1. Mag 7 Hits Bear Market Territory

Magnificent 7 stocks fell into bear market territory on Monday amid economic concerns.

The Daily Shot

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2. Mag 7 vs. Rest of S&P 2025

Individual investors snapped up shares of an exchange-traded fund tied to the “Magnificent Seven” group of technology megacap stocks during the recent nosedive in the U.S. stock market, according to data on Wednesday.  The Roundhill Magnificent Seven attracted a net $50 million of inflows in the four trading days ended on Tuesday, according to market analysis firm VettaFi.  The inflows marked a sharp end to a five-week period during which the $1.68 billion fund lost $163 million in assets.

Reuters

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3. Amazon Hits -20% from Highs…Closes Below 200-Day

StockCharts

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4. Vanguard Europe vs. SPY 2025

StockCharts

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5. Economic Policy Uncertainty Higher than 2008 GFC

Unio Capital

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6. Follow Up From Yesterday’s Chart on Sentiment

Retail investor sentiment (III). There have only been 2 other instances were the % of bulls was <20 for 3 consecutive weeks: Dec’88 and Apr’22.

SentimenTrader

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7. Small Cap Back to Lows

Bespoke

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8. Walmart -19% Close to 200-Day

StockCharts

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9. COST -17% Closes Below 200-Day

StockCharts

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10. I’m a psychologist who studies couples—if you say ‘yes’ to these 4 questions, your relationship is stronger than most

Via TherapyTips: Low points are inevitable in any relationship; no two people can see eye to eye all the time. But when push comes to shove, how do you know if your relationship has the foundation to endure?

As a psychologist who studies relationships, I’ve come to learn that thriving relationships often share some key traits.

Here are four simple questions that can determine longevity of your connection. If your answers are all “yes,” you’re likely on solid ground.

1. If you weren’t a couple, would you still be close friends?

Every healthy relationship should be grounded upon a foundation of friendship. Imagine your partner as just a friend: Would you still want to spend time with them, laugh with them and turn to them for support?

Couples who say “yes” to this understand that relationships require a lot more than just passion and commitment. Studies even show that if like your partner as a person, your bond will be much harder to break.

On the other hand, some couples stay together out of habit, fear of starting over or because they feel they’ve already invested too much in the relationship to let it go. This is what keeps people in unhappy relationships for years.

2. Do you like who you are when you’re around your partner?

Your life partner should bring out the best in you. Does having them in your life make you feel supported, loved and inspired to grow? Or do you feel stifled, diminished and drained?

Truly great relationships often reflect what’s called the “Michelangelo effect.” Just like the artist shaped raw stone into breathtaking sculptures, healthy partners will “sculpt” each other into better versions of themselves. They encourage your goals, cheer on your successes and remind you of your worth even on hard days.

Unhealthy relationships can have the opposite effect. If being around your partner makes you feel small, criticized or unsure of yourself, it’s worth reflecting on why. The way you feel when you’re around your partner is often one of the biggest clues about how healthy your relationship is.

3. If you knew that your partner will never change, would you still want to be with them?

No one is perfect, but ignoring flaws isn’t really what love is about. Rather, we all have to learn that those imperfections aren’t what define your partner, nor your relationship. Couples in healthy relationships don’t rely on fantasies of how the other person could change — they focus on loving each other as they are presently.

This doesn’t mean you should tolerate toxic behavior. But it does mean accepting the small fumbles and imperfections that make your partner human, like forgetting to pick up their socks once in a while or telling the same joke over and over.

If you can genuinely say you’d choose your partner if they stayed exactly as they are, warts and all, then you’ve likely built a relationship that can stand the test of time.

4. When you have good news, is your partner the first person you want to tell?

One of the clearest signs of a strong relationship is that your partner isn’t just there for the hard times — they’re also your go-to person for sharing your wins. When you get exciting news, do you instinctively reach for your phone to call them? Do you look forward to celebrating your successes together?

Psychologists call this “capitalization,” and research shows that couples who actively share and celebrate each other’s good news tend to have stronger, happier relationships. It builds a sense of partnership and camaraderie — one that reinforces that your joys are their joys, too.

