U.S. Discretionary Spending and Recessions Because there are few imbalances, Deutsche Bank suggests that the U.S. expansion could continue for many more years. Note: discreationary spending defined as consumer durable goods, plus business capex, plus…

U.S. CEO Departures and S&P 500 Index It is not a good time to be a CEO. This year is on pace to have the most CEO departures on record, at rates not seen since…

The Most Valuable Companies by Market Capitalization This nice visualization puts into perspective the most valuable companies of all time. Image: howmuch.net

S&P 500 Median Daily Return by Year Interesting chart showing that the median daily return for some years are lower or higher than expected. The numbers in white show the annual return. Image: Ritholtz Wealth…

Market Performance: Q4 2018 vs. Q4 2019 Trade optimism and accommodative central bank monetary policy have contributed to market performance in Q4 2019. Image: Fidelity Investments

Seasonality – 2019 S&P 500 Performance by Month vs. the 1980-2018 Average This year, the S&P 500 seasonality looked different than its historical pattern since 1980. Image: CNBC

Equities Performance and Global Manufacturing PMI Chart suggesting that equities often continue to rise after a significant bottom in the global manufacturing PMI. Image: Nordea and Macrobond

S&P 500 vs. Hedge Fund Research Global Index Hedge funds have underperformed the S&P 500 this year, but volatility has been lower. Image: Financial Times

Domestic China Equities and Bonds Held by Overseas Investors Foreign holdings of Chinese equities rose to a record high this year, despite the U.S.-China trade war. Image: Bloomberg

Euro Area Banks Relative Valuation The relative valuation of euro area banks is still below the levels of the financial crisis, due to falling interest rates and negative rates in Europe. Image: Bloomberg

U.S. Gross Government Debt to GDP U.S. government debt is expected to grow and could increase the likelihood of a fiscal crisis in the future. Image: Reuters