A Silver Lining For Tech In A Week Of Misery

Americans are miserable right now despite the country’s growth…but THIS could be the cure. December 21, 2021 [Turn on your images.]( A Silver Lining For Tech In A Week Of Misery With supply chains failing and inflation growing out of control, Americans are miserable despite the country’s growth. There’s no end to the problems in sight, and people are looking for ways to make themselves feel better and keep their money safe. Fortunately, the online gaming world is poised to offer both of those things in the New Year. Gamers and non-gamers alike, take notice. THIS could be the cure for your misery. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Turn Your Images On] [Frustrated Incorporated: Misery Index On the Rise]( Shawn Ambrosino I’m a child of the 80s. I grew up during the Reagan era and I graduated high school in 1991, so my musical tastes are as eclectic as my taste in movies. I could be listening to Pearl Jam one moment and Billie Holliday the next – however, after reading the headline “Misery Index at recession level,” one line from a song from my college years started playing over and over in my head. The song is called “Misery” by Soul Asylum, a band that has since faded into obscurity. In the early- to mid-90s, Soul Asylum was HUGE—but like a lot of bands of that era, their popularity has greatly waned. Anyway, in the song, there’s a line that lead singer Dave Pirner repeats over and over again: “Frustrated incorporated… frustrated incorporated… frustrated incorporated.” It’s actually a great song. [Turn Your Images On]( But I don’t bring this up just to wax nostalgic about the good ol’ days of music. Right now, the American economy has us all singing our own version of “Misery,” and each and every one of us is reluctantly working for Frustrated, Inc as well. No one is having a good time right now…so here’s what a rising Misery Index means for investors like us. Misery Loves Company According to a new report from Oxford Economics, the nation’s “Misery Index” (an index measures how citizens “feel” about their economic status by adding the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate to the annual inflation rate) is at levels we usually only see in recessions. Written by Oxford Economics Senior Economist Bob Schwartz, the report revealed that the U.S. misery index was 11.2 in November, a level similar to the numbers the index puts up during economic recessions. That’s very peculiar because, just this month, the S&P 500 reached record highs, jobless claims fell to the lowest in over 50 years, and wage growth is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. With these numbers so high…how could the Misery Index be up too? Well, it’s the second half of the misery equation: inflation. According to Schwartz, “The scourge of inflation, which hit a 39-year high of 6.8 percent in November, has returned with a vengeance and is the main culprit behind the latest increase.” As if you needed an economist to point this fact out… We’re paying more at the pump and more at the grocery checkout—a lot more—and it’s taking its toll on the American psyche. In fact, last week’s inflation CPI report found inflation EXPLODED in November from the previous year by a whopping 6.8%, continuing the WORST era of inflation that we’ve seen since the 70s. Prices increased EVERYWHERE. Gas, food, consumer goods, new and used cars…it’s like we can’t get a break anywhere we turn. However, while the reasons we’re experiencing this much inflation right now could be argued for days, what can’t be argued is the fact that inflation is so high that it’s overshadowing anything else that’s happening in the economy. Conflicting Data: How Is This Possible? Higher prices have all-but-negated wage increases, virtually wiping out most of the gains associated with increased worker salaries. Something echoed by Schwartz in his Misery report when he says, “Simply put, the wage increases are still not keeping up with inflation. With November’s 6.8% increase in consumer prices over the past year outpacing the 4.8% increase in average hourly earnings for workers, the purchasing power of worker earnings continue to deteriorate.” That is why the misery index is so high… Salaries just can’t keep up, and there doesn’t seem to be any relief in sight. This is why, now more than ever, we need to lean on the shoulders of experts to help us get through this very peculiar and weird economic time. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times: I fully believe that the Green Zone Fortunes’ rating system is one of the most important and useful tools on the internet because its top-rated stocks beat the market the VAST majority of the time. Moreover, not only do the highest-rated stocks BEAT the markets, but they beat them by 15,000% PLUS!! No, I’m not joking or exaggerating. This is a verifiable FACT. That’s why I personally trust Adam O’Dell and Charles Sizemore to guide us through this troubling time. I’d rather ride the tide than get crushed by the surf. I would suggest you do the same. Editor’s Note: If you want to learn more about Green Zone Fortunes and how the highest-rated pics CONSISTENTLY beat the market, you might want to watch this quick video from Adam. It could be the best thing you do for your financial security and future going forward. [Watch it HERE…]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Turn Your Images On] [Gamers And Non-Gamers Alike Should Consider Buying Stock In THIS Gaming Headset Company]( Ryan James As 2022 approaches, we’re once again at the time of year where the stock market takes a beating as investors dump the stocks they don’t want to carry into next year. As always, everyone on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business have begun losing their everloving minds as the major stock indexes plummet. [Turn Your Images On] And, true to form, the DOW, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all are limping into the New Year like Long John Silver on his wooden peg. Tech stocks in particular are walking the plank as 2021 comes to an end. The tech-heavy S&P 500 has fallen 2% this week, and shares of four big tech stocks—Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple, and Alphabet—are all down 4.2% as of this writing. This is especially noteworthy because these four stocks, plus Tesla, account for 50% of the S&P 500 gains for the year. So as these five stocks go, so goes the S&P. However, just because the big boys are struggling for the minute doesn’t mean there aren’t other tech stocks to buy. The Money Moves gamer readership is going to love the stock we have to recommend today. For all those gamers who use headsets