Category Archives: TAG Podcasts
University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Survey and Phenomenon Called Heuristics – Guide Rock Weekly Market Commentary May-20 FT029
Much like elementary school children trying to capture the attention of someone they have a crush on, the American economy sent lots of mixed signals last week.
Conflicting reports emerged about consumer sentiment during the week. The Conference Board, a non-profit research organization, reported consumers remained somewhat pessimistic about the direction of the economy. In contrast, the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey rose to a six-year high, according to ABC News. The Index moved from 76.4 in April to 83.7 in May indicating consumers are feeling more confident about the economy.
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On the employment front, more people filed first-time unemployment claims last week than had filed the week before; however, claims remained well below the levels experienced from mid-2008 to 2011. Additionally, data shows during the past six months the average length of unemployment has dropped, the number of hours worked has risen, and earnings have increased.
Laptops, Microsoft Surface RT, Surface Pro, Lenovo Yoga, Laptop Drive Encryption, Leap Motion, VGo at NASA – HT117
Jim (@jcollison) is joined this week by Christian Johnson (@TheWizBM), Mike Howard from jpeg2RAW.com and Eddie Ramirez (@pceddienc) for Show 117. This show is part three of three in a series where we look at Laptops. You can catch the first two at http://theaverageguy.tv/ht114 and http://theaverageguy.tv/ht115.
Mike Howard joined me last week as we talked his Google+ Hangoutasaurus on show 116 – http://theaverageguy.tv/ht116
We also have a very popular topic on the VGo robotic telepresence solution for healthcare, education and the workplace. Christian uses this device at NASA when he is working from home. Go to minute 56 of either the audio or video to watch. http://www.vgocom.com/company
Join us for the show live each Thursday at 8pmC/9E at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live
Join the Average Guy Facebook Group and you can win! – https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaverageguy/
When we hit 250, everyone in the group gets entered into a drawing for $100 gift card from Amazon for active members. Tell your tech friends to join us there and they could win too!
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:16 — 77.4MB) | Embed |
Sell in May and Go Away and Where Will You Live When You Retire? Guide Rock Weekly Market Commentary May-13 FT028
‘Sell in May and Go Away’ is a trading maxim which, according to Investopedia, encourages an investor to “sells his or her stock holdings in May and get back into the equity market in November…” Traders who adhere to that adage may be pondering averages and exceptions right now. During the first two weeks of the month, the Dow Jones Industrials Average, the Standard & Poor’s 500, and the Russell 2000 Indices all reached new highs. The Dow passed 15,000, the S&P reached 1,600, and the Russell 2000 hit 968.
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Bulls are in the majority among investors, although there is some bearish sentiment, according to the Bull and Bear Wise Index. Investors’ changing expectations are reflected in CNNMoney’s Fear & Greed Index which showed investor sentiment has shifted from ‘fear’ one year ago to ‘extreme greed’ last week. The premise of the index, which measures seven indicators, is investors are driven by two emotions: fear and greed. When investors are fearful, stock markets may fall more than they should; when investors are greedy, markets may be pushed higher than they should be.
Hangoutasaurus with Mike Howard from jpeg2RAW.com and Drobo Meetup Interviews in Omaha – HT116
Jim (@jcollison) is joined this week by Mike Howard from jpeg2RAW.com for Show 116. Mike recently spent sometime working on his podcasting studio at home and created what he now calls a Hangoutasaurus for his weekly shows on photography. Using 5 PCs, a mixer and a mic, Mike is able to broadcast and record his podcast in a very unique way. You will be surprised to hear how he did it. Have a listen.
Jim was also able to spend time at the Cali Lewis / Drobo meet up in Omaha recently. He recorded several interviews from that event and they have been added to the end of this podcast. I think you will enjoy them.
Join us for the show live each Thursday at 8pmC/9E at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live.
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:30:07 — 82.7MB) | Embed |
Join the Average Guy Facebook Group and you can win! https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaverageguy/
We are at 138 members right now, when we hit 250, everyone in the group gets entered into a drawing for $100 gift card from Amazon for active members. Tell your tech friends to join us there and they could win too! .
Markets Testing Limits and Does Money Buy Happiness? Guide Rock Weekly Market Commentary May-6 FT027
Like athletes testing their limits, the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the Dow Jones Industrials Indices both hit new highs last week. The S&P closed the week above the 1,600 level for the first time, while the Dow climbed above the 15,000 mark on Friday before closing lower. Strong corporate earnings, gains in the housing market, and good news from Europe helped support last week’s strong performance.
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Corporate earnings season – the period when companies’ managements tell shareholders how well the companies have performed during the previous quarter – is almost over. Seventy-two percent of the companies in the S&P 500 have beaten analysts’ expectations, according to information provided by FactSet and reported on MarketWatch. Since 1994, about 63 percent of companies have beaten expectations on average.
Housing market news was largely positive last week. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city index of home prices was up 9.3 percent year-over-year through February which was the largest gain in almost 7 years. Generally, cities that had seen big price declines during the housing crisis realized the biggest gains, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Atlanta. Cities experiencing strong jobs growth, such as San Francisco, Seattle, and Dallas, also showed significant price gains.
