Broker Check
info@cliftoncapital.com
Client Login

Blog

Monday, May 11, 2026

The Markets Looking beneath the surface of the rally. Stock markets in the United States moved higher last week on enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI), strong corporate earnings, and signs of resilience in the U.S. economy,...

Monday, May 4, 2026

The Markets The stock market rally continued. April ended with the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) and Nasdaq Composite Indexes at record-high levels, having delivered their best monthly returns since 2020, reported Connor Smith of...

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

The Markets It’s all about how you slice the index pie. Last week, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500) closed at a new record high even though 329 of its 500 stocks lost value, reported Connor Smith of Barron’s. How is that...

Monday, April 20, 2026

The MarketsThe market completes a 180. One of the most exciting driving sequences in movies may be the scene from Baby Driver when “Baby” (a reluctant getaway driver) slings a red Subaru into a narrow 180-degree turn, slides backward...

Monday, April 13, 2026

The Markets Sunny with a chance of rain. Last week, news of a two-week pause in the Middle East conflict was like a sunny day. Investors celebrated and the relief rally lifted U.S. stocks higher. “The cease-fire announced on Tuesday...

Show All

Monday, April 6, 2026

The Markets The first three months of 2026 felt a bit like summer school. In summer school, students learn a lot in a short amount of time. A normal semester gives students about 15 to 17 weeks to learn, but summer classes cram all...

Monday, March 30, 2026

The MarketsU.S. stocks moved lower last week. The journey toward long-term financial goals is often interrupted by unexpected events that create stress and uncertainty. That’s one reason financial plans are built with a keen eye to...

Monday, March 23, 2026

The Markets The interest rate outlook shifted. Last week, central banks around the globe met to set policy rates. While most chose to leave rates unchanged, many expressed concern about the potential economic consequences of the War in...

Monday, March 16, 2026

The MarketsStagflation worries rise. Over the past couple of weeks, the term stagflation has been popping up a lot. The United States experienced stagflation, which is a combination of high inflation, slow economic growth, and high...

Monday, March 9, 2026

The Markets Energy disruptions, rising prices, and a weak jobs report cloud the economic outlook. It would take a lot more space than we have here to discuss everything that happened last week and the many ways these events may affect...

Monday, March 2, 2026

The MarketsArtificial Intelligence (AI) is the new Industrial Revolution. Last week, market volatility reflected uncertainty about how artificial intelligence will reshape the economy. Early in the week, a report titled “The 2028...

Monday, February 23, 2026

The MarketsWhen it rains it pours.People respond in different ways when they’re caught in a downpour without an umbrella or rain gear. Some walk as they seek shelter, others run. Occasionally, on warm days, people may celebrate the...

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

The MarketsAI is reshaping the world – and markets are jittery.Last week, investor attitudes continued to shift. Instead of celebrating AI as a growth engine, they focused on its potential as a business disruptor. The catalyst for this...

Monday, February 9, 2026

The MarketsInvestor mood matters.Over the past month, we’ve seen five sharp stock market declines – and five rebounds, reported Charles Riley of Bloomberg. He pointed out that market declines often go hand-in-hand with a change in the...

Monday, February 2, 2026

The Markets It was a busy, busy week. If you just looked at the weekly return for the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index, you might assume the United States stock market was relatively calm last week. It was not. A lot happened last...

Thursday, January 29, 2026

The Markets Geopolitics roiled financial markets. Just a couple of weeks ago, many analysts and asset managers expressed broad optimism about the potential performance of United States stock markets in 2026 – and the stock market...

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

The Markets Investor appetite broadens. For a long time, investors have craved artificial intelligence (AI) related investments. Early in 2026, that’s begun to change. Paul R. La Monica of Barron’s reported: “Everywhere you look,...

Monday, January 12, 2026

The Markets A change in leadership. Last week, investors were presented with a stew of economic and policy developments. These included the surprising announcement that the United States would “run” Venezuela, disappointing jobs data,...

Monday, January 5, 2026

The Markets Lots of people are willing to predict what’s ahead. If the past is prologue, few will be accurate. You don’t have to look far to find an example. In 2023, a majority of economists agreed recession was ahead. They were wrong...

Monday, December 29, 2025

The Markets What is the most important principle of investing? People have different opinions, but these three tend to be at or near the top of the list: Have a plan for reaching your financial goals.Hold a diversified portfolio that...

