What RW media outlets like Marketwatch are telling people and what we're seeing diverge.

[ffr]

Consumer confidence running high at the start of 2020, hits biggest peak in 5 months

Stock Market crashing, now down 1,350 pts in the last two trading sessions.

Hmm, I thought consumer confidence was at a high? Buy people, buy...as corporate insiders are dumping their positions.

Update: DOW now down 400 pts today, so a running total of 1,400 pts down in last to trading sessions.

12:45 PM EST Update: Now nearing 1,500 pts down.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Consumer confidence index measure two different things.

I don't expect the weather report in Des Moines, Iowa, to work for Washington, DC, either.

[ffr]

2. Agree, but then I'm not sure why you brought that up. Both measure confidence in the future.

Thus, they diverge. Maybe you'd care to address that instead of distracting from the point?

[empedocles]

3. Peak consumer confidence is regarded by some, as a reverse indicator - a warning

sign that market is too 'frothy'. Softening confidence level in last 2 months could be looked at as confirmation, of too high - caution indicator.

[ffr]

4. That's not how Marketwatch is portraying it, unless my eyes deceive me.

The numbers: Americans began 2020 with the most confidence in the economy since last summer, buoyed by an interim trade deal with China, a soaring stock market and the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years. - Marketwatch

[empedocles]

5. You are correct, Market Watch, and market reports in general, lean bullish consistently.

[I was pointing out how the confidence indicator can be deceptive - and is, these last 3 days].

[Johnny2X2X]

9. They are full of BS

Interim trade deal with China? When did that happen. All that Trump agreed to was Phase 1, which is basically continue the trade war, but don't escalate it further.

Trump's propaganda is powerful.

[Wounded Bear]

6. The oligarchs have successfully decoupled Wall Street from the mainstream economy...

Things like consumer spending and jobs stats don't really matter to the guys in the casino.

We'll see.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. One should be very

Leary of this so called Confidence Number. My guess is that it is Juiced. Please never forget what Trump said a few days after he took Power,"our reports about the economy will always be positive". And we are learning the Trump backers were influencing Polling with the hiring of a company that specialists in Polling manipulation.

Folks,with the Tariff's and now this Virus are raising hell with everything Business Related. And Bloomberg News is forecasting further downward Stock Price action with only a minor recovery.

[SWBTATTReg]

8. Too many things going on to view rosy reports with anything but a healthy skepticism. There's

been too many indicators of the economy slowing down, such as inflation creeping up, manufacturing levels are down, stock market is way too poor of an overall indicator of economic strength, being that (1) an outsized percentage of the stock markets are owned by less than 10% (the wealthiest), trading is down (and the resultant businesses that depend on trade are suffering too, with loss of income, jobs, etc., along both borders and overseas trade), since motor mouth is pissing off our trading partners etc.

Recall that the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs bill was supposed to be goosing the economy. It didn't and instead, failed miserably in goosing the economy and it delivered the goods alright to the richest 1% with a nice tax cut, but leaving the deficit still intact for us 'regular' Americans to pay off/pay for.