What interest rate hikes mean for you and the economy

It’s crucial to distinguish economic from political uncertainty, because only one really moves the stock market.

The U.S. economy expanded at its fastest clip in over five years during the third quarter, according to the Commerce Department’s initial reading on GDP. Yet despite a barrage of robust data, Treasury bonds staged a surprise rally in October.

Novartis, Mitsubishi and Canadian Natural are examples of companies in developed markets outside the U.S. that pass screens for high dividend yields and low volatility for prices and earnings.

One analyst notes “a meaningful gap between price and fundamentals” in some corners of the chip sector.