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The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) remains in the spotlight on Wednesday after tumbling more than 7% yesterday to register its largest daily percentage decline since March 2020 amid a broad-based selloff in chip stocks. The top-weighted stock in the fund, artificial intelligence (AI) darling Nvidia (NVDA), led the sell-off, slumping nearly 10%, while other leading chipmakers in the ETF’s portfolio, including Intel (INTC), Marvell Technology (MRVL) and Micron (MU), all dropped by around 8%.

The chips sector has seen significant gains over the past year, as AI’s widespread adoption bolsters demand. Volatility across the group has increased in recent trading sessions after Nvidia reported earnings that topped Wall Street estimates but showed that growth is slowing.

Below, we’ll take a closer look at the ETF's chart and use technical analysis to identify important levels to watch out for amid increasing price fluctuations in chip stocks.

Since forming a double top in June and July, the fund’s price suffered a significant correction before staging a relief rally from the closely-watched 200-day moving average (MA).

However, more recently, investors resumed selling on a retracement to the 50-day MA, with Tuesday’s drop taking place on the highest daily trading volume since early August, pointing to conviction behind the move from larger market participants.

After falling 7.5% on Tuesday, SMH was down another 1.4% to $222.00 in premarket trading Wednesday at around 7:15 a.m. ET.

Looking ahead, investors should eye four key price levels on the ETF’s chart that could prove pivotal if weakness across the chip sector continues. 

The first sits around $217, a level on the chart where the fund could find initial support near the March pullback low, which also currently closely aligns with the rising 200-day MA and a range of trading activity positioned near last month’s low.

A breakdown below this level could see the ETF’s price decline to the $200 area, where it may encounter buying interest around the prominent April and August troughs. Last month’s low marks a technically important level, given the fund’s significant intraday reversal from this chart region.

The next lower price level to watch lies at $176, a location where the ETF could attract support from the December high that formed early in the stock’s up-trending move from October to March.

A more protracted correction may see the ETF revisit lower support around $161. This area could entice longer-term buy-and-hold investors seeking entry points near a range of comparable trading levels on the chart between July and December last year.

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‘A 17-year-old chef, identified as Philip Emmanuel, who was arrested in connection with the br¥tal m¥rder of his boss in Ondo State, has confessed to the crime.

The suspect, who was paraded at the Ondo Police headquarter, narrated how he conspired with his boss’ driver named Precious to commit the hideous crime.

The deceased, a popular caterer named Mrs. Adene Iyabode Deborah, was att@cked and k+lled inside her apartment by her staffs who st@bbed her multiple times.

According to the suspect: “I am here because I k+lled my madam. Last month, I have worked with her for five months. I was her cook. She just employed a driver who have only worked for two weeks.

One day the driver came to me and said N150,000 just entered madam account. He told me we should k+lled my madam and collect the money. I said I have not k+lled someone before.

On Saturday, madam said I should come and help her wash clothes that she was very tired. The driver came around and madam was surprised but the driver explained that he wanted to help her.

That day, the driver brought a drink and gave to me. I drank it. He brought out a c¥tlass and started thr£@tening me that he will also k+ll me.

We went into the house and he pushed me inside. I said i should use c+tlass to h+t the woman. I did it. But I started crying.

After we k+lled the woman, the driver went to check the account and found only N60,000. He gave me N30,000. I went to Idanre.

After four days, we heard the woman has di+d. Police called us to come and explain when last we saw the woman. I told them and they asked me to go home.

They called me again and told me I am in communication with the driver. I had to confess.”

#Instablog9jaNews #Information #Awareness #StayUpdated

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Major U.S. stock indexes plunged to kick off a shortened trading week after Labor Day as the latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data indicated a contraction in manufacturing activity in August.

With the manufacturing woes reigniting concerns about a possible economic slowdown, the labor market will likely take the spotlight later in the week. Reports on job openings and private-sector hiring will culminate Friday in the release of the August employment numbers.

The S&P 500 fell 2.1% in Tuesday's session. The Dow lost 1.5%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq plunged 3.3%.

Shares of Texas-based power generator Vistra (VST) plummeted more than 11%, the biggest drop of any S&P 500 stock. The company has drawn attention because of opportunities associated with demand for power from data centers running artificial intelligence (AI) technology and oil field operations. That had helped the stock gain more than 120% year to date heading into Tuesday's session.

Monolithic Power Systems (MPWR) shares dropped 10% on Tuesday. The manufacturer of power management chips saw its stock price soar to an all-time high last week as analysts at TD Cowen boosted their price target. However, recent regulatory filings showed that Monolithic's executive vice president of global operations sold $8.7 million worth of shares in the company.

