The Dividend Cafe
The Dividend Cafe
The Bahnsen Group
Tuesday - June 30, 2026
8 minutes Posted Jun 30, 2026 at 8:36 pm.
Market Wrap Q2 Finale
Yen Weakness And Carry Trade
BOJ Intervention Risks
Leverage Rising In Markets
Margin Debt And Leveraged ETFs
Economic Data Roundup
Closing Thoughts And Sign Off
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8:31
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Show notes
Brian Szytel recaps markets on June 30, the last day of Q2, noting a strong first half for the Dow and the best Nasdaq quarter since 2020, with tech leading as the Dow rose 136 points, the S&P 500 gained 0.8%, and the Nasdaq rose 1.5% while the 10-year yield increased 8 bps. He highlights the Japanese yen at its weakest versus the dollar in over 40 years (~162), describing the yen carry trade and warning that BOJ interventions (about 11 trillion yen) and rate hikes could trigger volatility like August 2024. He also discusses rising system leverage, with margin debt up 54% year over year to about $1.4T and the risks of triple-leveraged single-stock ETFs for retail investors. Economic data included weaker consumer confidence, stronger JOLTS openings with steady quits, lower Chicago PMI, and softer Case-Shiller home prices (down monthly, +0.7% YoY).
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