Weekly Wrap: Financial Shame, Scary Stocks, and the SPAC Experiment

We recap the week and note the most popular stocks, funds, and exchange-traded funds.

Jessica Bebel Nov 4, 2022

Editor’s Picks

Financial Shame: How to Break the Vicious Cycle

Left unchecked, the pattern can wreck your bottom line.

Asset Allocation When You Have Enough

What you’d like to achieve with any “extra” assets can help you calibrate your portfolio’s equity exposure.

2 Scary Stocks

These stocks look overpriced.

Investing Horror Stories—And the Lessons They Teach: 2022

The horrors of rising mortgage rates, cannabis stocks taking us more low than high, funds that cut our diamond hands, and companies that literally made us Boohoo.

The End of the SPAC Experiment

Investors lose interest amid big losses and the drying up of mergers between SPACs and public companies.

12 Lessons on Money and More From Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger

Wisdom from two of the world’s most successful investors.

Portfolio Planning and Personal Finance With Christine Benz

The Bucket Investor’s Guide to Setting Asset Allocation for Retirement

Use anticipated spending needs and probabilities of a positive return over your time horizon to back into the right mix of cash, bonds, and stocks.

Should Spouses Obtain Separate Healthcare Insurance?

With more employers levying spousal surcharges, obtaining coverage on a single plan isn’t necessarily the most cost-effective for dual-earning couples.

Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds

3 Great Specialized Funds

Sector funds are best used in moderation.

Morningstar 529 Ratings: The Top Plans and What They Offer

Michigan Education Savings and Utah’s my529 remain at the top; Vanguard age-based plans get a Process downgrade.

Some Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, and other mutual funds estimate big distributions despite big losses.

Stocks

3 Takeaways From Big Tech Earnings Results

Warning signs from Microsoft and Amazon.com on consumer spending, advertising, and the outlook for cloud computing.

Cloudflare: Stock of the Week

Spooky happenings like cyberattacks and internet shutdowns are as ghoulish as ever.

The 10 Best Companies to Invest in Now

The undervalued stocks of high-quality companies are compelling investments today.

Is Netflix Stock a Buy After October Rally?

As Netflix’s ad-supported plan launches, here’s what Morningstar’s analyst thinks of the stock today.

Energy Stocks Power Ahead on Earnings Gushers

Earnings growth on energy companies is seen topping that on technology stocks.

Big China Stock Bets Continue to Hit Emerging-Markets Funds

‘Autocracy risk’ takes its toll on China’s stock market, down more than 50% since February 2021.

What We’ve Learned From Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger

How these legendary investors have inspired the financial world and shaped the way we think at Morningstar.

Sustainability Matters

Commercial Air Stocks Face Numerous ESG Risks, but Current Prices Still Offer Attractive Upside

Commercial air travel faces ESG risks from carbon emissions, human capital, and product governance.

Policy

How 8 Countries Address Retirement Saving Challenges

New Morningstar research examines how global workplaces are encouraging people to save more and earlier.

Market Update

Markets Brief: What to Watch in the October Jobs Report, Fed Meeting

After mixed big technology earnings, focus turns to healthcare and energy Q3 results.

5 Supply Chain Issues for Investors to Watch

Many supply chain issues which fueled inflation have eased, but the ripples continue across the global economy.

Market Rallies Off Lows, but Expect Heightened Volatility to Persist

Steel yourself for more instability as economic headwinds and shifting monetary policy may continue to batter markets.

With Little Progress on Inflation, the Fed Presses Ahead on Inflation Fight

We continue to expect the Fed to pause its rate increases in early 2023.

The Long View Podcast

Morgan Housel: ‘Little Rules About Big Things’

The bestselling author on what makes financial paradoxes interesting, why stories are the best way to teach about money, what constitutes financial freedom, and more.