Houston, we have a problem – For the fourth quarter of 2022, twice as many S&P 500 Index¹ companies have issued negative earnings guidance than positive earnings guidance. (Source: FactSet) 

A silver lining – Despite $446 billion being pulled from US fixed-income funds YTD, $154 billion has flowed into bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as investors become more accepting of ETFs. (Source: ICI as of 10/16/22)

Feeling topsy turvy – Historically, when inflation begins to subside but is still above trend (e.g., when core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, registers above 3%), small-cap stocks outperform large caps, value stocks outperform growth stocks, and international stocks outperform domestic stocks.² (Sources: FRED, Compustat. Calculations: Hartford Equity Modeling Platform for performance) 

Waiting with bated breath – The UK was back in the headlines last week with a renewed budget plan that, counter to the ill-fated “Trussonomics” plan that spooked investors, features immediate tax hikes and plans for spending cuts in a bid to restore Britain’s fiscal reputation. (Source: Reuters) 

Can’t stop, won’t stop – Despite 40-year highs in inflation readings, the US consumer has remained resilient: Retail sales grew 1.3% in October. Consumer spending accounts for roughly two-thirds of US economic growth. (Source: Bloomberg) 

At least the kids are staying off your lawn – One estimate says that 27% of youth aged 18 to 29 cast ballots in this year’s midterms—the second-highest youth turnout in nearly three decades. But county-level data also showed that turnout in the oldest counties surged while it declined in the youngest counties. (Source: FiveThirtyEight) 

Leaving time for that early bird special – People age 50 and older make up almost one-third of all trips to the movies in the US, seeing an average of 6.8 movies per year…but 70% of the time they enjoy 7 p.m. or earlier showings. (Source: Gobankingrates) 

Not just for the youths – In a growing trend, it's now reported that 10% of US adults get their news from TikTok, up from 3% in 2020. For now, Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit still reign supreme when it comes to catching up on the headlines. (Source: Pew Research Center) 

Taking the low road – The Mississippi River, the main avenue for grain exports from the US, is so low due to drought that barges are getting stuck and US exporters are looking for alternate modes of transportation. Not surprisingly, the alternatives cost much more … which will continue to feed food inflation. (Source: Bloomberg) 

Talk about a moon shot – For the first time since 1972, NASA has set its sights on sending humans to the moon. The Artemis project kicked off in November with a test drive by an unmanned Orion capsule before the first planned astronaut mission in 2024. (Source: New York Times)