What Trump Media gets wrong when blaming short sellers for DJT stock volatility

By Philip van Doorn

Also, the Moneyist helps with a tricky estate plan, and good news in the housing market

Investors and traders have had quite a ride with shares of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (DJT). This has actually been a good week for the stock, with shares up 5% from a week earlier, through Thursday.

But Trump Media and its CEO Devin Nunes have been making a case with regulators and leaders in Congress that patterns of short-selling DJT shares give "strong indications of unlawful manipulation of DJT stock."

Ciara Linnane and Tomi Kilgore explain why the trading patterns cited by Trump Media haven't led to volatility for the stock.

The Moneyist

Quentin Fottrell answered an interesting question from a retired reader. She and her husband helped their son through a difficult financial time by giving him $100,000, with a plan for the money to be "paid back" eventually by having the son's inheritance from their estate reduced by that amount. With the son now back on a sound financial footing, all should well with this plan, right? Here's why their estate planning may not be so simple, and what they can do about it.

See the Moneyist column for more.

Estate planning, retirement accounts and taxes

Beth Pinsker answered a complicated question from a reader who has two siblings expecting to inherit money and property. How can they plan now to lower their tax bill later?

Related:

The IRS says it is going after wealthy tax cheats. Here's what new audit stats show. IRA rollovers: what to watch out for - and how to avoid the sharksCan I contribute to a Roth 401(k) if I earn a high salary?

A seasonal stock-market slide

The S&P 500 SPX rose 10.6% during the first quarter, but then declined 3.9% from the end of March through Thursday (with dividends reinvested). This may not seem much of a pullback, but some of the stock market's brightest tech stars have fared worse. Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) and Meta Platforms Inc. (META) were both down 9% in April, through Thursday.

Here is commentary related to the stock market pullback:

Stock-market pessimism is climbing. Why it is still not bad enough to imply stocks hit a bottom.Why you shouldn't be too quick to dump your stocksWorried about the volatility in Magnificent Seven stocks? Take a look at the companies' short-dated bonds.The timing may be just right to buy Nvidia or other semiconductor stocks

Looking ahead after a good week for Tesla

Tesla Inc. (TSLA) reported its first-quarter results on Tuesday, and investors were impressed enough with the numbers - or what CEO Elon Musk had to say about accelerated plans for product launches - to send the stock up 12% on Wednesday, followed by a 5% gain on Thursday.

Here is a sampling of reactions following Tesla's earnings call.

Therese Poletti: Elon Musk gives Wall Street what it wants, but more pain could be around the cornerJeremy Owens: Elon Musk believes robotaxis will save Tesla. Should we believe him?Tesla's Musk answers one big question - but introduces many moreTesla shows Wall Street a path to 'positive catalysts,' BofA says

An improving housing market - for buyers

MarketWatch real estate reporter Aarthi Swaminathan interviewed Re/Max founder Dave Liniger, who drew upon decades of housing-market history and the recent industry upheaval to predict what lies ahead.

On a related note, many U.S. housing markets have seen an upsurge in listings. Here is how that action is affecting asking prices for homes.

Meta - sell the good news?

After the close on Wednesday, Meta Platforms reported a 27% increase in first-quarter revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $36.46 billion, while the Facebook holding company's profit more than doubled to $12.4 billion.

But the stock fell 11% Thursday.

Therese Poletti explained what might have soured Meta for some investors - at least for one day.

On a related note, Meta's bonds, and those of other members of the Magnificent Seven group of companies, have attractive yields now.

The Ratings Game: Meta earnings weigh on Magnificent Seven stocks. Here's why investors shouldn't panic.

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-Philip van Doorn

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04-27-24 0525ET

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