1. Bearish Sentiment 2009 Levels??

Subu Trade

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2. MAG 7 Premium to S&P Shrinking

The Market Ear

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3. Bitcoin Miner Riot Almost Cut in Half Post Election

StockCharts

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4. Russian Gas Exports to EU -90%…Gazprom Stock $300B Market Cap to $42B

Reuters

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5. Natural Gas is 43% of Electricity Generation…+140% in 12 Months

Wolfstreet

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6. Inflation Breakdown from CPI Number

yahoo!Finance

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7. “Affordable Homes” Have Saw the Biggest Price Increases

Axios

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8. Housing Prices During A Recession

Axios

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9. 80% Of Coming Wealth Transfer Will Go to Women

Semafor

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10. 3 Steps for Conducting an Exit Interview

Via Success Leadership Lab: I’ve been there—sitting through an exit interview, the final conversation that officially closes the door on your job. My eyes were swollen, and a lump formed in my throat as the interviewer turned on her camera. I wasn’t sure what to expect, what questions might come or why the meeting had appeared so quickly on my calendar. I had never had one before.

As the interview began, she explained that it was company policy to ask me a series of survey questions, and I was asked to answer them honestly. I nodded, and the survey began. I didn’t want to be there—I didn’t want to lose my job two days before Christmas. But I agreed, hoping that my answers might improve the company in some way.

That experience stayed with me. Since then, I’ve often wondered if there’s a better way to conduct exit interviews. Is there a right or wrong way to do them?

All companies are different, but there are ways to make exit interviews a little better for those involved. Let’s take a look at a few.

Conduct exit interviews face-to-face

According to Deborah McGee, president and CEO of PZI Group, a consultancy focused on human resources outsourcing, one of the biggest mistakes companies make is skipping exit interviews altogether.

“It’s a shame because I think they lose out on valuable information,” she says. “It’s an opportunity for the employee to discuss issues that they might have felt… or things that possibly the company could have done better.”

McGee also emphasized that exit interviews should be conducted by human resources. This helps HR see what their internal managers are doing, rather than by sending a survey to an employee’s inbox. “It should be done face to face. If somebody’s leaving your organization, you should take the time to at least spend five [or] 10 minutes with them,” she says.

Timing is another key factor. It’s important not to conduct an exit interview too early, as the employee still needs to work there, McGee explains.

At McGee’s company, she prefers to schedule exit interviews two days before the employee’s final day. This gives them enough time to share their thoughts while also allowing them to say their goodbyes and participate in farewell activities, like a final lunch.

The goal is to ensure that they leave on a positive note and maintain a good relationship with both their colleagues and the company culture, she says.

Watch what questions you ask

When conducting an exit interview, McGee suggests asking questions like, “‘What did you like about your position?’” She explains that it’s important to remember that nobody hates everything about their job.

Other questions to consider include, “What would you have done differently if you’d had the opportunity?” and “Would you consider coming back to work for this organization?”

McGee also recommends steering clear of certain questions, such as, “What didn’t you like about your manager?” or “Was there anyone in particular you had issues with?” While departing employees might choose to share these details, McGee stresses that the interview shouldn’t feel like a witch hunt.

While HR should have a guide or template with questions to ask, it should serve as just that: a guide. Interviewers should take the time to understand the individual they’re interviewing—rather than simply reading off a list of survey questions—and also remind them where their efforts were valued.

“Especially if they’re not leaving by choice, then praise them for what they did for the company,” McGee says.

Don’t take feedback personally

Exit interviews can be uncomfortable on both ends, especially if the interviewee is hostile or upset, McGee says. It’s important to recognize that the employee may be facing difficult circumstances, such as losing their insurance.

“They’re in a really hard spot that makes it uncomfortable,” she explains.

McGee also emphasizes that interviewers should avoid taking negative feedback personally. “It will feel personal because it’s person to person,” she says, but it shouldn’t be taken that way.

Overall, an exit interview should be just as important as onboarding since it represents the employee’s final experience with the company. Because of this, it’s important to understand the purpose behind the exit interview and ensure that it’s handled respectfully, McGee says.

