kidney diseases. That includes a gene-editing partnership with Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP).

In early August, Vertex reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised full-year sales targets.

S&P 500 stock Vertex ranks second in the Medical-Biomed/Biotech industry group. VRTX has a 99 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and its EPS Rating is 99.

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Cardinal Health Stock
CAH stock advanced 3.2% to 73.03 Friday, clearing a 71.22 buy point from a shallow cup-with-handle base and hitting a record high. But volume was light on the breakout. CAH stock leapt 7.3% for the week.

Cardinal Health stock’s relative strength line has also been trending up for months.

The cup-with-handle base is part of a base-on-base pattern, forming just above a cup base cleared on Aug. 11.

Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, offers a wide assortment of health care services and medical supplies to hospitals, labs, pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The company reports that it serves around 90% of hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S.

S&P 500 stock Cardinal Health will report Q1 2023 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts forecast earnings falling 26% to 96 cents per share. Sales are expected to increase 10% to $48.3 billion, according to FactSet.

Cardinal Health stock ranks first in the Medical-Wholesale Drug/Supplies industry group, ahead of McKesson (MCK), which is also showing positive action. CAH stock has a 94 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 97 Relative Strength Rating and an EPS rating of 73.

Steel Dynamics Stock
STLD shares shot up 8.5% to 92.92 on Friday and soared 19% on the week, coming off a Steel Dynamics earnings beat Wednesday night.

Shares blasted above an 88.72 consolidation buy point Friday after clearing a trendline Thursday. STLD stock is 17% above its 50-day line, definitely extended from that key average.

Steel Dynamics’ latest consolidation could be seen as part of a larger base going back six months.

Steel Dynamics topped Q3 earnings views with EPS rising 10% to $5.46 while revenue grew 11% to $5.65 billion. The steel producer’s outlook is optimistic despite weaker flat rolled steel pricing. STLD reports its order activity and backlogs remain solid.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company is among the largest producers of carbon steel products in the U.S. It engages in metal recycling operations along with steel fabrication and produces myriad steel products.

How Millett Grew Steel Dynamics From A Three Employee Business

STLD stock ranks first in the Steel-Producers industry group. STLD stock has a 96 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 90 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share-price movement that tops at 99. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 98.

Genuine Parts Stock
GPC stock gained 2.8% to 162.35 Friday after the company topped earnings views with its Q3 results on Thursday. For the week GPC advanced 5.1% as the stock held its 50-day line and is in a flat base.

GPC has an official 165.09 flat-base buy point after a three-week rally, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The relative strength line for Genuine Parts stock has rallied sharply to highs over the past several months.

On Thursday, the Atlanta-based auto parts company raised its full-year guidance on growth across its automotive and industrial sales.

Genuine Parts earnings per share advanced 19% to $2.23 and revenue grew 18% to $5.675 billion in Q3. GPC’s full-year guidance is now calling for EPS of $8.05-$8.15, up from $7.80-$7.95. The company now forecasts revenue growth of 15%-16%, up from the earlier 12%-14%.

During the Covid pandemic, supply chain constraints caused a major upheaval in the auto industry, sending prices for new and used cars to record levels. This has made consumers more likely to hang on to their existing vehicles for longer, driving mileage higher and boosting demand for auto replacement parts.

Fellow auto stocks O’Reilly Auto Parts (ORLY) and AutoZone (AZO) have also rallied near buy points amid the struggling market. O’Reilly reports on Oct. 26.

IBD ranks Genuine Parts first in the Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts industry group. GPC stock has a 96 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and it has an EPS Rating of 89.