As we settle into the new year, we find the market influenced by an unexpected source, progress in vaccination distribution and new information on stimulus checks. Read on for additional information into these areas and more. Speculative trading among smaller retail investors raised concerns about how social media is influencing individual stock valuations. Recently popularized social news aggregation and discussion …
Equity Markets Driven Higher In August – Domestic Market Overview
A little good news in an uncertain world. The recovery of U.S. stocks from the depths of the market turmoil in March has been unprecedented. Equity values returned to where they were before the pandemic in August. The rebound in equity indices has been one of the strongest in nearly 90 years, propelling indices to new highs this past month. …
Macro Overview March 2020
Fear has been permeating capital markets worldwide as the impact of the coronavirus continues to evolve. Global economic forecasts have been revised downward by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank as factory closures, quarantines, and travel bans continue to hinder numerous industries. The Federal Reserve helped alleviate markets with a rate reduction announcement as a result of …
Macro Overview – February 2019
Here is a quick summation of the major issues that are driving market volatility both to the upside and downside on a daily basis. A resilient U.S. economy drove equity markets to the best January in 30 years, propelling stock indices to new year gains which had not been seen since January 1989. Job and wage growth skirted the government …
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 …
Economic Update – Third Quarter 2018
July 10, 2018 Dear Friends, Clients and Associates, I remember being told as a kid trying to learn the fine art of hitting a baseball, “Always keep your eye on the ball”. A similar idiom in investing would be “Always keep your eye on corporate earnings”. So far this year, S&P 500 companies returned 24.8% in the first quarter over …
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 …
Stocks Enter a Trading Range – Equity Markets Update
It is hard to make sense of the recent stock market volatility. Here are some important thoughts to consider. Markets rebounded in April as fundamental factors drove prices higher. Among the factors influencing the markets were global expansion, positive domestic activity, increasing earnings, and capital spending increases. Stocks traded sideways, with the S&P 500 temporarily trading below its 200-day moving …
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 …
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 …