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Trump 2.0 & Healthcare?
In the US stock market, the healthcare sector is represented by the sector spider XLV. Here’s a recent pre-inauguration picture of the sector spider’s performance. As of pre-inauguration, on January 17, 2025, the ten largest holdings in this sector spider ETF were: Eli Lilly and Co. 11.58% UnitedHealth Group Inc. 9.12% Johnson & Johnson: 6.90%…
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Guest Comments: David Blond Responds to Kotok’s “National Defense”
During the early days of the Reagan Administration, David Blond was the Senior Economist, Office of the Secretary of Defense. He sent me this note in response to the piece I wrote about national defense (which can be found at https://kotokreport.com/national-defense/). He was kind enough to give me permission to share some of his personal observations. So…
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National Defense
Readers, please note that this is my opinion alone. I’m writing this in the midst of a continuously changing environment for the defense of the United States as the Biden regime transitions to the Trump 2.0 administration. Trump’s rhetoric (I hope that’s all it is) about military action in Panama or acquiring Greenland or intensifying…
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Fires & Hurricanes!
The California fires will end up setting records in billions in a catastrophe loss. On the East Coast a similar new record cost will continue to be revealed as the trifecta hurricane damages from Debby, Helene, and Milton continue to mount. Meanwhile, the property and casualty insurance industry and the reinsurers of the world are…
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Camp Kotok – Judith Monroe from CDC Foundation & David Kotok explore Zika & other initiatives of CDC
Camp Kotok – Dr. Judy Monroe from the CDC Foundation discusses her role, Zika, Ebola, viruses and viral outbreaks, how they can do things governments can’t do, and more with David Kotok. This talk with Judith Monroe includes how the foundation helps fulfill and extend the CDC’s mission and challenges. How can you support the…
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America’s ERP, Korea & Its Stock Market
Korea On the auspicious date of Friday the 13th of December 2024, I published “4 Stock Market Perspectives”(https://kotokreport.com/4-stock-market-perspectives/). Readers are thanked for their comments. Today, let’s add to that discussion. First, I want to clarify the reference from Bryan Taylor about the equity risk premium. A reader stated, “His forecast was wrong.” I pointed out…
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Debt Ceiling, Trump’s Problem & the New 119th House of Representatives
Let’s start the new year with an update and a math correction. But first, please remember that this commentary is released for a Sunday publication date on the Thursday before the Friday start of the new 119th House organization for the new Congress. As I write this, I do not know the outcomes for Speaker Johnson,…
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Lee Zeldin, HFCs and the New Year
(The following was first published on The Kotok Report website and via LISTSERV. For details, visit https://kotokreport.com/.) I wish all readers a healthy and happy new year. Let’s get to a very specific item that may impact every one of us in 2025. President-elect Trump has proposed former New York congressman Lee Zeldin to head…
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Claudia, Danny, Michael, the U7 & Me
David R. Kotok, September 15, 2024 (The following was first published on The Kotok Report website and via LISTSERV. For details, visit https://kotokreport.com/.) I found Michael Gayed’s summary of the recent labor market outcomes succinct and clear. He wrote: If you were waiting for the labor market to save the soft-landing narrative this week, you…