Inside the Beltway: Investors see big opportunity in COVID-19 pandemic

NEWS AND OPINION:

While politicians duke it out over details and deals, there’s a brief glimmer of good news out there for those who currently fear looking at their 401K plans or investment accounts as the coronavirus crisis continues to trouble the U.S. economy.

“Nearly 80% of American investors believe that the economic downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic presents big investment opportunities and that now is a profitable time to invest in financial markets. While more than 70% of U.S. investors anticipate the long-term effects of the coronavirus crash being worse than the financial crisis of 2008, the majority (over 60%) say the crisis also presents a bigger investment opportunity,” says a new report from Investing.com, a financial markets site that offers real-time data, breaking news and analysis.

The organization’s survey of 1,700 U.S.-based investors found that just 4% are planning to exit the market at this stage.

“Continuing on a positive note, over 55% of investors believe the economy will fully recover a year from now, with 32% believing it will do so before the end of 2020. Just 4% of respondents believe the economy will never fully recover from the COVID-19 crash,” the poll said.

Still, 80% of the investors says we’re headed for a global recession and 42% are more worried about their finances than their health amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“The coronavirus crisis has already cost the U.S. economy 22 million jobs and counting, far dwarfing the total number of jobs lost during the 2008 financial crisis,” said Jesse Cohen, senior markets analyst at Investing.com.

“With the economy likely already in a recession, investors should be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities presented by volatile trading conditions. Like the old adage says, panic when everyone is greedy, but be greedy when everyone panics,” advises Mr. Cohen.

President Trump, meanwhile, is optimistic that he and his administration can “fire up the economy” to its levels before the pandemic hit.

“We did it once, we will quickly do it a second time!” the president tweeted Thursday.

A MOMENT WITH JOHN STOSSEL

Libertarian-leaning newsman John Stossel is no fan of stay-at-home orders and when the “government goes too far” to enforce new social orders of the coronavirus pandemic — particularly when one Nordic nation opted out of social distancing altogether,

“Politicians rush to limit our choices in the name of ’keeping us safe.’ They don’t even want to think about places like Sweden or the argument that leaving us alone might make us safer. They just like pushing people around,” says Mr. Stossel in an essay for PJ Media.

A MOMENT WITH ANDREW CUOMO

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has advice for vexed folks who are away from their job or unemployed.

“If you want to go to work, go take a job as an essential worker. Do it tomorrow. There are people hiring. You can get a job as an essential worker, so now you can go to work. And now you are an essential worker, and now you won’t kill anyone,” Mr. Cuomo noted in a press conference this week.

Then there is this protestor’s sign outside the New York State Capitol in Albany: “King Cuomo: If liquor is essential, so are OUR businesses.”

SAFETY FIRST

Face masks. Should we get used to them?

“Just a few months ago, it would have been unusual to see Americans donning face masks as they go about their days. Life is changing rapidly because of the coronavirus crisis and America’s culture is adapting along with it to ensure its health and safety,” reports a sizable YouGov poll of 8,000 Americans released Thursday.

“Two in three people — 64% — say they expect face masks to be a regular part of life for the next 12 months. This figure is highest among two groups — Democrats (76%) and people who reside in the Northeast (71%),” the poll analysis said.

“Republicans are less likely to be convinced that face masks will become a social norm … one in two Republicans (54%) still expect it will become a regular part of life over the next year, but three in 10 say it will not be normalized,” said the analysis, noting that face masks use rose by 44 percentage points from mid-March to mid-April.

FOXIFIED

Programming of note for Sunday at 10 p.m. Eastern: Fox News will showcase its leading personalities in uplifting special programming centered on inspirational stories of resiliency during the coronavirus pandemic. On hand for the production: Pete Hegseth, Sean Hannity, Maria Bartiromo, Harris Faulkner, Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt, Ed Henry, Jesse Watters, Johnny “Joey” Jones and Rachel Campos Duffy.

Mr. Hannity leads off the one-hour special with a salute to heroic truck drivers. The program is part of the network’s “America Together” series; the program also will simulcast on Fox Business Network.

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POLL DU JOUR

• 84% of Americans say their lives have been disrupted by coronavirus: 82% of Republicans, 81% of independents and 89% of Democrats agree.

• 80% overall say shelter-in-place measures are worth it “to protect people”; 61% of Republicans, 84% of independents and 94% of Democrats agree.

• 72% overall say it’s likely they would use a home-based coronavirus test kit; 67% of Republicans, 76% of independents and 80% of Democrats agree.

• 51% overall say “the worst is yet to come” in the crisis; 27% of Republicans, 56% of independents and 64% of Democrats agree.

• 31% overall say “the worst is behind us”; 53% of Republicans, 31% of independents and 21% of Democrats agree.

Source: A Kaiser Family Foundation survey of 1,202 U.S. adult conducted April 15-20.

• Helpful information to jharper@washingtontmes.com.