1.Amazon was worth $159B in 2015 before AWS (cloud services) Disclosure Now $1 Trillion +
Amazon Long-Term Chart
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a secure cloud services platform, offering compute power, database storage, content delivery and other functionality to help businesses scale and grow.
In simple words AWS allows you to do the following things-
1. Running web and application servers in the cloud to host dynamic websites.
2. Securely store all your files on the cloud so you can access them from anywhere.
3. Using managed databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle or SQL Server to store information.
4. Deliver static and dynamic files quickly around the world using a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
5. Send bulk email to your customers.
Now that you know what you can do with AWS, lets have an overview of various AWS services.
https://blog.usejournal.com/what-is-aws-and-what-can-you-do-with-it-395b585b03c
2. Vietnam is Winner in China vs. USA Trade Wars
Vietnamese Exports to U.S.-WSJ
The Vietnamese Recovery Is Made in America-by Mike Bird https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-vietnamese-recovery-is-made-in-america-11617095869
VNM-Vietnam ETF…new highs….blue 50 day about to go thru 200 day to the upside.
3. S&P Bottom 25 Performers for 2020……+32% in 2021
Charlie Bilello –Best to Worst, Worst to Best
We’ve seen a 180 degree reversal in stocks this year with a mean reversion for the ages…
- Top 25 stocks in the S&P 500 in 2020: median return of -3% thus far in 2021.
- Bottom 25 stocks in the S&P 500 in 2020: median return of +32% thus far in 2021.
Compound Advisors Blog https://compoundadvisors.com/2021/6-chart-saturday-4-3-21
4. Retail Traders Take a Breather.
Dave Lutz at Jones Trading
RETAIL RETREAT– Trading by amateur US investors has ebbed as popular bets stumble and vaccine programmes prompt consumers to focus on holidays and big purchases rather than have-a-go market speculation – The 21-day moving average of US retail trading flows has fallen almost 20 per cent from a February peak to $1.2bn a day, according to FT, clashing with widespread expectations that new fiscal stimulus cheques would immediately ignite a new surge.
Options trading by retail investors, a riskier trading practice than holding stocks outright, had also hit record high levels in the past few months. However, investors are increasingly sitting on the sidelines
The volume of single contract options — the industry standard for tracking retail margin trading — has plummeted in recent weeks, according to Morgan Stanley.
Daily average trades for at least two online brokerages have edged down from their 2021 highs. And across the industry, traffic to brokerage websites, as well as the amount of time spent on them, has fallen, WSJ reports.
5. VIX Volatility Index Breaks $20…Back to Start of Covid.
6. Low Volatility ETF Closing in on Previous Highs.
I have discussed SPLV low volatility ETF that underperformed during Covid volatility and trailed on market rebound….It’s not cheap 25x P/E and 4.7 x book
ETF.com https://www.etf.com/SPLV#overview
7. Number of Distressed Bond Trading Plunged
Howard Marks Says ‘Best of Buying’ Came Too Fast for Record Fund By Katherine Doherty https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-05/oaktree-s-record-distressed-fund-saw-opportunities-pass-too-soon?sref=GGda9y2L
8. Economic Forecasts Now Matching Highest on Record.
Earnings estimates boosted earnings by 6.7 percentage points in Q1. That puts the expected growth rate at 22.5%, which is the largest revision on record ever (so much for predictions).
https://twitter.com/awealthofcs
9. 130 million Americans now live in a state where marijuana use is legal
Source: CHartr
Found at The Big Picture Blog
10. Activity is good: Varied activity is better
Date: March 29, 2021
Source: University of Basel
Summary:
The recommendations are clear: physical activity is good for mental health. But it also depends on how varied it is. That’s what a new study shows, pointing to one of the reasons why well-being suffers during the pandemic.
The recommendations are clear: physical activity is good for mental health. But it also depends on how varied it is. That’s what a new study by researchers at the University of Basel shows, pointing to one of the reasons why well-being suffers during the pandemic.
A walk in the morning, a jog in the evening or even just going out to buy groceries: activity helps the psyche. Many are trying to stay active during the pandemic despite mandatory home office and limited leisure activities. Others find that they are moving significantly less than before the pandemic because previous everyday activities are off-limits due to measures taken against the spread of Covid-19.
Against this backdrop, a study led by Professor Andrew Gloster of the University of Basel provides an indication of what impact restricted movement patterns might have. The results have been published in the journal BMC Psychiatry.
That exercise promotes not only physical but also mental health is known from various studies. However, these mostly focused on the influence of deliberate exercise programs. “In contrast, little was known about whether everyday, naturally chosen movement patterns also influence mental health,” Gloster explains.
To investigate this, he and researchers at the University Psychiatric Clinics in Basel collected GPS data from 106 patients with mental disorders who agreed to participate. For this purpose, the study participants were given extra smartphones that they carried with them for a week. This allowed the researchers to track their movements without interfering with the patients’ daily routine. The research team then compared the movement data with surveys of the participants’ well-being and symptoms of their mental illness.
The results showed that the more people moved and the more varied their movements, the greater their sense of well-being. However, no influence on the symptoms could be determined. “Our results suggest that activity alone is not enough to reduce symptoms of mental disorders, but can at least improve subjective well-being,” Gloster elaborates.
“Although the data were collected before the pandemic, the results are also relevant in light of the limitations during the coronavirus crisis,” he adds. Because many social and recreational activities were discontinued during that time, many people’s physical activity patterns also likely became more monotonous. Various studies by research groups at the University of Basel have been able to show that the pandemic took a toll on the psyche of the population. The results of the team led by Gloster suggest that the restricted movement patterns could also play a role in this.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210329122450.htm
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