Gold Adjusted for Inflation Gold has just surpassed its inflation-adjusted record high from 1980, marking an important milestone as both a hedge against inflation and a gauge of currency weakness. Image: Bloomberg

Seven Largest Companies as Share of S&P 500 Total Market Capitalization The seven largest stocks in the S&P 500 make up 34% of the index’s total market capitalization. Although such a high concentration doesn’t guarantee…

S&P 500 Buyback Yield While S&P 500 share buybacks remain significant, their impact on reducing share counts and boosting returns to shareholders is diminishing compared to past years. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research

S&P 500 – U.S. Broad Market Net Forward Profit Margin Elevated profit margins in the U.S. broad market, which continue to show forward-looking expansion, point to underlying economic resilience and do not align with the…

Top 10 Mega Cap Stocks as % of S&P 500 The growing dominance of the top 10 companies in the S&P 500 has raised concerns about whether the index still provides sufficient diversification, given the…

Gold Spot Price and Russell 3000 Gold Miners Subindustry Goldman Sachs is bullish on gold over the next 12 months, projecting a 14% rise driven by central bank demand and anticipated rate cuts, with even…

S&P 500 vs. 20+-Year U.S. Treasuries U.S. stocks continue to outperform bonds in an ongoing post-pandemic risk-on rally, despite periods of volatility. Market sentiment remains tilted toward risk assets. Image: Bloomberg

U.S. Labor Market – Job Openings per Unemployed Worker The ratio of U.S. job openings to unemployed workers below 1 indicates labor market weakness, with policy uncertainty and slowing demand increasing the likelihood of a…

Aggregate Financial Asset Allocation Among Households, Mutual Funds, Pension Funds, and Foreign Investors Investor allocation to equities has reached an all-time high, driven by retail enthusiasm and strong performance. However, rising valuations and concentrated leadership…

Valuation – S&P 500 CAPE Ratio with 10-Year Total Returns Valuations don’t matter—until they do. Over the past 150 years, high valuations have been a sign of poor forward returns, with negative real returns over…

Share of Top 5 Companies by Market Capitalization in the S&P 500 The U.S. equity market is highly concentrated in just a few mega-cap tech companies. While this does not definitively mean the U.S. is…