Monday, December 22, 2025

The Markets Happy holidays! Over the past year, financial markets reminded all of us that progress is rarely linear. As markets gyrated higher and lower, one truth remained constant – building wealth is the result of diversification,...

Monday, December 15, 2025

The Markets Last week, the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) played “Would You Rather?” Would You Rather? is a board game that presents players with classic dilemmas and asks which options would be more palatable to them. For...

Monday, December 8, 2025

The Markets It’s beginning to look a lot like a rate cut… A lot of information about the economy arrived last week. Some was delayed by the government shutdown. Some was right on time. Investors took a look and decided their holiday...

Monday, December 1, 2025

The Markets A change of direction… Stock markets in the United States reversed course last week, with two major indices eking out gains for the month, reported Callum Keown of Barron’s. There were some other important changes last week...

Monday, November 17, 2025

The Markets It was another turbulent week. Investors cheered the end of the shutdown, pondered strong third-quarter earnings, and questioned the artificial intelligence (AI) spending spree. Some reduced their exposure to risky assets,...

Monday, November 10, 2025

The Markets There were bearish undercurrents in the bullish sea. While there are many reasons to be optimistic about the long-term prospects for U.S. stocks, investor concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) spending and the...

Monday, November 3, 2025

The Markets Like walking on cobblestones… If you’ve ever walked down a road paved with cobblestones, you know the uneven surface can be challenging. Today, financial markets are paved with a variety of challenges and concerns. A recent...

Thursday, October 30, 2025

The Markets Stock markets celebrated, but bond markets were cautious. Last week, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed that inflation for September was lower than economists had anticipated. Both headline and core inflation (the latter...

Monday, October 20, 2025

The Markets Emotions were running high in financial markets. You may recall the week before last ended with the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index falling more than two percent after a flare-up in the trade war between the United States...

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

The Markets Filling the data void. Ancient Greek Philosopher Aristotle theorized that nature abhors a void and fills it. Anyone who has ever cleared a garden patch and delayed planting understands the idea. Before long, the empty...

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

The Markets It was a stellar quarter for investors. The last three months have delivered stock market gains amid signs the economy might not be doing as well as previously thought. Here’s what we saw: Stock markets advanced Solid...

Monday, September 29, 2025

The Markets The economy is all right. Last week, revised economic figures showed the United States economy grew faster from April through June than previously thought. The upward revision was primarily due to a revised estimate for...

Monday, September 22, 2025

The Markets The bulls were running. Last week, investors rejoiced after the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered the federal funds rate by a quarter percentage point. Major U.S. stock indexes set new record highs. FOMC...

Monday, September 15, 2025

The Markets What are your expectations for inflation? Inflation occurs when the prices of goods and services increase. Last week, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed that inflation moved modestly higher from July to August. Prices...

Monday, September 8, 2025

The Markets Was the jobs report good news or bad news for the stock market? In financial markets, sometimes bad news is good. It looked like that might be the case last week. On Friday, the Employment Situation Summary was released. It...

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

The Markets Will the bull market in stocks continue? There is always a diversity of opinion about whether stocks are headed higher or lower. Last week, investors were feeling more bearish than bullish about where the stock market may...

Monday, August 25, 2025

The Markets Will the Fed lower rates? Last week, in a much-anticipated speech, Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell said, “In the near term, risks to inflation are tilted to the upside, and risks to employment to the downside—a...

Monday, August 18, 2025

The Markets Was inflation higher, lower, or steady? Perspective has a tremendous influence on how we perceive the world around us. If you saw any three-dimensional chalk drawings on sidewalks this summer, you understand how perspective...

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

The Markets U.S. companies have been hitting it out of the park! Earnings season happens four times every year. It’s the period of time when publicly traded companies report how they performed during the previous quarter. So far, in...

Monday, August 4, 2025

The Markets Fast as a snail. In July, the weather in Norfolk, England, was perfectly rainy as Bilbo Sluggins won the World Snail Racing Championship with a time of two minutes and 11 seconds. Fans and competitors traveled from the...

Monday, July 28, 2025

The Markets How fast will an AI-powered economy grow? Global economic growth has not always been robust. Until the 1700s, economic growth averaged about 0.1 percent per year and was closely tied to population growth. “Bigger harvests...

Monday, July 21, 2025

The Markets This is not the inflation you’re looking for… In general, everyone who buys goods or services in the United States would prefer to see prices trend lower – and that’s what happened in the earlier part of this year. Over the...

