About this episode

The episode discusses the factors behind the current technology rally, concerns over margin debt, and the implications of declining car sales in the U.S.

Where is the money coming from that is fueling this technology rally? No one knows for certain, but there are some concerning signs that suggest many investors may not have the cash to support their positions and are instead relying on borrowed money to drive the rally higher. One metric we continue to monitor closely is margin debt, a potentially dangerous tool that has now reached record levels. Margin debt hit a record $1.304 trillion in April, an increase of 6.8% from the previous month. On a year-over-year basis, margin debt surged 53.3%, highlighting the growing use of leverage in the market. Looking at US margin debt as a percent of real GDP, it just hit… Car Sales Are Down, and I Think That's a Good Thing In 2019, consumers in the United States were buying roughly 17 million cars and trucks each year. This year, vehicle sales are expected to reach only about 16 million. Many consumers complain that new-car prices are simply too high, with the average new vehicle now costing around $50,000. Currently, only about 25% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. are priced between $25,000 and $35,000. I believe this trend is actually a positive development. For too many years…

People in this episode

Hosts: Brent Wilsey, Chase Wilsey

Topics covered

• technology rally
• margin debt
• car sales
• job market
• homeownership

Keywords

• technology rally
• margin debt
• car sales
• job market
• homeownership
• investing
• leverage

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: US

Products: new vehicles

Places: United States

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