What to do before getting to an exit interview

Although exit interviews often occur due to layoffs, they can also happen when employees choose to leave for better opportunities. Before it gets to that point, it can be helpful to check in with your employees while they’re still working for your company.

“We actually do stay interviews,” McGee says. After six months or more, she asks her employees, “‘Why do you stay with us? What are we doing well? How can we make it better for you?’”

Conducting stay interviews addresses employees’ concerns proactively an2d creates a better work environment, McGee says, which helps employees choose to stay rather than leave.

1. Vanguard Growth Fund Nearing 2 ½ Year Up Trend Line

StockCharts

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2. Another Extreme Pessimism Signal for Short-Term Bottom

NDR

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3. U.S. Share of Global Stock Market Cap Exceeded Internet Bubble Levels

WSJ

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4. Rotation to International is Strongest Start to Year Since 1988

US vs. RoW. “As of March 7, this is the worst start to a year for the S&P 500 compared to the MSCI ACWI ex-US Index on record, going back to 1988.”

Sherwood

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5. Alternative/Private Equity Stocks

StockCharts

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6. Uranium ETF at Key Level..Right on 200-Week Moving Average

StockCharts

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7. Tesla Market Share Dropping Well Before Political Turmoil

Sherwood

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8. Will We See Weak Dollar Policy After $1.4 Trillion Spent on New Factories Last Year?

After 50 years of rust and decline, American manufacturing is roaring back to life. Spending on new factories hit $1.4 trillion last year… easily a record.

Rational Optimist Society

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9. US Population Turning 25 Years Old Each Year Beginning a Downtrend

John Burns

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10. The Reading Crisis in College

How critical thinking skills can help combat the decline in college reading skills.

Key points

• In the attention economy of the digital world, long-form content may be seen as a chore, not a pleasure.
• Teaching students to restate complex ideas in their own words is a powerful tool.
• Educators and parents need to model good reading habits and emphasize the irreplaceable value of deep reading.

Via Psychology Today: Many professors have witnessed a troubling trend in recent years: College students are struggling with reading more than ever. This isn’t just about preferring Netflix to novels; it’s a fundamental shift in how young adults engage with text, and it can have serious implications for their academic success and future careers.

The Decline of Reading Skills

Let’s face it: Reading isn’t what it used to be. In the attention economy of the digital world, long-form content is often seen as a chore rather than a pleasure. Recent trends indicate a concerning decline in reading skills among college students:

• Struggles with complex texts: Many students fixate on isolated details rather than grasping the full context.
• Diminished focus and endurance: Short attention spans make it difficult to engage with long passages.
• Preference for short-form content: Social Media consumption has rewired reading habits, making traditional texts feel overwhelming.
• Superficial engagement: Skimming has replaced deep reading, leading to a weaker grasp of complex ideas.
• Skepticism about reading’s value: Some students view reading as outdated, favoring video content and AI summaries instead.
• Pandemic’s lasting impact: Lowered academic standards and inflated grades have left many underprepared for college-level reading.

The Consequences

This decline in reading skills isn’t just an academic issue; it has real-world implications. Students who struggle with reading often:

• Have difficulty comprehending complex ideas in their chosen fields.
• Struggle to communicate effectively in writing.
• Miss out on the cognitive benefits of deep reading, such as improved empathy and critical thinking.
• Face challenges in careers that require analysis of detailed reports or contracts.
• The Critical Thinking Solution

The solution to this problem lies in harnessing the power of critical thinking to revitalize reading skills. Here’s how:

1. Active reading strategies: Encourage students to engage with texts actively. This means underlining key points, jotting down questions in the margins, and summarizing main ideas after each section. By treating reading as a dialogue with the author rather than a passive activity, students can improve both comprehension and retention.

2. The power of paraphrasing: Teaching students to restate complex ideas in their own words is a powerful tool. This process forces them to truly understand the material before they can explain it, deepening their engagement with the text.

