Earnings are always the big wind behind the market direction, but there are other issues that help add to the narrative. The combination of a finalized election, effective vaccine trials, and positive earnings from various sectors drove equity indices higher in November. Analysts expect upcoming additions to the S&P 500 Index to produce added volatility with the index, creating demand …
Macro Overview – September 2018
Here is a quick review of some recent issues affecting our economy from tariffs to emerging markets, history making gains to history making mandates. Trade and tariffs continued at the forefront of discussions among the U.S. and international trading partners. Topics at hand included the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and safeguarding U.S. intellectual …
Stock Indices Reach New Highs – Domestic Equity Overview
Although there will always be reasons to be cautious and diversified in our investment portfolios, there are many reasons to be optimistic right now. Many analysts believe that the stock market rally following Trump’s election reflects the expectations of a new era of fiscal stimulus. Both economists and analysts agree that the Fed has basically exhausted all of its stimulus …
New Sector Joining S&P 500 Index – Equity Markets Update
For the first time since the launch of Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) in 1999, a new headline sector has been added to the S&P 500 Index. Equity REITs was added as the 11th sector by MSCI and S&P Dow Jones as part of their annual index rebalancing on September 16, 2016. This designation as a standalone class shows the …