Day: 27 September 2023

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October and the stock market

Doom & Gloom

1987 October stock market crash

October is a special month in the stock market for several reasons. It is the month when some of the most spectacular market crashes have occurred, such as in 1929 and 1987. 

However, it is also a month that has historically performed well on average, with a 0.6% price gain for the Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1928 to 2022. 

The month of October also marks the beginning of a seasonal pattern that favours stocks, as the fourth quarter and the winter months tend to see strong rallies. The ‘Santa’ rally may also visit.

Swings

However, October can also be a volatile month, with significant swings in both directions. It is the only month where all major indices have recorded losses of at least 17% (in 1987 and 2008), but also the month where the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average have posted their highest percentage gains of any month (in 1974 and 2022).

Therefore, investors should be prepared for potential turbulence and seek professional advice to navigate the market. Do your research!

RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH!

Read-all-about-it, 1987 October stock market crash!

Additionally, October may face some special factors that could affect the market performance this year, such as the ongoing strike action, the rising inflation and interest rates, and the political uncertainty in the U.S. over the debt ceiling and government spending. These factors could create headwinds or even opportunities for different sectors and industries, depending on how they are resolved.

Summary

In summary, October is a month that has a mixed reputation in the stock market, with both risks and rewards. Investors should be aware of the historical trends and the current events that could influence the market direction.

Doom & Gloom
‘How bad can October really get?’ ‘Remember the 1987 crash?’
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Molnupiravir Covid drug reportedly linked to potential virus mutations

Covid19 Virus artwork image

Covid19 medicine, Molnupiravir, sold as Lagevrio, has reportedly been linked to specific genetic changes in the virus that causes Covid19, researchers said, raising questions about whether the drug has the potential to accelerate Covid’s evolution. 

The drug works by creating mutations in the Covid genome to prevent the virus from replicating, reducing its ability to cause severe illness. However, some viral samples from patients who took the drug show a ‘signature mutation profile’, meaning changes were likely triggered by the drug, the authors said Monday 25th September 2023, in the journal Nature. 

The findings suggest that some versions of the virus continue to survive and spread even after exposure to the drug. The researchers said more studies are needed to assess the benefits and risks of using the drug.

What evidence?

There is no evidence that Lagevrio has produced more transmissible or severe variants of Covid, according to the study. The researchers also cautioned that the drug-induced mutations they found have yet to lead to a widely circulating new strain of Covid. 

Disputed

The maker has disputed the idea that Lagevrio was causing problematic new variants and said it didn’t believe its treatment was likely to contribute to mutations based on data at the time.

In another report, COVID vaccines have reportedly been linked to unexpected vaginal bleeding.

See report – (Nature journal)…

Women who don’t menstruate, including postmenopausal women and those on contraceptives, were several times more likely to experience unexpected vaginal bleeding after COVID-19 vaccination than before the vaccines were offered, a study finds.

When COVID-19 jabs were rolled out globally, many women reported heavier-than-usual menstrual bleeding soon after vaccination. Study author Kristine Blix, at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, wanted to look at the trend systematically, particularly in women who don’t normally have periods, such as those taking contraceptives or who have been through menopause. The work is published in Science Advances.

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NASA guides Bennu asteroid precious cargo home

Bennu space dust

Alien dust samples from the ‘most dangerous known rock in the Solar System’ have been brought to Earth.

NASA safely landed the probe with the capsule containing the precious space dust in the West Desert of Utah state.

The samples had been collected up from the surface of asteroid Bennu in 2020 by the Osiris-Rex spacecraft.

NASA wants to learn more about the asteroid Bennu, not least because it has an outside chance of colliding with Earth in the next 300 years, but more importantly, the samples are likely to provide fresh insights into the formation of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago and possibly even how life began here on Earth.

Touchdown was confirmed at 08:52 local time (14:52 GMT), three minutes ahead of schedule.

The container holding the precious cargo screaming into the atmosphere over the U.S. at more than 27000 mph. A heatshield and parachutes slowed its descent and dropped it gently to the ground.

Eager scientists applauded the remarkable achievement and now anticipate their chance to investigate the precious cargo further. Just 300 grams of asteroid dust were returned.

That might not sound like very much, but the scientists have access to exceptional technology that will enable them to analyse ultra small particles at a very high resolution.

Let the discovery begin.