3. Contextual analysis: Help students see the bigger picture by asking questions like:

• What’s the author’s background?
• When was this written, and how might that influence the content?
• How does this text relate to other things you’ve read or learned?
• This approach turns reading from a solitary activity into an investigative one, making it more engaging and relevant.

4. Debate and discussion: Organize group discussions or debates around the texts students are reading. This not only makes reading a social activity but also exposes students to different interpretations and viewpoints, enriching their understanding.

5. Real-world application: Encourage students to connect what they’re reading to current events or personal experiences. This makes abstract concepts more concrete and demonstrates the relevance of reading in understanding the world around them.

6. Digital literacy integration: Instead of fighting against digital trends, incorporate them into reading exercises. Use social media-style summaries as a starting point for deeper analysis or have students create video responses to readings, combining their digital skills with traditional comprehension.

7. Metacognitive reflection: Teach students to think about their thinking. After reading, have them reflect on questions like:

• What was challenging about this text?
• How did my understanding change as I read?
• What strategies helped me comprehend better?
• This self-awareness can help students develop personalized reading strategies.

8. Interdisciplinary connections: Encourage students to draw connections between texts from different courses or disciplines. This not only reinforces the idea that reading skills are universally applicable but also promotes a more holistic understanding of complex issues.

The Road Ahead

Improving reading skills among college students is not just about assigning more books or lamenting the influence of technology. It’s about reimagining how we approach reading in the digital age. By integrating critical thinking strategies, we can make reading more engaging, relevant, and rewarding for students.

Educators and parents need to model good reading habits and emphasize the irreplaceable value of deep reading. In a world increasingly dominated by soundbites and AI-generated content, the ability to critically engage with complex texts is more important than ever.

So, let’s turn the page on disengaged reading and write a new chapter where critical thinking and deep reading go hand in hand, to prepare students not just for academic success but also for a lifetime of learning and growth.

1. S&P 500 Closes Below 200day

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2. The Percentage of Stocks Under 200day

Equities: The percentage of S&P 500 stocks trading above their 200-day moving average fell below 50% for the first time since 2023.

The Daily Shot

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3. QQQ Closes Below 200day

Stock Charts

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4. Semiconductor ETF—50day Closes Below 200day

Stock Charts

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5. European Financials Straight Up 2025

Stock Charts

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6. International Rally…Emerging Markets Have Not Broken Out Above Pre-Election Highs

Stock Charts

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7. Gold/Platinum Indicator

MarketWatch Mark Hulbert-An obscure indicator with an excellent track record is forecasting a strong U.S. stock market over the next year.

This would be good news any time, but especially now with investors’ mood so pessimistic. Fear has grown so extreme in some pockets on Wall Street that some even are now arguing that contrarian analysis has stopped working.

The indicator to which I refer is the ratio of gold’s

According to a 2019 study, “Gold, Platinum and Expected Stock Returns,” the U.S. stock market more often than not rises over the subsequent 12 months when the gold/platinum ratio is in a strong uptrend — and vice versa. In fact, researchers Darien Huang, a former finance professor at Cornell University, and Mete Kilic, a finance professor at the University of Southern California, found that the ratio has a better track record than most of the other better-known indicators to which investors typically pay attention.

This is good news since the gold/platinum ratio has risen strongly over the last 12 months, as you can see from the chart above. The correlation between this ratio’s trailing 12-month change and the stock market’s subsequent 12-month change is significant at the 99% confidence level — higher even than the 95% level that statisticians often use when assessing whether a pattern is genuine.

The gold/platinum ratio has grown 25% over the past year, higher than 82% of all comparable readings of the past 20 years. As you can see from the table below, this puts the current ratio solidly in the quartile associated with impressive double-digit stock-market returns over the subsequent 12 months.

Market Watch

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8. U.S./Canada/Mexico Trade $1.6 Trillion Per Year

Irrelevant Investor

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9. 8 Million People Left Venezuela in Last 10 Years…82% Poverty Rate

Statista

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10. Want to Keep Your Mind Sharp? Neurology Research Says Cutting Out This Food Can Improve Your Brain Function (and Make You Live Longer)

Not good news for meat lovers, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

EXPERT OPINION BY MARCEL SCHWANTES, INC. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, EXECUTIVE COACH, SPEAKER, AND AUTHOR @MARCELSCHWANTES

Imagine you’re gearing up for another high-stakes day—important meetings, big decisions, and lots of problem-solving. Your focus needs to be sharp and your mind clear; you want to be at the top of your game.

