While the stock market has exceeded many expectations by powering higher this early in the new year, we haven’t felt a new tone in the stock market so far this year, at least not one fundamentally different from 2017. But our Chief Equity Strategist, John Blank, says this bullish market tone does face a few challenges. He joins me now to list them for us.

1. John, at least we’re off to a pretty good earnings season so far. Are corporate earnings one of those challenges?
2. What do you see as the others?
3. Will we see volatility returning to the stock market this year?
4. In your January Market Strategy, you discuss whether we’re seeing Creative Destruction from within or International Trade from outside. What does that mean?
5. So, even though this sounds like more of an economic issue, there is a longer term market impact here right?
6. Can you put this on any type of timeline?
7. Let’s talk sectors now. Info Tech remains hot. (Sumco Corp.)
8. Consumer Discretionary and Financials are Attractive. (Acushnet Holdings & Great Southern Bancorp.)

That’s the latest Spoken Word on the stock market.