Global PMI data improved to 53.2 this month, supporting bullish sentiment in equities. For those investing for the future, industrials may benefit from higher infrastructure spending. Copper prices up 5% in April suggest strong construction demand, complementing equity plays in materials. The fund-management legend confessed that he has “no idea” whether the artificial-intelligence boom is resembling the dot-com bubble seen in the late 1990s and into the early months of 2000 and if investors might have chased that theme too far. Stoyan Panayotov, who is a chartered financial analyst and founder of Babylon Wealth, says that a 529 plan supplemented with a custodial Roth IRA is his preferred way to save for his children’s college expenses. Earnings beats in consumer discretionary—led by major retailers with 6% same-store sales growth—add momentum to Wall Street. Investors focusing on investing for the future might position in e-commerce platforms, as digital retail penetration is forecast to hit 30% of total US sales by 2028.