But what if one of the things you’re eating every day is quietly working against you?

Turns out, that giant burger at lunch or sizzling five strips of bacon in the morning might be doing more than adding to your waistline—it could be increasing your risk of dementia and even cutting your lifespan short.

The downside of too much processed meat

I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, as I love a good, triple-decker turkey sandwich drenched in mustard. But consider the data: A massive study published in Neurologyfollowed over 133,000 health care professionals for more than four decades and found a clear connection between eating processed red meat—things like sausages, bacon, salami, and hot dogs—and a higher risk of cognitive decline.

People who ate about two servings of processed red meat per week had a 14 percent greater risk of developing dementia compared with those who ate it sparingly. And the rate of cognitive aging was even faster in regular consumers.

On the flip side, swapping out processed meats for plant-based proteins like nuts, beans, or tofu reduced dementia risk by 19 percent. It’s a small change with big benefits—not just for your brain at work, but for your longevity.

And it’s not just your mind at stake. The study estimated that if everyone ate less than 42g of red meat per day (less than half a serving), one in 10 deaths from heart disease and cancer could have been prevented.

But it’s not just about what you take out—it’s also about what you add in. Foods rich in “good fats,” like avocados, nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish, can help fight inflammation, protect your blood vessels, and support brain function. Your gut health also plays a massive role in cognitive performance. The latest research shows that eating more fiber-rich foods (like plants, beans, and fermented foods like kimchi) can improve gut health and lower your risk of mental decline.

Meanwhile, ultra-processed foods—like chips, sodas, and ready-made meals—have been linked to a 44 percent higher risk of dementia, according to another review of multiple studies. That’s a stat worth paying attention to next time you reach for a snack or drink from the vending machine.

The good news

So, do you need to cut out all meat forever? Not at all. Moderation is key. Ease up on red and processed meats and add more plant-based foods, good fats, and regular exercise. That’s the right balance. This lifestyle change won’t just help you live longer—it’ll help you think clearer, work smarter, and lead better. After all, a sharp mind and strong body are two of the best assets any entrepreneur or business leader can have.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

www.inc.com

1. The Nasdaq 100 has Closed above its 200-day Moving Average for 496 Consecutive Trading Days, the 2nd Longest Uptrend in History

Zach Goldberg Jefferies

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2. AMZN -17.5% Correction to 200-Day

StockCharts

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3. 10-Year Treasury Yield Key Spot..Back to December 2024 Levels…Below 200-Day

StockCharts

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4. JR. Gold Miners GDXJ +15% YTD

StockCharts

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5. Gold Up Double the S&P 12 Months…GLD vs. SPY Chart

StockCharts

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6. Weak Dollar Driving International Stocks…PE Ratios Latin America…All-Time Lows

Topdown Charts

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7. Another High Beta Name Down Big…MDB -44%

StockCharts

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8. Private Equity Stops Growing First Time in 20 Years

Via Morning Brew: While it might seem like private equity has dominion over everything from your dog’s vet clinic to your date-night seafood spot, the industry actually got smaller last year for the first time in 20 years. The amount of assets managed by PE firms fell 2% in 2024 to $4.7 trillion—marking the first time assets fell since consulting group Bain & Co. started tracking it in 2005, according to the Financial Times.

So, what’s squeezing private equity like private equity squeezes a mid-sized company it’s just acquired? The industry has a $3 trillion backlog of aging deals it can’t manage to sell off during a slow period for M&A, and investors are taking note and refraining from new investments into the industry. Bain found that PE funds are holding ~2x the assets they had in 2019, while the amount they’re selling is about the same—meaning it could take years to work through their excess holdings.

Morning Brew

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9. 30-Year Mortgage Back Under 7%

Freddie Mac

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10. The U.S. Housing Market is Worth $50 Trillion

Wealth of Common Sense