have been going gangbusters. The tech-heavy 34.76% to $50.36. Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers, told : Momentum is the factor that is driving the market. The market right now is basically a freight train and nobody really wants to get in its way. Can the momentum in US stocks continue into the new year? Will US stocks just keep going up? One of the world's biggest active fund managers, Northern Trust Asset Management, says the run for US stocks is likely to continue in the new year. Michael Hunstad, Northern Trust's chief investment officer of global equities, says their attitude is 'risk on'. According to , Hunstad said: The overarching picture is very much 'risk on' in our portfolios. We're very bullish on US equities for a variety of reasons. The macroeconomic backdrop looks very favourable, economic growth is on our side, inflation is coming down. Earnings expectations are quite positive for the next several years. Northern Trust is imploring investors to "buy America" in 2025, amid expectations of tech sector deregulation and corporate tax cuts, as promised by incoming US president Donald Trump. Hunstad expects a stronger US economy and better corporate profits than other regions of the world. The asset manager's base case for 2025 is a soft landing for the US economy. The base case assumes no inflationary impact from Trump's tax cuts, deregulation, stricter immigration, and new tariffs. It also foresees milder but still healthy consumer spending amid a strong jobs market and falling . However, Hunsatd acknowledges upside risks, including a 'reflation' scenario if tariffs imposed on countries selling goods to America result in higher prices for US consumers. This would result in the Federal Reserve pausing on . However, in the reflation scenario, the net effect of Trump's economic policies would be positive, leading to above-trend economic growth for most of 2025. Hunstad also sees a downside 'supply restraint' scenario. In this case, reflation would also occur, and tighter immigration and tariffs would cause supply-side disruptions. This would lead to a recession later in the year and interest rate cuts. Is it too late to buy the Magnificent Seven? Hunstad favours large-cap US stocks for the new year amid anticipated strong earnings growth. He's unperturbed by high valuations for the mega growth companies, including the Magnificent Seven. The Magnificent Seven US stocks are ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ) ( ), and ( ). Hunstad said the current technology and AI boom was nothing like the dotcom bubble of the late 1990s. Today, the biggest technology companies have among the highest earnings growth, profit margins, capital expenditures and free generation in the S&P 500 index. While they also have higher price-to-earnings ratios, we feel these multiples are justified by strong fundamentals. However, Hunstad does expect the market rally to expand in 2025 to incorporate small-cap US stocks. He said small-caps had lower valuations and would benefit from economic growth, falling interest rates, and the onshoring of manufacturing as the US seeks to reduce its reliance on China and other nations. JP Morgan Global Market Strategist Ian Hui said some diversification away from the Mag 7 had already begun, commenting: The contribution of the seven mega-cap tech-related companies to S&P 500 earnings per share (EPS) growth is decreasing, and their earnings growth rate is slowing, while it is accelerating for the rest of the index. The rate-cutting cycle and resolution of election-related uncertainties should support a cyclical recovery in areas such as manufacturing, allowing less-favored sectors to benefit from tech-driven growth. This should help reduce concentration and valuation risks at the index level.monty python's flying circus 。

MILAN : AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca was delighted with his team's 3-0 win over Empoli, one of Serie A's least generous teams, on Saturday. Tijjani Reijnders's double and a goal by Alvaro Morata earned Milan a comfortable victory over 10th-placed Empoli, with the hosts taking the lead in the 19th minute. "We played a great game against a team that is very aggressive defensively, which has the fourth-best defence in the championship," Fonseca told a press conference. Empoli, who came into the clash at the San Siro three points shy of Milan, have conceded 14 goals in 14 games so far this season - the same tally as Lazio, Milan and Inter, who have all played 13, and more than only Juventus, Napoli and Fiorentina. "We played a very balanced game, offensively and defensively. There was one very important thing - the (quick) recovery of the ball in the offensive half of the pitch," Fonseca said. "We scored three goals but could have scored six or seven if we hadn't made the wrong last choices." Seventh-placed Milan have kept a clean sheet in at least five of their first seven Serie A home games of the season for the first time in more than 20 years. "I can say good things about (defender Matteo) Gabbia, he is a great professional," Fonseca added. "He is taking on an important leadership role, and he is playing very well. I told him that I am very, very satisfied with his renewal. If there is a player who deserves it, it is him. "Today we did not concede any goals and we did not give Empoli any chances." Milan extended Italy international Gabbia's contract until 2029 earlier this week. Reijnders, the scorer of two goals on the night, was more restrained in his comments. "We haven't done anything yet, we have to keep pushing," said the 26-year-old Dutchman. "Good match but the points distance from the Champions League zone weighs. We play to win (but) we are not satisfied with the position." Milan, with a game in hand, have 22 points, seven behind leaders Napoli who visit 11th-placed Torino on Sunday.

