Connect with us

Finance

More traders turn bullish in first quarter, Schwab survey says

Published

on

Traders work on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) floor on Feb. 20, 2025 in New York City.

Spencer Platt | Getty Images

An expensive stock market didn’t prevent traders from getting more bullish as investors increasingly bet that the bull run could keep chugging along, according to Charles Schwab’s new quarterly client survey.

The bulls continue to outnumber the bears among traders by 51% to 34%, said Schwab’s survey, which polled 1,040 active traders last month. Young traders under the age of 40 especially showed a spike in optimism, with bullishness jumping to 59%. That compares to 47% in the fourth quarter. The positive sentiment came even as two-thirds of the traders believe the market is overvalued, the survey said.

“It’s clear that the majority of traders believe there’s some froth in the market but on balance they also feel like there’s still more room for the bulls to run,” said James Kostulias, head of trading services at Charles Schwab. “More than half of traders plan to move additional money into stocks in Q1.”

While bullishness indicates positive views on the market, it can also be seen as a contrary indicator when there are signs of excess.

Stock Chart IconStock chart icon

hide content

S&P 500

After a booming two-year period in which the S&P 500 climbed more than 50%, the momentum has slowed as of late with rising concerns about an economic slowdown and heightened volatility from rapid policy changes from the new administration. The equity benchmark is only up 1.3% on the year, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has dipped into negative territory for 2025.

In terms of sectors, traders are most bullish on energy, tech, finance and utilities. These sectors are typically beneficiaries under the Trump administration due to potential deregulation.

The survey also detected a significant drop in the number of traders who believe a recession will occur in the U.S. — only a third of the respondents called it “somewhat likely,” compared to 54% in the prior quarter.

The majority of traders also didn’t see a reacceleration in inflation, with two-thirds of them seeing price pressures holding steady.

Continue Reading

Finance

Trump CFPB cuts reviewed by Fed inspector general

Published

on

Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 10, 2025.

Nathan Howard | Reuters

The Federal Reserve’s inspector general is reviewing the Trump administration’s attempts to lay off nearly all Consumer Financial Protection Bureau employees and cancel the agency’s contracts, CNBC has learned.

The inspector general’s office told Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., that it was taking up their request to investigate the moves of the consumer agency’s new leadership, according to a June 6 letter seen by CNBC.

“We had already initiated work to review workforce reductions at the CFPB” in response to an earlier request from lawmakers, acting Inspector General Fred Gibson said in the letter. “We are expanding that work to include the CFPB’s canceled contracts.”

The letter confirms that key oversight arms of the U.S. government are now examining the whirlwind of activity at the bureau after Trump’s acting CFPB head Russell Vought took over in February. Vought told employees to halt work, while he and operatives from Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency sought to lay off most of the agency’s staff and end contracts with external providers.

That prompted Warren and Kim to ask the Fed inspector general and the Government Accountability Office to review the legality of Vought’s actions and the extent to which they hindered the CFPB’s mission. The GAO told the lawmakers in April that it would examine the matter.

“As Trump dismantles vital public services, an independent OIG investigation is essential to understand the damage done by this administration at the CFPB and ensure it can still fulfill its mandate to work on the people’s behalf and hold companies who try to cheat and scam them accountable,” Kim told CNBC in a statement.

The Fed IG office serves as an independent watchdog over both the Fed and the CFPB, and has the power to examine agency records, issue subpoenas and interview personnel. It can also refer criminal matters to the Department of Justice.

Soon after his inauguration, Trump fired more than 17 inspectors general across federal agencies. Spared in that purge was Michael Horowitz, the IG for the Justice Department since 2012, who this month was named the incoming watchdog for the Fed and CFPB.

Horowitz, who begins in his new role at the end of this month, was reportedly praised by Trump supporters for uncovering problems with the FBI’s handling of its probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Meanwhile, the fate of the CFPB hinges on a looming decision from a federal appeals court. Judges temporarily halted Vought’s efforts to lay off employees, but are now considering the Trump administration’s appeal over its plans for the agency.

Continue Reading

Finance

BA, ORCLE, GME, VOYG and more

Published

on

Continue Reading

Finance

GameStop shares tank on convertible bond offering to potentially buy more bitcoin

Published

on

A Gamestop store is seen in Union Square on April 4, 2025 in New York City. 

Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images

GameStop shares slid on Thursday after the video game retailer and meme stock announced plans for a $1.75 billion convertible notes offering to potentially fund its new bitcoin purchase strategy.

The company said it intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, “including making investments in a manner consistent with GameStop’s Investment Policy and potential acquisitions.”

Part of the investment policy is to add cryptocurrencies on its balance sheet. Last month, GameStop bought 4,710 bitcoins, worth more than half a billion dollars.

The stock tanked more than 15% in premarket trading following the announcement.

Stock Chart IconStock chart icon

hide content

GameStop

GameStop is following in the footsteps of software company MicroStrategy, now known as Strategy, which bought billions of dollars worth of bitcoin in recent years to become the largest corporate holder of the flagship cryptocurrency. That decision prompted a rapid, albeit volatile, rise for Strategy’s stock.

Strategy has issued various forms of securities including convertible debt to fund its bitcoin purchases.

CEO Ryan Cohen recently said GameStop’s decision to buy bitcoin is driven by macro concerns as the digital coin, with its fixed supply and decentralized nature, could serve as protection against certain risks.

The brick-and-mortar retailer reported a decline in fiscal first-quarter revenue on Tuesday as demand for online gaming rose. Its revenue dropped 17% year-over-year to $732.4 million. 

The shares fell 6% on Wednesday after those results. Wall Street appears uncertain it can mimic the success of MicroStrategy.

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter reiterated his underperform rating on GameStop Wednesday, saying the meme stock has consistently capitalized on “greater fools” willing to pay more than twice its asset value for its shares. The Wedbush analyst believes the bitcoin buying strategy makes little sense as the company, already trading at 2.4 times cash, isn’t likely to drive an even greater premium by converting more cash to crypto.

Continue Reading

Trending