Best bet for 2020? | Santoli breaks down the market | Cramer's week ahead

Many parts of economy are running at different speeds, making the end of the cycle hard to call.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE SAT, DEC 07, 2019 WEEKEND BRIEF EDITOR'S NOTE It's been a long ride up for the economy and the stock market - so long that investors are left to wonder how much further the good times can roll.   In this edition of Weekend Brief, CNBC's Michael Santoli offers an analysis of this question and says the answer isn't so simple. Large swaths of the economy are out of sync, running at different speeds, he writes.   This is why we see indicators such as Friday's employment report showing a surprising number of new jobs created in November. And Monday's report from the Institute for Supply Management showing that manufacturing contracted for a fourth straight month.   In the week ahead, stocks will likely be driven by President Donald Trump as he approaches a Dec. 15 deadline to decide whether to slap new tariffs on China. Trump has rattled markets before, CNBC's Patti Domm writes. He's done so as recently as Tuesday when he said he might not sign a trade deal with China until after the 2020 election.   With stocks near all-time highs, and so many confounding headlines, many investors are looking for alternatives.   CNBC's Fred Imbert writes that some are flocking to international stocks after this year's boom in U.S. equities. Domestic stocks have massively outperformed non-U.S. stocks for 10 years, but several experts argue 2020 could be the year this trend reverses.   For those inclined to pull money out of the market, an investment in art could prove at least as steady as the bond market, and nowhere near as boring.   CNBC's Pippa Stevens writes that the contemporary art market returns an average of 7.5% per year, according to a report from Citi using data from Masterworks.io. Of course, It can be a wildly volatile market, but it's becoming a popular way for rich investors to diversify, Citi says. And its return is not dependent upon whatever the rest of the market is doing.   This is "art's most attractive investment quality over the long run," Citi said.   Enjoy the rest of the weekend and thanks for reading Weekend Brief.  Email your thoughts at EveningBrief@nbcuni.com or message me on Twitter @tellittoal.   Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis, and live business day programming from around the world.   Al Lewis | CNBC Markets Editor @tellittoal MICHAEL SANTOLI'S MARKET COLUMN It's possible the US economy is not 'late cycle' but rather just recharging   THE WEEK AHEAD What Trump does before trade deadline is the 'wild card' that will drive markets in the week ahead   YOUR WEEKEND BRIEFING  Wall Street bets international stocks will top US equities in 2020 after a decade-long slump 7Qs: How Karen Firestone beats the market with 35 names — 'Don't fall in love with your stocks' Buy a Monet instead of a Treasury? Art has shown long-term returns that rival bonds Here are some of the best analyst calls of the week on Wall Street including PayPal, WWE Cramer's week ahead: 'Amazing' jobs report gives us a break from China trade news     Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2019 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS