Michael's Investment Perspective:
Navigating Wealth, Risk, and Life’s Lessons

 Hello, dear readers! Today I'm going to talk about a hot topic that has been making headlines lately: the SAG-AFTRA strike. If you don't know what that is, let me explain. SAG-AFTRA is the union that represents actors, singers, voice artists, and other performers in the US. They have been on strike since October 21, demanding better pay and working conditions from the major media companies, such as Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros, and Amazon. The strike has affected many productions, from movies and TV shows to video games and podcasts. Some of the projects that have been delayed or canceled include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Stranger Things, The Matrix 4, and Halo Infinite. That's right, folks, no more Baby Yoda or Eleven for a while. How will we cope?

The VIX, also known as the fear gauge, is a measure of the expected volatility of the S&P 500 index over the next 30 days. It is calculated based on the prices of options on the index. A low VIX indicates that investors are confident and complacent, while a high VIX signals that investors are fearful and uncertain. According to Macroption, the lowest point recorded of the VIX was 8.56 on Friday, November 24, 2017. It was Black Friday, a day of low trading activity after Thanksgiving. The lowest closing value of the VIX was 9.14 on Friday, November 3, 2017. The stock market's reaction to a low VIX has been mixed in the past. According to The Wall Street Journal, when the VIX has been below 20, S&P 500 returns over the next three months have often been close to nothing, based on data going back five years. However, according to Business Insider, a low VIX can also signal that the bull market is alive and well, as it reflects strong corporate earnings and low recession risk.