Weekend reads: Could China be the next investment market to be canceled?

A day after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the Moscow Exchange closed for stock trading. It has yet to reopen.

The iShares MSCI Russia ETF
ERUS,
-25.51%,
managed by BlackRock, was down 81% for 2022 through March 10. After MSCI said on March 2 that Russia had become “uninvestable,” and that it was removing Russia from its emerging-markets indexes, BlackRock said on March 10 that it would eliminate exposure to Russia investments from its portfolios.

It remains to be seen what will happen with the iShares MSCI Russia ETF, but the quick action by MSCI and BlackRock as well as the turn of public opinion points to another risk, as described in this week’s ETF Wrap column. Mark DeCambre explains why China’s burgeoning alliance with Russia could lead to more trouble for investors.

Inflation gets worse

The consumer price index was up 7.9% in February from a year earlier — slightly worse than in January. This is a new 40-year record for U.S. inflation and there are signs it might head higher, Jeffry Bartash reports. Consumer sentiment has fallen more than economists had expected.

Brett Arends explain how the bond market predicts inflation.

For investors looking ahead to the day when inflation slows, Mark Hulbert has some advice on what to own.

Inflation and the stock market

Consider how prices for avocados have risen 50% over the past year, but shares of Mission Produce
AVO,
+2.16%
have fallen 29% in 2022. Jeremy Owens takes a closer look at the company.

One way for investors to counter inflation is to invest in stocks with high dividend yields of companies expected to grow sales and profits rapidly. Here’s a screen of 12 stocks that might fit the bill.

Pain at the pump — some alternatives

Oil prices are way up this year, but this week’s volatility showed that “anything could happen.” Meanwhile, gasoline prices have risen so much that people may be forced to change their driving habits and travel plans.

Electric vehicles are an obvious option. However, they may be prohibitively expensive or difficult to purchase during a time of supply shortages. Rachel Koning Beals lists traditional cars with high gas mileage and offers tips on how to save fuel with the car you have.

Also: Gas prices are way up, but real cost of driving a mile was higher for most of the past century

How life has changed two years into the pandemic

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Everyone is tired after two years of the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s a deep look at what has changed, from family life to careers and money.

Might the Russian people get rid of Putin?

MarketWatch photo illustration/Getty Images, iStockphoto

Lukas I. Alpert, a former Moscow correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, describes how political life in Russia has changed under the leadership of Vladimir Putin.

The stock market during a perilous time

The benchmark S&P 500 index
SPX,
+2.24%
was down 11% for 2022 through March 10. Mark Hulbert points to investors’ sentiment as a sign the action may soon turn positive.

The energy sector of the S&P 500 is the only one to show a gain so far this year, rising 38.5% through the close on March 10. With short-term supply disruptions and what appears to be the start of a long cycle of energy-market transformation, here’s a screen of 12 stocks in clean energy, fossil fuels and uranium mining.

A baby and a bigger house mean even bigger expenses

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Jacob Passy writes The Big Move column and this week helps a couple with another child on the way and a difficult housing decision.

Meme-stock flavor of the week: Bed Bath & Beyond

Getty Images

After The Wall Street Journal reported on March 6 that Ryan Cohen, the founder of Chewy and chairman of GameStop
GME,
+5.11%,
had purchased a large stake in Bed Bath & Beyond
BBBY,
+4.61%,
shares of the retailer soared 29.5% through March 10.

Thornton McEnery writes the MemeMoney column and asks whether it is possible for BBBY to be the next GameStop, whose shares soared as much as 18-fold during 2021 before sliding and ending the year with a gain of 688%. (GameStop’s shares were down 32% for 2022 through March 10.)

Cohen’s investment case for BBBY is that value might be unlocked if it spins-off its BuybuyBaby unit. But analysts aren’t buying that thesis, Tonya Garcia reports.

A rough week for Rivian

The Rivian R1T


Rivian

Rivian Automotive
RIVN,
+12.38%
brought the first mass-produced electric pickup truck to market last year, but the company has had a difficult 2022, with shares sliding 60%. Claudia Assis looks into the company’s public-relations missteps and its latest developments.

Here come the drones: online retailers work on delivery efficiency

Tonya Garcia rounds up interesting news for consumers who are happy to avoid traffic and fuel expense while ordering online — companies are taking many steps to lower delivery costs and improve reliability.

Retirement planning

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What if you are at or near retirement age, but alone? How can you be sure to have someone available to help make important decisions for you if you become incapacitated? Alessandra Malito helps a 66-year-old woman answer this question.

More money advice you should read:

  • Social Security’s weird remarriage rule can cost you a lot of money

  • We beat up 6 of your excuses for not writing a will (or updating an old one)

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