#2 SHORT INTEREST: When an investor shorts a stock, they borrow shares, sell them today, and hope to buy them back later at a lower price. If the stock falls, they make money; if it rises, they lose money. According to Stephens, short interest in the investable market (Russell 3000) rose to 2.55% in mid-May, up from 2.47% at the end of April. All large-cap sectors experienced an increase in short interest during the period. Utilities were once again the most heavily shorted large-cap sector (3.9%), while Health Care remained the most heavily shorted SMID-cap sector (10.9%). SMID-cap Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, and Basic Materials were the only sectors to see short interest decline.

#3 PAY FOR IDEAS: Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that Miami-based Citadel, the high-flying hedge fund run by art-collecting billionaire Ken Griffin, is planning a new initiative to compensate other hedge funds for trading signals. Citadel’s plans fall under the category of alpha capture, the practice of collecting trading strategies and investment ideas from external sources in exchange for a fee. Brokers, analysts, up-and-coming fund managers, and boutique hedge funds with niche expertise can submit ideas and are typically compensated if their submissions prove valuable. The concept was pioneered by British hedge fund Marshall Wace, which launched the world’s first alpha-capture platform, the Trade Optimized Portfolio System, in 2002.

#4 CREDIT CARD DATA: One of the biggest challenges for investors today is understanding the state of the consumer, especially with energy prices remaining considerably higher roughly three months into the Iran war. According to Strategas, credit card spending has held up relatively well, with the most recent data showing growth of approximately 3.5%. While higher gasoline prices and increased spending at gas stations have certainly contributed to that strength, consumer resilience has been broader than many expected. One notable area of weakness has been clothing retailers, although they could benefit from tariff refunds going forward.

#5 HEALTH IN RETIREMENT: Fidelity estimates that a retiring 65-year-old couple will need $345,000 in after-tax savings to cover healthcare and medical expenses throughout retirement. This figure represents a lifetime benchmark and excludes long-term custodial care, as well as housing, travel, and everyday living expenses. Roughly half of the projected amount is expected to be spent on Medicare Part B (medical insurance) and Part D (prescription drug) premiums.