The first quarter of 2019 is nearly over, and it has been one for the history books. Back in January, I watched with amusement as the world witnessed what those of us close to Trevor Lawrence already knew — that is he is something special. I don’t mean because he was the quarterback who handed Alabama its worst loss in recent history in the National Championship game, or because he was a freshman who didn’t start until game five. He’s special because he has maturity far beyond his years, and a humility that is rarely seen in today’s athletes. Whether you are a Clemson fan or not, you must agree it is refreshing to see a wholesome young man share that his faith is his motivation to be better, not fame.The stock market continues to rise and fall like a beach ball bouncing in the crowd at a baseball game during a hot summer afternoon. One day it seems to stabilize, climbing 300 points, only to suddenly drop 500 points in a matter of hours.
Some would say much of the fluctuation is caused artificially by market manipulation from news outlets intentionally publishing untrue information designed to help or hurt a stock or industry. Others say the market is victim to layering, which is when short-term investors place large orders with no intention of having them filled. When other investors see this action and place their orders at the same level, at the last moment, the short-term investor pulls the order and watches as the other investors have their orders filled. Since the large order was pulled, the stock begins to decline. Once it does, the short-term investor buys in at the lower price. The opposite of this technique is bear raiding. This is when a trader (or group of traders) attempts to force a stock price lower by placing large short-sell orders.
Regardless of the tactic, there is an increasing sentiment that the stock market is becoming more like a trip to Las Vegas.
During this first quarter, we also witnessed the U.S. government shutdown make history after reaching 35 days of stalemate. I’m not saying whether the shutdown was warranted or not, but it is a sad day in American history when the two parties act like young children squabbling on the baseball field. If they don’t get their way, they grab their bat or ball and head home, leaving the other players wondering what is next.
And even though federal employees did not receive their paycheck, we witnessed that most government entities could operate just fine with a lean staff. One thing I did notice as I traveled through the airport, the TSA agents who were working were much more focused, polite, and efficient than before the shutdown.
to your business!