1. Second Half 2024–S&P Equal Weight +5.7% vs. QQQ -3.6%
RSP-S&P Equal Weight ETF
2. S&P 500 Q2 Earnings Growth by Sector
Nasdaq Dorsey Wright
3. Capex Increases Spending by Big 4
4. Commodities vs. 52-week highs. Most commodities are down 20% or more from their 52-week highs.
5. History of Bad First Days of Month
6. The Shortage of Accountants
Chartr Blog
For decades, the accountant stereotype has conjured up depressing images of white-collar workers, slouched in office stalls, painstakingly crunching numbers on a spreadsheet till it’s quittin’ time.
Historically, the long-term financial stability afforded to accountants was enough to offset its somewhat unglamorous reputation. Today, though, that appeal isn’t resonating with Gen Z, according to new reporting from Business Insider.
Indeed, America is facing an accountant shortage, and it’s starting at college. Data released by the AICPA last October found that the number of students who’d earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in the 2021-22 school year was just 47,067 — down ~8% from the year prior, marking the 6th consecutive year of decline — while the number of students who’d graduated with a master’s in the subject fell to 18,238, a 21% drop from its peak, recorded just 4 years earlier.
Sum people
Furthermore, only a fraction of these graduates actually go on to become accountants: post-master’s degree, one must pass a further four 4-hour CPA exams within an 18-month period, and spend a year working with a licensed CPA, before receiving the official title.
A lack of new talent entering the industry is especially problematic because there’s a huge wave of professionals that are set to close their books for good, with the AICPA estimating that ~75% of the CPA workforce reached retirement age in 2020.
To address the issue, the AICPA dropped its opposition to calls that would cut the amount of education needed to become a CPA, and companies like the ‘Big 4’ firms are promoting programs with built-in master’s-degree equivalents to encourage applications.
One obvious way to make the profession more appealing? A bigger, better number. According to the BLS, the median salary for accountants and auditors is ~$80K — far lower than other jobs in the sector, such as financial analysts (~$100K) and financial managers (~$156K).
7. We Have 8m More Adults Working than 10 Years Ago.
8. Case/Shiller Year Over Year Housing Price Changes.
Bespoke Investment Group
https://www.bespokepremium.com/interactive/posts/think-big-blog/new-york-new-york
9. We Check Our Smartphones 352x Per Day
The New Normal: Phone Use is Up Nearly 4-Fold Since 2019, According to Tech Care Company Asurion
New Research Shows Our Smartphone Use Has Skyrocketed to 352 Times Per Day
Mask mandates may be lifting, but some of our pandemic-fueled habits are here to stay, including our “new normal” for screen time. In fact, even with the return of travel and in-person gatherings, most Americans can’t seem to put their phones down and are reaching for their device an average of 352 times a day – once every two minutes and 43 seconds –according to new research by tech care company Asurion*. Whether we’re sending text messages, capturing content or bringing up digital vaccination cards, it’s a nearly 4-fold increase from a similar survey conducted by Asurion before the pandemic in 2019, when Americans said they checked their phones 96 times a day**.
“From video chatting with loved ones to conducting contactless payments, mobile banking and even bringing up menus at restaurants, the pandemic has certainly put our smartphones at the center of it all,” says Anitha Somanahally, Asurion Senior Director, Research and Insights. “Our phones have become such a huge part of our day that when they break, getting them fixed or replaced becomes an urgent priority. No one knows this better than our Asurion Experts, who help panicked customers repair their much-needed devices every day – often within a few hours.”
Asurion surveyed 1,965 U.S. adults to learn that three-quarters of Americans consider their phone a “necessity,” rather than a “luxury.” In fact, 1 in 5 of us is unwilling to go without our smartphone for more than “a few hours,” and three-quarters of us are so attached to our devices that we take them into the bathroom. The main reason we’re not ready to put down our devices? We want to stay in touch with family and friends, both near and far. While the pandemic and social distancing drove us apart physically, 86% of Americans say they primarily reach for their phones to keep in touch with family and friends by calling, texting, chatting on social media or emailing. Taking photos and videos was the second biggest driver of phone use (61%), followed by mobile banking (46%), mobile gaming (40%) and online shopping (31%).
What’s interesting is that even more Baby Boomers (75%) and Gen Xers (76%) consider their phones to be a necessity than the “techy” Gen Zers (71%) or Millennials (68%). The devices are so essential that 60% of Americans say they could go no more than a day without their phone if it were damaged so badly that they couldn’t use it. And for parents, the urgency of having a working phone is even higher: 67% of parents said they’d need a working device within a day or sooner if theirs was lost, damaged or stolen.
Asurion provides quick and convenient device repair, replacement and support services through protection plans in partnership with leading wireless carriers and retailers, as well as through its uBreakiFix® by Asurion stores. The more than 700 store locations across the U.S. provide professional fixes on smartphones, tablets, computers, game consoles and most anything else with a power button. The company’s repair network also includes nearly 600 “We Come to You” mobile repair vehicles, bringing phone repair services to customers’ homes, offices or wherever is most convenient. Customers enrolled in protection plans through their carrier can often take advantage of same-day delivery of replacement phones too. Need your tech fixed? Learn more at Asurion.com.
10. Life Rewards Strength -Farnam Street Blog
“School tests weaknesses. Life rewards strengths.
Spending more time on our weakest areas is tempting, but life mostly rewards us for investing in our strengths. Imagine a student who struggles with math but excels at writing. In school, they might spend hours raising their math grades from a C to a B. However, spending the same time on writing might move them from an A to an A+. Focusing on math makes sense when you’re taught to think in grades. It doesn’t make sense if you think about life. The difference between an A and an A+ in writing ability might mean the difference between a New York Times bestseller read by millions and a book that only 100 people read.”
Address weaknesses only to the point where they stop holding you back. Then concentrate effort on your strengths.