Shares of Constellation Energy (CEG), a power utility headquartered in Maryland, sank 9.6%. Similar to Vistra, Constellation Energy stock has posted strong gains in 2024 driven by expectations of high demand from AI data centers. Although Bank of America analysts recently boosted their price target on the stock, predicting strength for the company in the second half of the year, they maintained a "neutral" rating on the shares. Recent reports have questioned whether Constellation Energy's debt levels could be a cause for concern.

Molson Coors Beverage (TAP) shares jumped 5.4%, marking the S&P 500's top daily performance on a day when food and drink stocks broadly performed well. Molson, owner of Miller beer and other brands, completed the sale of several craft breweries to cannabis-focused Canadian firm Tilray Brands (TLRY).

Shares of DexCom (DXCM), which provides medical devices to help patients manage diabetes, added 4.4%. The stock plunged in July after DexCom reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results and lowered its full-year sales guidance. However, last week's launch of Stelo—the first continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to be available in the U.S. without a prescription—could bode well for future growth.

Shares of options exchange operator CBOE Global Markets (CBOE) were up 3.6%. Zacks Equities Research recently highlighted CBOE as an attractive momentum stock, noting outperformance versus its industry and sector as well strong organic sales growth driven by transaction fees.

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Ever wonder if every medical test or treatment you've taken was truly necessary? Or are you inclined to get every bit of health care you can? Maybe you feel good about getting the most out of your health insurance. Perhaps a neighborhood imaging center is advertising discounted screening tests, your employer offers health screens as a perk, or you're intrigued by ads touting supplements for a seemingly endless number of conditions.

But keep in mind: just because you could get a particular test or treatment or take a supplement doesn't mean you should. One study suggests that as much as 20% of all health care in the US is unneeded. In short: when it comes to health care, more is not always better.

Isn't it better to be proactive about your health?

We're all taught that knowledge is power. So it might seem reasonable to want to know as much as possible about how your body is working. And isn't it better to take action before there's a problem rather than waiting for one to develop? What's the harm of erring on the side of more rather than less?

The truth is that knowledge is not always power: if the information is irrelevant to your specific situation, redundant, or inaccurate, the knowledge gained through unnecessary health care can be unhelpful or even harmful. Unnecessary tests, treatments, and supplements come with risks, even when they seem harmless. And, of course, unnecessary care is not free — even if you're not paying a cent out of pocket, it drives up costs across health systems.

Screening tests, wellness strategies, and treatments to reconsider

Recommended screening tests, treatments, and supplements can be essential to good health. But when risks of harm outweigh benefits — or if proof of any benefit is lacking — think twice. Save your time, money, and effort for health care that is focused on the most important health threats and backed by evidence.

Cancer screening: When to stop?

Screening tests for some cancers are routinely recommended and can be lifesaving. But there's a reason they come with a recommended stop age. For instance, guidelines recommend that a person at average risk of colorectal cancer with previously normal colonoscopies stop having them once they turn 75. Similar limits apply to Pap smears (age 65) and mammograms (age 75). Studies suggest that beyond those ages, there is little benefit to continuing these screens.

Watch out for wellness marketing

Dietary supplements are a multibillion-dollar industry. And a whopping 70% or more of US adults take at least one, such as vitamin D, fish oil, or a multivitamin. People often consider them as insurance in case vital elements are missing from their diet, or they believe supplements can prevent dementia, heart disease, or another condition.

Yet little evidence supports a benefit of routine supplement use for everyone. While recent studies suggest a daily multivitamin might slow cognitive decline in older adults, there's no medical consensus that everyone should be taking a multivitamin. Fish oil (omega-3) supplements haven't proven to be as healthful as simply eating servings of fatty fish and other seafood low in toxic chemicals like mercury and PCBs. And the benefits of routinely taking vitamin D supplements remain unproven as well.

It's worth emphasizing that dietary supplements clearly provide significant benefit for some people, and may be recommended by your doctor accordingly. For example, if you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency or a condition like age-related macular degeneration, good evidence supports taking specific supplements.

Reconsider daily aspirin

Who should be taking low-dose aspirin regularly? Recommendations have changed in recent years, so this is worth revisiting with your health care team.

Yet according to a recent study, nearly one-third of adults 60 and older without past cardiovascular disease take aspirin, despite evidence that it provides little benefit for those at average or low risk. Aspirin can cause stomach bleeding and raise risk for a certain type of stroke.

Weigh in on prostate cancer screening

Men hear about prostate cancer often. It's common, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men. But PSA blood tests and rectal exams to identify evidence of cancer in the prostate are no longer routinely recommended for men ages 55 to 69 by the United States Preventative Services Task Force.

