Expertise: Foreign exchange, macroeconomics, global trade, financial markets, market insights, technical analysis, fundamental analysis, content strategy, trading education, risk management, commodities, equities, options, monetary policy, economic indicators.
Experience: John Kicklighter is a seasoned financial expert with over two decades of experience in global markets. He specializes in foreign exchange analysis, economic analysis, and developing market insights. John is known for combining fundamental and technical analysis with money management strategies to provide actionable insights for traders and investors.
Education: Graduated Magna Cum Laude: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance & Investment.
The first half of 2026 has come to a close and most of the major equity indices were either at or close to their respective record highs. The advance is made even more remarkable given it was born out of a recovery from the US-Iran conflict. Can we keep ‘recovery rallying’ to new highs?
There were numerous unexpected developments across the financial system this past year, but perhaps the most prominent and prolific development was the anchoring of the complacent bid. Can the markets continue to back the interests of the long-only speculators?
There were plenty of surprises through 2025 – like the introduction of US ‘reciprocal tariffs’, a record-breaking shutdown from the US government and military strikes on Iran without a catastrophic oil reaction. Yet, the most remarkable development may be the lost traction in traditional data.
The crypto market has fallen short of the equity market’s return to record highs, leading market participants to wonder what critical theme is guiding Bitcoin and its peer coins to its next meaningful move.
The crypto market – lead by Bitcoin – was on the verge of a more significant tumble before the market found a floor this past week. Though there are ranges on the major coins, the lower bound remains loose. The market may draw on broader risk trends to discern direction rather than abide its own chart-based levels.
Over the past year, the concentration into top market cap stocks – which aligns to tech – has pushed the Nasdaq 100 to Dow ratio well above the Dot-com peak
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