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We had quite a bit of excitement over the last couple weeks. First, the market, as measured by the S&P 500, reached new all-time highs after the presidential inauguration and optimism for new policy. Next, news of a cheaper […]

After a rough month, the markets finally had a great week last week, ending January 17, posting the strongest weekly performance since November. The main reason for the weakness is that interest rate expectations for higher-for-longer […]

The market has done it again. We officially have a 25% return for the S&P 500 in 2024, following a 26% return in 2023. And this is despite not getting a “Santa Claus rally” this year for which many investors were hoping. This gives us a rare feat: Back-to-back […]

It’s been quite a year! We started 2024 with expectations for a recession, high inflation and mounting geopolitical tensions. We are ending it with a great economy, a presidential election and interest rate cuts. And somehow, through all this noise, the market […]

A Resilient Economy Spells ‘Higher for Longer’  We have had an interesting couple weeks in the markets. First, the week of the election we had a strong market rally of close to 5% for the S&P 500 with what has been called the “Trump Trade”. The following week, we had the “Trump Fade”, as the market experienced […]

The decisive outcome of the 2024 Presidential election and the 0.25% Fed rate cut remove uncertainty from the markets, creating space for investors to refocus on fundamentals. With the S&P 500 on track for a potential back-to-back 20% gains, it is useful to consider how rare such market performance is and the implications for investors going forward […]

Heading into a potential year two of a 20%+ bull market, trends that may support future positive performance include supportive monetary policy from the Fed, positive corporate earnings surprises, low inflation and ongoing strong economic growth. Performance of asset classes during past rate cutting cycles are […]

Despite key uncertainties, markets demonstrated strong performance in the S&P 500 during the first three quarters of the year. Other asset classes joined in with positive performance, including small companies, international markets and real estate. Investors are confronting uncertainties that include geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East, a strong than expected labor market and the upcoming presidential election […]

Now that the Fed has lowered rates, positive market conditions may follow, based on past rate lowering cycles. In these cycles, investors and their advisors are likely to benefit through good conditions for stocks, bonds and diversified portfolios […]

Volatility can create challenges for investors that advisors may find difficult to manage. The linked presentation deck highlights information that advisors can use to educate their clients about current market and economic conditions, the outlook going forward and the importance of long-term investing and diversification […]

As market returns remain strong, volatility is staging a comeback. Recent volatility most likely relates to uncertain around the election, interest rates and the economy. To help investors cope more productively with volatility, diversification strategies can alleviate some of the risks […]

Recent falling inflation, broadening corporate earnings and labor market balancing all increase the potential for a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut later this year. A broad array of asset classes could potentially benefit from this rate cut, which strengthens the case for portfolio diversification at a time when a few market leaders have created the potential for concentration risk […]

As the market anticipates a rate cut later in 2024, market performance is increasingly being driven by a group of technology stocks known as the Magnificent Seven. However, the divergence between the broader market and these stocks creates the potential for a larger selloff when these companies lost momentum […]