The reason? Studies suggest that performing these tests does not reliably reduce suffering or prolong life. Nor do possible benefits offset downsides like false positives (test results that are abnormal despite the absence of cancer). That can lead to additional testing, some of which is invasive.

Current guidelines suggest making a shared decision with your doctor about whether to have PSA testing after reviewing the pros and cons. For men over age 70, no screening is recommended. Despite this, millions of men have PSA tests and rectal examinations routinely.

Not everyone needs heart tests

There are now more ways than ever to evaluate the health of your heart. But none are routinely recommended if you're at low risk and have no signs or symptoms of cardiovascular disease. That's right: in the absence of symptoms or a high risk of cardiovascular disease, it's generally safe to skip EKGs, stress tests, and other cardiac tests.

Yet many people have these tests as part of their routine care. Why is this a problem? Having these tests without a compelling reason comes with risks, especially false positive results that can lead to invasive testing and unneeded treatment.

Four more reasons to avoid unnecessary care

Besides the concerns mentioned already, there are other reasons to avoid unnecessary care, including:

The bottom line

You may believe your doctor wants you to continue with your current schedule of tests and treatments, while they might think this is your preference! It's worth discussing if you haven't already, especially if you suspect you may be taking pills or getting tests you don't truly need.

If your doctor says you can safely skip certain tests, treatments, and supplements, it doesn't mean that he or she is neglecting your health or that you don't deserve great health care! It's likely that the balance of risks and benefits simply doesn't support doing these things.

Less unnecessary care could free up resources for those who need it most. And it could save you time, money, and unnecessary risks or side effects, thus improving your health. It's a good example of how less can truly be more.

Source: Harvard Health Publishing

If you’re worried about a cut in Social Security benefits denting your retirement savings, there are steps you can take to make up for the shortfall.

While many advisors say that it’s unlikely that Congress will allow the Social Security trust fund to run short of money, they think it’s still important to prepare for a worst-case scenario where benefits get cut.

“If you wait too long because you don't want to tackle the problem, kind of like what Congress is doing now, the changes that you're going to have to make within your life are going to be a lot more drastic,” said Brian Schmehil, managing director, Wealth Management at The Mather Group. 

According to a recent projection by the Congressional Budget Office, the Social Security trust fund is expected to be exhausted by 2034. After that, monthly benefits will be reduced by 23%.

For low-income earners, Social Security can make up a large portion of retirement income. The Social Security Administration estimates that, for retirees receiving benefits in 2023 at full retirement age, those benefits will make up 70% of retirement income for very low earners and 28% for high earners.

When advisors help their clients with planning, they calculate their client's expected Social Security benefits. You can use an online benefits calculator. To understand how a potential cut would affect your benefits, you’ll want to reduce that amount by anywhere from 20% to 50%, according to experts.

Historically, retirement was thought of as a three-legged stool consisting of pensions, personal retirement savings, and Social Security.

“Pensions are being eliminated and Social Security for future generations is unsure,” Jamie Bosse, a financial planner at CGN Advisors said. “So that leaves personal savings to carry all the load.”

To make up for the lost benefits, you may have to save more, work longer, reduce your spending, or consider getting a side gig, experts say. Though it may be tricky to do so if you’re already struggling financially, said Schmehil.

Bosse says people should aim to invest 10% to 15% of their income towards retirement every year, with the goal being 20%. She suggests increasing your savings rate by 1% to 2% every year or every time you get a raise.

As for which accounts you should use to invest, Schemil recommends focusing on saving for retirement in the most tax-efficient way possible such as by earning your employer’s 401(k) match and then contributing to investment accounts like Roth IRAs, HSAs, and backdoor Roth IRAs.

Even though Social Security benefits face reductions, Paul Caylor, founder of Prudent Wealth and a CFP, suggests delaying collecting benefits past full retirement age (FRA), if possible, to make those dollars stretch for longer. 

For every year after FRA, until the age of 70, that you don’t take benefits, you’ll earn an additional 8%. That means if your FRA is 67 and you wait until age 70 to collect, your monthly benefit will be worth 24% more. But most Americans would take early Social Security.

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Investopedia is celebrating its 25th Anniversary, and we are joining the party with the most important innovations, financial events and terms of the past quarter century. Plus, Jay Woods, the chief global strategist for Freedom Capital Markets, helps us prep our playbooks for the rest of the year as the stock market dances near record highs ahead of interest rate cuts and an election that is bound to deliver volatility. Summer lovin' was a blast, but it's time to reset and get back on track with The Express.

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