Over the past few weeks, there has been a flurry of media attention around the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points. This is the first time the U.S. economy has experienced a rate cut in over a decade. However, many consumers and investors are unaware…
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Category: Market Outlook
Is the Fed going to cut rates?
With 2019 more than halfway over, there are a few things that investors should continue to keep an eye on until year-end that could lead to market movements. One of the biggest drivers continues to be Fed decisions – while they did not do anything in June, they did give…
2019 mid-year economic update and market outlook
If we were going to grade the U.S. economy so far this year, it would rate a solid “B,” while the rest of the world gets a “C minus.” Importantly, this disparity may be the key to understanding markets for the rest of 2019. With the U.S. in generally good…
The interest rate pendulum
When interest rates get whipsawed the way they have in the last couple of weeks, we believe some explanation is necessary. First and foremost, we don’t believe it is one particular issue but instead, a lot of balls in the air at the same time that are creating uncertainty. China,…
Why slowing retail earnings growth isn’t a bad thing
As we reach the tail-end of earnings season, we’ve seen a majority of companies report in line or slightly better than anticipated. It looks like this may be the end of earnings growth, but overall earnings are positive. However, slowed corporate earnings isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it doesn’t…
Holiday cheer fades as markets deliver a reality check
The first real stock and bond market tumult since the fourth quarter of 2015 has grabbed media attention and put investors on edge. After rising nearly 10% through September, the S&P 500 entered “correction” territory, ultimately returning a negative 4.4% for the year 2018. There are numerous rationales for the…
Market volatility is not as spooky as it sounds
Even though Halloween is right around the corner, investors shouldn’t let the market spook them. When the market is on a slight downturn, it’s common for some investors to become nervous or scared. However, these ebbs and flows are the nature of the market and it’s crucial for investors to…
Sectors making a splash this summer
Summer is an interesting season for the stock market because we often see individuals putting their portfolio on the back-burner, opting to instead dedicate their focus on vacation, or spending time with family and friends. When it comes to the market, the number of participants determines how accurate prices are.…
What you should know about the Italian bond market
There’s been a lot of news coming out about Italian bonds lately. Political turmoil and debt are scary and intimidating words to see in headlines. But, how serious is it all? I’d like to share some thoughts on this issue and how the news may affect our bond market. Although…
A record first quarter for earnings
Thanks partly to tax reform, the first quarter of 2018 was good for the economy, and stupendous for corporate profits - particularly for large companies that make up the S&P 500 Index. As of May 7, 87 percent of the S&P 500 had reported first quarter results. All 11 sectors…