Monday, July 14, 2025

The Markets Are financial markets too complacent? In Aesop’s fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, a young shepherd repeatedly raises a false alarm. Eventually, the people in his village ignore his warnings. When a wolf appears, the villagers...

Monday, July 7, 2025

The Markets Like riders on a giga coaster, investors experienced fear and exhilaration during the second quarter of 2025. From April through June, investors rode markets up and down, banking through twists of news and events that had...

Monday, June 23, 2025

The Markets Investors are taking it all in stride. As Israel and Iran exchanged missile strikes last week, stock markets in the United States remained relatively steady, reported Michael Msika and Phil Serafino of Bloomberg. “On June...

Monday, June 16, 2025

The Markets Investors had a lot to think about last week. A wealth of positive company and economic news lifted markets for much of last week. However, markets stumbled on news that Israel had launched an attack against Iran. Here’s...

Monday, June 9, 2025

The Markets Employment was top of mind for financial markets last week. Economists and investors hoped May employment information would provide insight to the state of the United States economy, as well as clues about when the Federal...

Monday, June 2, 2025

The Markets Consumers were feeling cautiously optimistic. When people talk about the United States economy, they’re usually referring to gross domestic product (GDP), which is the value of all goods and services produced in here. For...

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

The Markets Nobody likes to balance the budget. Some pundits said Moody’s rating downgrade of U.S. Treasuries was a nothing burger. After all, the rating change didn’t provide investors with any new information. Moody’s was the third...

Monday, May 19, 2025

The Markets Last week, the U.S. stock market showed why it’s a good idea to stay invested through bouts of volatility. Major U.S. stock indices notched sizeable gains as investors celebrated a trade truce with China and...

Monday, May 12, 2025

The Markets The winds of uncertainty are blowing, and the waters are choppy. In recent weeks, United States stock markets saw steady gains, recovered from the April downturn as investors set aside uncertainty,” reported Connor Smith of...

Monday, May 5, 2025

The Markets American companies did well in the first quarter. During earnings season, publicly held companies tell investors how they performed during the previous quarter with a particular focus on earnings, which reflect company...

Monday, April 28, 2025

The Markets How’s everybody feeling? If you said, “Not great,” you’re not alone. There is an abundance of negative sentiment today. Many people – from consumers to small business owners, and from asset managers to investors – are...

Monday, April 21, 2025

The Markets As the market turns... When investor preferences shift and money flows from one sector, industry, investment style or geographic region into another, it is called a market rotation. For years, stock markets in the United...

Monday, April 14, 2025

The Markets All eyes on the bond market. The scale of the tariffs introduced by the administration shocked investors, sparking a roller coaster of a week for stock markets. Last week, U.S. stocks: Rallied on a rumor. Fell when the...

Monday, April 7, 2025

The Markets “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…” The advice offered by Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If—” resonated last week. A sharp escalation in trade tensions sparked a stock market downturn despite news...

Monday, March 31, 2025

The Markets Risk-on. Risk-off. If you read the financial press, you may have seen the terms “risk-on” and “risk-off”. When investing, there is a risk-return spectrum. Stocks typically have higher risk and higher return potential than...

Monday, March 24, 2025

The Markets The market whisperer… Last week, the Federal Reserve (Fed) left the federal funds rate unchanged, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell soothed markets. He explained that conditions in the labor market were broadly in balance and...

Monday, March 17, 2025

The Markets A correction and a bounce. Last week, the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index moved into correction territory. The Nasdaq Composite Index (Nasdaq) was already in a correction, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow) was...

Monday, March 10, 2025

The Markets What do weather and investing have in common? From 1991 to 2020, the average temperature of the United States was 54.7° Fahrenheit. Of course, that doesn’t mean the temperature in every state on every day was 54.7°F. The...

Monday, March 3, 2025

The Markets Is it supposed to be doing that? At the end of last year, economists believed the chance of a recession in 2025 was relatively low. In December, economist Torsten Sløk wrote, “The outlook for the US economy remains strong...

Monday, February 24, 2025

The Markets A difference of opinion. Broadly speaking, there are two types of investors: individual investors and institutional investors. Individual investors buy and sell investments to grow their personal wealth. This group of...

