Most of today’s fashion conscious men want simple and stylish clothing but of good quality and cut. Items of clothing that will appear in most men’s wardrobes will no doubt be jumpers, jackets, polos and t shirts, all simple attire but always looks clean and smart whatever the occasion.Some of the younger lads might want a more stylish edgy look and go for t shirts with fancy patterns and slogans and team them up with washed denim jeans and cheap white pumps but the real stylish dressing lad will dress down and go for more simple classic looking clothing like polo shirts, jumpers, jackets worn with dark selvage denim jeans a nice deck shoe, desert boot or even a quality white pump and this doesn’t need to have big patterns or logo’s to get the attention of others, the clothes he wears just speak for themselves.A fine example of stylish quality casual clothing that is compared to many brands considered quite cheap is Original Penguin.Original Penguin make some of the best quality polo shirts currently available and you can buy them online for less than £50 a piece which in current day pricing is very good value. A nice v neck knit jumper from Original Penguin will probably cost you about £65 if you browse the internet and buy one online as with most clothing this is the best place to get value for money. Another classic piece of clothing from Original Penguin has got to be a jacket and the most well known being the Ratner Jacket, which is just a simple full zip lightweight available to buy online in various colours for a cheap price of around £70, although its only a lightweight jacket, its still ideal choice of clothing on a cold day if you wear a jumper under it.Most of the Original Penguin clothing range will have a small embroider Penguin logo on the left side of the chest so although it doesn’t have big horrible logos people will still recognised the brand as quality clothing by this small discreet logo.These days the online market is becoming crowded with not so good quality clothing at very cheap prices but for the cheap price you’re getting cheap quality clothing so it pays to buy a trusted brand. Search the internet for Original Penguin clothing and if you see a polo shirt, jacket or jumper why not treat yourself and buy it and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with the quality and it will be a clothing brand that will appear in wardrobe a few more times in future
Skin Care Jargon – Demystified!
Have you ever looked at the ingredients list of the skin care products and skin care cosmetics that you buy and got confused by the undecipherable terminologies used? Just as it is important to consider the ingredients of your skin care products, it is important that you know what the terms and jargon are. So here is a handy list of common buzz words of the skin care market.AntioxidantsThey are powerful nutrients that prevent free radicals from causing damage to the skin cells. Free radicals are actually unstable oxygen molecules that take away electrons from their surrounding molecules thus creating a chain reaction and damaging the skin. Antioxidant rich skin care products can enhance the skin quality.Chemical SunscreensUnlike regular sunscreens (referred to as physical sunscreens that block the UV rays of the sun) chemical sunscreens absorb the ultra violet radiation. Popular chemical sunscreen ingredients are Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Octisalate and Octinoxate.Collagen and ElastinThey are protein fibers found within the skin cells that are responsible for the skin structure and elasticity. Collagen supports the skin tissues and keeps it firm and taut while elastin allows the skin to stretch and strain without getting ruptured. As we grow old, the levels of collagen and elastin fibers deplete thus leading to the formation of wrinkles and fine lines.EmollientsThey are special ingredients that help spread and keep other agents of the skin care product on the skin. They help lubricate the skin and protect the barrier function of the skin. They lie on top of the skin surface and trap in the moisture. In this way, emollients help to prevent dehydration.Essential OilsDerived from herbs, essential oils have an extensive range of skin care benefits. They are often included in skin care products to deliver a soothing and stimulating feeling to the skin. However, it is not advisable to use essential oils during pregnancy.HumectantsThese are the ingredients that attract moisture to the skin and thus soften skin’s surface. Because they help to keep the skin moisturized, they are effective in diminishing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines that are a result of dehydration.HypoallergenicThis term is used to describe ingredients that do not or are less likely to cause any allergic reaction on the skin.KeratinFound in all the layers of the epidermis, this protein fiber that protects the skin against a range of stressors. Hard keratin is found in hair and nails. In fact, the epidermis is comprised of 95% of dead keratinocytes. This is why it is necessary to exfoliate the skin on regular basis in order to scrape off the dead-skin layer and reveal the fresh new skin cells underneath.Free RadicalsAggressive oxygen atoms that have lost an electron, and are therefore unstable. They must then look for an electron from other atoms, which can cause a damaging cascade effect.NoncomedogenicThis is a common term used for skin care products that do not clog the skin pores or cause comedones.Open Comedones/ Closed ComedonesOpen comedones are whiteheads while closed comedones are blackheads. They are a result of accumulation of dirt and debris within the skin pores and subsequent blockage of the same.Physical SunscreensThese sunscreens reflect off and scatter the UV rays of the sun when they reach the skin surface. Physical sunscreens are advisable for people with sensitive skin. Common ingredients of physical sunscreen are Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide.ParabensThey are the artificial preservatives used in skin care products in order to prolong their shelf life. Though they are important to prevent the development of micro organisms in skin care products, but they can be harmful for the skin. It is not advisable to use products that contain a large concentration of parabens. Smaller concentrations of the same are safe though.Stratum CorneumThis is the outermost layer of the skin. Skin cells that are formed within the deeper layers of the skin take about 28 days to reach the stratum corneum. The cells in this layer are all dead and require exfoliation to clear off. However, even though the cells are dead, they form the first line of defense for our skin. They prevent water loss and protect the skin from environmental toxins and UV rays.SurfactantsThese ingredients help to reduce surface tension between skin and the skin care product that you apply and enable it to spread better.
SPDN: An Inexpensive Way To Profit When The S&P 500 Falls
Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio
By Rob Isbitts
Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.
The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.
SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.
Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.
Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense
Segment: Inverse Equity
Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500
Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)
Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)
Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.
Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.
Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.
Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.
Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.
Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy
Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy
Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.
ETF Investment Opinion
SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.