Vaccinations Ramping Up

Plus: A Busy Earnings Week You are receiving this limited-time email resource as a subscriber to Kiplinger's free e-newsletters. To unsubscribe at any time, simply click the link in the footer below. JANUARY 25, 2021 [View in browser]( HOW TO PROTECT AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND INVESTMENTS NOW Despite many problems, vaccination is proceeding in the U.S. Roughly 5.6% of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine. New people are receiving their first dose at the rate of 1.1 million per day. A steady rate over 1 million is required to achieve herd immunity by the end of summer. --------------------------------------------------------------- SPONSORED CONTENT FROM VANGUARD PERSONAL ADVISOR [Plan Your Retirement Income with Vanguard]( Vanguard Personal Advisor Services® is built to provide you an ongoing collaboration with our professional advisors — no matter where you are. Our advisors are salaried and don't earn commissions, so they'll always put your best interests first. Take the first step with Vanguard today. [READ MORE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The states that are vaccinating the fastest: Alaska and West Virginia have given first doses to 10% of their populations. Connecticut, New Mexico, North and South Dakota and Oklahoma are above 7.0%. Many of these fast-vaccination states also have had a high number of infections, and thus should reach herd immunity soonest. The laggards are Idaho, Missouri and Nevada at about 4%. Merck’s ([MRK]( COVID-19 vaccines failed their Phase 1 trial because they didn’t produce enough of an immune response. Merck will switch its focus to developing its COVID therapy drugs instead. Recognizing the potential threat of the South African COVID-19 variant, E484K, Moderna ([MRNA]( will develop a booster shot to its COVID-19 vaccine to counter E484K’s greater antibody resistance. Ahead for Wall Street: A big week for data. The fourth-quarter earnings season that’s just now getting under way is the last in which companies will face prepandemic year-over-year comparisons. Thus, it’s expected to be ugly: The average estimate has S&P 500 earnings declining by 8.4% YoY during the fourth quarter, and [this week’s loaded earnings calendar]( will have a lot to say about that. But CFRA Chief Investment Strategist Sam Stovall reminds us that there’s a laundry list of other important events this week -- the January FOMC meeting, the initial Q4 2020 GDP reading and reports on durable goods, new-home sales and consumer confidence. In short: If there’s a week to dedicate a little more time to market homework, this is it. Free download, [The Kiplinger Letter's Forecast](. No information required from you. SPONSORED CONTENT FROM VANGUARD PERSONAL ADVISOR [Advice From Vanguard That Puts You Back in Control]( At Vanguard, we're invested in you. Which is precisely why we've created Vanguard Personal Advisor Services®, providing remote access to expert financial advisors, real-time goal tracking, and more confidence you'll meet your goals. There's never been a more perfect time to get started. [READ MORE]( LATEST INVESTING NEWS FROM KIPLINGER.COM [Mega Millions Lottery Winner Will Get a Mega Tax Bill]( [6 Stocks to Watch for a Return to Normalcy in 2021]( [What to Expect if You’re Flying in 2021]( [9 Best Utility Stocks to Buy for 2021]( [Build a Better Portfolio in 2021 -- Sign Up for Kiplinger's Free Investing E-Newsletters]( [Kiplinger] [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( Send this to a friend. [Click here.]( All content ©2021 The Kiplinger Washington Editors 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 1000 Washington, D.C. 20005 Thank you for subscribing to Kiplinger's A Step Ahead, a free resource to help readers navigate the economic recovery from COVID-19. If you ever wish to stop receiving this service, please [click here to unsubscribe](.