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

The Markets Why are stock markets wary of tariffs? In two of the last three weeks, tariff announcements led to late week stock market sell-offs. Stocks quickly recovered lost value, but uncertainty about the administration’s trade...

Monday, February 10, 2025

The Markets Optimism headed south on Friday. After rising for most of the week, stock markets lost momentum last Friday as economic data raised doubts about further Federal Reserve rate cuts, reported Rita Nazareth of Bloomberg. Late...

Monday, February 3, 2025

The Markets Wait! What just happened? Last week, investors were inundated with market-moving data and news. Stock markets gyrated as investors tried to process everything that was occurring. Here’s some of what happened: China...

Monday, January 27, 2025

The Markets What moves financial markets? The short answer is: Lots of things! Almost one hundred years ago, Benjamin Graham and David L. Dodd wrote, “the market is a voting machine, whereon countless individuals register choices which...

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

The Markets As the markets turn. Last week, investors breathed a sigh of relief when the latest price data showed core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, moved lower in December. Investors has been worried...

Monday, January 13, 2025

The Markets Bond yields are rising—and they have investors’ attention. Last year, the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) lowered the federal funds rate by one percent. (The federal funds rate is the interest rate the Fed charges banks...

Monday, January 6, 2025

The Markets Hello, 2025! As we head into a new year, it can be helpful to look back at the previous year—and 2024 was a doozy. Stocks in the United States delivered a double-double—posting double-digit gains for a second year in a row....

Monday, December 30, 2024

The Markets Consumers were more optimistic. Investors were less so. As we neared the end of 2024, U.S. consumers were feeling optimistic. Every month the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers conducts about 600 interviews with...

Thursday, December 26, 2024

The Markets But that’s not what I wanted! Last week, markets were about as happy as a toddler opening a gift they didn’t like. The first upsetting event followed the Federal Reserve (Fed)’s final policy meeting for 2024. The Fed met...

Monday, December 16, 2024

The Markets How high can U.S. stocks fly? The U.S. stock market has delivered exceptional performance over the past few years and remains on track to deliver solid returns in 2024. “It isn’t a secret that U.S. stocks have outperformed...

Monday, December 9, 2024

The Markets U.S. stocks thrive amid turmoil. The performance of the U.S. stock market is striking. Last week, the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 closed at a record high for the 57th time this year, reported Rita Nazareth of Bloomberg....

Monday, December 2, 2024

The Markets Not one, but two! United States stock markets are serving another cup of cheer this year. The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index returned more than more than 24 percent in 2023. This year, it was up 26.5 percent through the...

Monday, November 25, 2024

The Markets The post-election rally resumed. Investors shook off concerns about interest rates and inflation, and U.S. stocks climbed higher last week. The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index gained every day last week, and the rally...

Monday, November 18, 2024

The Markets The United States stock market changed course. Last week, the strength of the United States economy slowed investors’ roll. Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell told business leaders in Dallas, Texas, that the...

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

The Markets Stock markets celebrated the results of the presidential election. Bond markets were less enthusiastic. Last week, United States stock markets rallied, and the U.S. dollar gained against other currencies, following the...

Monday, November 4, 2024

The Markets Are we witnessing an historic event? For an airplane or a spacecraft, a soft landing occurs when the vehicle “touches the ground in a controlled and gradual way that does not damage it,” according to The Britannica...

Monday, October 28, 2024

The Markets Financial markets appear to have pre-election jitters. The United States election is less than two weeks away. The candidates are neck and neck. The outcome remains uncertain. And expectations for volatility have been...

Monday, October 21, 2024

The Markets Happy birthday! The bull market in stocks charged past its two-year birthday on October 12. “This unique bull market is still young relative to history and, for now, supported by relatively healthy breadth and broadening...

Monday, October 14, 2024

The Markets There was a lot to celebrate last week! The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index closed above 5,800 for the first time—and that’s not all. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also notched a record high last week—and all three major U.S...

Monday, September 30, 2024

The Markets The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index hit a new all-time high last week. The S&P 500 has had quite a year. Despite a sharp downturn in August when investor confidence was ruffled by concerns about economic growth, the Index...

Monday, September 23, 2024

The Markets Rates moved lower and stocks moved higher. In 2022, the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) began raising interest rates as it battled high rates of inflation. That year prices rose 8 percent, as measured by the Consumer...

Monday, September 16, 2024

The Markets There was a lot of good news last week! Inflation continued to trend lower. The Consumer Price Index showed that inflation was 2.5 percent year over year (yoy) in August. That’s lower than economists had expected, and a...