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DALLAS — Several years ago, during the nascent days of the technology that fell under the shorthand “robo-ump,” a handful of Cardinals hitters took live batting practice on the main field at Roger Dean Stadium, and with each pitch a computer would announce, over the PA, whether the pitch was a ball or strike. It, um, needed glasses. At one point a curveball bounced in front of the plate and, almost cricket-style, hopped into the catcher’s mitt. Ruled the computer, as several Major League Baseball officials turned toward the speakers to listen: “Strike.” Nolan Arenado tagged a pitch that traveled deep over the left-field wall, only to have the computer announce as the baseball soared: “Ball.” This spring the technology will be back at Roger Dean Stadium to show how far it’s come. The Cardinals’ spring training home will be one of 13 spring ballparks where the automated ball-strike system (ABS) will be used during exhibition games to give big leaguers a sneak peek at the future of calling the strike zone. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak confirmed ABS would be in use at Roger Dean Stadium during the spring schedule. The total number of games with ABA will be determined, but according to the commissioner’s office every team in the majors will have several games this coming spring with the ABS challenge system in play. “I think we will have a spring training ABS test that will provide a meaningful opportunity for all major-league players to see what the challenge system will look like,” commissioner Rob Manfred said at the recent owners’ meetings, according to the Associated Press. “It won’t be in every single ballpark, but we actually have a plan where every team will get meaningful exposure.” Roger Dean Stadium is one of the Grapefruit League ballparks wired for ABS, and it has been one of the handful of ballparks to share its Statcast data publicly during spring. Major League Baseball has been experimenting with ABS in the minors since 2019, and there have been mixed results. Some pitchers — especially those who rely on getting strikes high in the zone — have had that pitch nixed as a strike due to how ABS judges the top of the strike zone. The strike zone the tech uses was adjusted upward, from 51% of the batter’s height to 53.5%, to achieve more calls at the higher shelf. This past season, Matt Carpenter, who was the active leader in strikes called outside of the zone during his All-Star run as the Cardinals' leadoff hitter, said that the ABS could radically change Lars Nootbaar's game because of how selective and keen-eyed the Cardinals' current outfield is with pitches. But umpires aren't being replaced by a matrix of cameras and computers; they are being backed up by one, maybe even validated by one. Even when used this spring, not all pitches will be called by ABS. There will be games with ABS available and all pitches will be called by a human. Major League Baseball intends to use spring games as a dress rehearsal for the challenge system that gained popularity in the minors and has been showcased on some national games, such as the most recent Futures Game. The challenge system has been in place at Class AAA since 2022. Each team is limited to its number of challenges, but the process is simple. The hitter or catcher challenges the call made by the umpire. In a video of the challenge system in use at Class A, a batter just put his hand to his helmet as a challenge, got the call, and took his base for a walk. Once a challenge is made, the Hawk-Eye cameras are used to determine the pitch’s location as it passes over the midpoint of the plate. Like video of plays challenged by replay, the computer illustration of this pitch can be shared on the scoreboard, as it was during the Futures Game. Fans can cheer or groan as the ABS call becomes clear and is announced. Most of the Cardinals’ young players have already had experience with ABS, and the purpose of the spring training rollout will give veteran players a feel for it and get their feedback. “Honestly, I think it’s really good,” Cardinals shortstop prospect Masyn Winn told Post-Dispatch baseball writer Daniel Guerrero back in 2023 after using ABS in Class AAA Memphis. “I’m a little biased. I think it’s a little bit better for hitters, especially with the high fastball kind of being eliminated a little bit. I, personally, like it. I think it’s very consistent. I do like the challenge system a little bit more just because, I mean, there’s still that aspect of human error. The umpires back there, that’s their job back there. You put an electronic zone, and it kind of takes away the catcher’s job and the umpire’s jobs.” Manfred has said he would be open to ABS in regular-season games by 2026. He acknowledged that implementation, like any rule change, would have to be collectively bargained with the players’ union. “There’s two sides to that test,” Manfred told AP. “It’s what the clubs think about it and also what do the players think about it? And we’re going to have to sort through both of those.” The Cardinals will officially begin spring training workouts around Feb. 12, and they open the Grapefruit League schedule with a game Feb. 22 at Roger Dean Stadium against their roommates at the Jupiter, Florida, complex — the Miami Marlins. The Cardinals’ first home game at RDS will be Feb. 23. The Cardinals will play 15 home games this coming spring and a total of 18 at Roger Dean Stadium with access to the ABS.uLab® Announces Strategic Collaboration with Voxel and LuxCreo to Revolutionize Direct Print Aligner Technology‘You can’t make this up’: Walmart customer can’t believe her store looks like this at this point in the year

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