for communicating while playing video games on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, you are likely familiar with Turtle Beach Corp. (HEAR) Turtle Beach makes headsets that the gaming community uses to communicate with their friends from all over the globe, as well as keyboards, mice, and other gaming accessories. And the gaming market is a HUGE industry. Interested? To learn more about Turtle Beach and to hear what our Green Zone Rating System has to say about this exciting profit opportunity, read the rest of the story on the [Money & Markets website]( [Click Here]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Turn Your Images On] [It’s Happening! Reddit Plans For IPO After Successful Year]( Ryan James The time has come… We all knew this new day would dawn on us...and now, at long last, it's here. Will the world ever be the same? Possibly not... So, what earth-shaking news is about to be thrust on you, our fine reader? Well, Reddit is going public! [Turn Your Images On] Yup, pack up the van, Redditors, everyone’s favorite chat room super-platform is going public! Reddit has filed paperwork with the SEC and intends on becoming a publicly-traded company! I can’t wait until Reddit IPO Day! It’s going to be so much fun! Schools, post offices, banks, should all be closed on that day in celebration. It’s going to be, as the kids say these days, lit. [Turn Your Images On] r/Let's Make Some Money! Ok, maybe it's not that big a deal, but still, this is important news...and it's possible that this development brings with it a chance to make some money! And hey, maybe the r/WallStreetBet sub-Redditors will short Reddit stock! Now that would be one of history’s great ironies if it happens! I am looking at you, GameStop and AMC investors! [Turn Your Images On] Sure, Redditt has many haters, and there are several outstanding questions about Reddit’s internals that need to be known, but what we do know via public information makes it not all doom and gloom for Reddit super fans and potential investors. For one thing, Reddit has disclosed that daily active users hit 52 million in October 2020, up 44% over the same month a year prior. A recent Pew Research Center [survey]( found that 18% of Americans say they use Reddit, up from 11% in 2019. Oh, and there is this little nugget that will have investors salivating at the mouth: Over a quarter of Americans who make more than $75,000 say they use Reddit! I can just see the dollar signs lighting up in digital advertisers’ eyes now! [Turn Your Images On] According to Forbes, “In the second quarter of 2021, Reddit raked in more than $100 million in revenue, representing an almost 200% increase over the year prior.” The Good, The Bad & The Ugly [Turn Your Images On] However, with good news, there is often bad news…and even worse, ugly news! So, do you want the bad news or the ugly news, first? Well, you are going to get both. So here it goes… Judged by daily active users, Reddit remains in the minor leagues. Like Kevin Costner’s character in the film Bull Durham, he just can’t get back to the “show” (“the show” being the Major Leagues, for those who don’t get the reference. But you are the smartest readers on the internet, so I am sure you got it, my fellow Money Movers!). Sure, Reddit has more than 50 million daily active users, but Twitter has 200 million daily users, and Facebook’s number is in the billions. Oof. Reddit has some catching up to do! Also, the boys over Big Tech have a dominant position in the digital advertising market. Two-thirds of all digital advertising is owned by Amazon, Google, and Facebook, according to eMarketer. And then there is that whole revenue deficiency. Well, at least compared to other social platforms. Snapchat earned $1 billion in revenue in the third quarter, compared to $100 million by Reddit. Reddit earned a paltry $100 million during the same quarter. That is nothing to laugh at, but it does point to the challenges Reddit has to overcome to catch up to others in the social field. (However, Reddit doesn’t have that whole disappearing photo thing that Snapchat has. Which, of course, no one ever has used to send inappropriate pictures to one another…. never! Get your head out of the gutter! Geez!) There you have it, Money Movers! Reddit is coming to an IPO theatre near you! Get the popcorn out, it’s going to be an entertaining viewing experience for our times! --------------------------------------------------------------- For more quality content like this, and to learn more about the Money Moves team, visit us at [( Privacy Policy The Money & Markets, P.O. Box 8378, Delray Beach, FL 33482. To ensure that you receive future issues of Money & Markets, please add info@mb.moneyandmarkets.com to your address book or [whitelist]( within your spam settings. For customer service questions or issues, please contact us for assistance. The mailbox associated with this email address is not monitored, so please do not reply. Your feedback is very important to us so if you would like to contact us with a question or comment, please click here: [( Legal Notice: This work is based on what we've learned as financial journalists. It may contain errors and you should not base investment decisions solely on what you read here. It's your money and your responsibility. Nothing herein should be considered personalized investment advice. Although our employees may answer general customer service questions, they are not licensed to address your particular investment situation. Our track record is based on hypothetical results and may not reflect the same results as actual trades. Likewise, past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Certain investments carry large potential rewards but also large potential risk. Don't trade in these markets with money you can't afford to lose. Money & Markets expressly forbids its writers from having a financial interest in their own securities or commodities recommendations to readers. Such recommendations may be traded, however, by other editors, Money & Markets, its affiliated entities, employees, and agents, but only after waiting 24 hours after an internet broadcast or 72 hours after a publication only circulated through the mail. (c) 2021 Money & Markets, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Protected by copyright laws of the United States and treaties. This Newsletter may only be used pursuant to the subscription agreement. Any reproduction, copying, or redistribution, (electronic or otherwise) in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of Money & Markets. P.O. Box 8378, Delray Beach, FL 33482. (TEL: 800-684-8471) Remove your email from this list: Click here to Unsubscribe