Trade tensions escalated as the U.S. announced a 10% tariff commencing September 1st on $300 billion of Chinese imports that haven’t yet been subject to any tariffs. The additional tariffs would essentially apply to nearly all imports from China. Another $250 billion in Chinese imports have already been subject to a 25% tariff for the past few months. While this …
Macro Overview – June 2018
Here are a few bullet points that are creating both fear and hope in our current markets. It’s also worth noting that the very same economic scenario that creates fear and uncertainty today can be a cause of hope and fiscal strength tomorrow. No wonder analysts have such a difficult time predicting the direction of the markets. Renewed fears of …
Macro Overview – May 2018
Here are a few more thoughts to consider as we attempt to understand the crazy market of 2018 thus far. Markets persisted on a capricious course in April following announcements regarding tariffs, rising rates, and geopolitical tensions, yet some economists and analysts expect that a tax cut driven rebound is possible. The 10-year Treasury bond yield reached 3% for the …
Shorter Settlement for Stocks & Bonds
As of September 5, 2017, the settlement period for most security transactions has been shortened to two days, from three days. The two-day settlement date applies to most security transactions, including stocks, bonds, municipal securities, mutual funds traded through a brokerage firm, and limited partnerships that trade on an exchange. Government securities and stock options will continue to settle on …