The year 2022 was notably full of market surprises and volatility. We hope there is less drama in 2023, but there is no guarantee it will be any more predictable. There have been plenty of headlines documenting the issues impacting the global economy (we have also discussed them in [...]
Investor sentiment has been decidedly bearish since the beginning of the year and for good reasons. Slowing economic growth, elevated inflation, global conflict and aggressive monetary policy have created persistent volatility. Broad market indices produced negative returns for the quarter and are down double digits year to date. As [...]
The Federal Reserve subscribes to a “flexible" 2% average inflation target as its long-term goal for price stability. In order to manage their dual mandate of price stability and full employment, they expand or compress the money supply, traditionally through interest rate hikes or reductions. US interest rates have been [...]
Monumental events occurred in the first few months of 2022. Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, persistently high U.S. inflation, and a shift in Federal Reserve policy to normalize interest rates are pushing and pulling capital markets globally. It will require time and patience for the markets to fully digest [...]
We are nearly two years into the pandemic and evolving variants continue to challenge us. Confirmed cases are setting new records daily and medical facilities are once again strained, but that is where the bad news begins to fade. Fatalities remain well below peak levels and families and businesses [...]
U.S. large cap stocks, as measured by the S&P 500 index, returned 0.6% during Q3-2021. Global equities, as measured by the MSCI All Country World index, retreated a modest 1.1%. Domestic large cap stocks outperformed small and mid cap, and developed international stocks outperformed emerging markets. Below is a [...]
Domestic stocks closed out the first half of the year with strong gains. The S&P 500 index return was 8.6% during the second quarter and 14.4% year to date. It was the 5th consecutive quarter the index returned at least 5%, a rare and remarkable performance by historical reference. [...]
Spring is finally here. The pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. has increased to three million doses administered daily and accelerating. We are on the road towards herd immunity from the pandemic and the prospect of returning to normal is on our horizon - doesn’t it feel great?! So [...]
We hope all is well and everyone is staying safe and healthy. When writing the Market Commentary, we go to great lengths to provide facts that explain our perspectives on the economy and markets. We generally avoid commenting on political or other current events because they seldom have a long [...]
Without a doubt, this has been a difficult and extraordinary year for the economy and investors. To recap, the pandemic triggered the worst global recession in over 80 years. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined 32% in the second quarter as much of our economy went into a self-imposed lockdown. The [...]