Monday, September 9, 2024

The Markets Investing in September can be like biting into a jelly doughnut and finding boiled cabbage—full of unwelcome surprises. “History suggests September is the worst month of the year in terms of stock-market performance,”...

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

The Markets After gyrating wildly throughout the month, major U.S. stock indexes finished August higher. Despite a lot of uncertainty and some dramatic ups and downs, the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index rose 2.3 percent in August,...

Monday, August 26, 2024

The Markets The near future is more predictable than the distant future. Last year, the St. Louis Federal Reserve explored the accuracy of recession forecasts. They found that short-term predictions about whether there would be a...

Monday, August 19, 2024

The Markets The best week of the year? After two weeks of slow and jolting market performance, a bounty of positive news calmed investors and lifted stock markets higher last week. “Investors seem to have come to the realization that...

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

The Markets Markets were gripped by August jitters. Last week, financial markets were volatile. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), which is known as Wall Street’s fear gauge, rose to the highest level in four years before cooling down....

Monday, August 5, 2024

The Markets Stock markets swelled and dropped like waves at the Olympic surfing competition in Tahiti. It is often said that markets hate uncertainty. There was a lot of uncertainty last week, and it showed. “The technology-heavy...

Monday, July 29, 2024

The Markets Americans may be witnessing something remarkable. Earlier this year, we had the relatively rare opportunity to view a total solar eclipse – when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun completely –...

Monday, July 22, 2024

The Markets The rate cut stars are aligning. For the last year, borrowing costs in the United States have remained relatively high as the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) waited for economic data to show that inflation was on track to reach...

Monday, July 15, 2024

The Markets Will deflation continue? In May, Pew Research asked Americans about the biggest problems facing our nation. The top three answers were: Inflation; The ability of Democrats and Republicans to work together; and The...

Monday, July 8, 2024

The Markets Despite some volatility, stock markets have been buoyant in 2024. Enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI), optimism about inflation, and expectations that the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) will begin to lower...

Monday, July 1, 2024

The Markets Some good news and some volatility. Last week was a mixed bag as investors weighed positive economic news against concerns that stock prices for some chipmakers may not be sustainable. Here are the highlights: Inflation...

Monday, June 24, 2024

The Markets Are we at an inflection point? The transition to renewable energy has been moving forward and may be reaching an inflection point. In 2023, global renewable energy capacity increased by almost 50 percent, reported the...

Monday, June 17, 2024

The Markets Inflation is lower – and so are some retail prices. There was a lot of good news last week about the cost of products and services in the United States. First, inflation is slowing down. For the second month in a row,...

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

The Markets Another record high for the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index! Last week, the S&P 500 Index hit its 25th record high for 2024. Investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence helped drive the index to a new high. About 30...

Monday, June 3, 2024

The Markets Overall, May was a good month for investors. The adage, “Sell in May and go away,” would have been poor advice last month. Major stock indices in the United States finished the month higher. Connor Smith of Barron’s...

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

The MarketsLeaping over the wall of worry.The “wall of worry” is an obstacle – or set of obstacles – that investors face. This year, the wall reached a considerable height as inflation, the War in Ukraine,...

Monday, May 20, 2024

The Markets Reading the economic tea leaves. Tasseography practitioners read tea leaves to forecast the future. Some economic data serve a similar purpose. Policymakers, central bankers, economists, and investors look at leading...

Monday, May 13, 2024

The Markets Higher rates are doing what they’re supposed to do. Last week, Federal Reserve officials spoke about keeping the federal funds rate higher until it becomes clear that inflation will reach the Fed’s two percent target rate....

Monday, May 6, 2024

The Markets What will the Federal Reserve do? Uncertainty about the direction and timing of Fed rate cuts is causing stock markets in the United States to charge and retreat. U.S. stocks rallied for five consecutive months...

Monday, April 29, 2024

The Markets The economy appears to be slowing down. Last week, many investors were focused on economic data. The Personal Consumption report offers information about Americans’ income and spending over the previous month. It includes...

Monday, April 22, 2024

The Markets Investors have been recalibrating their expectations. There is a lot going on in the world that could affect the value of financial markets – wars, tensions between major powers, a strong dollar, and rising oil prices –...

Monday, April 15, 2024

The Markets Inflation and geopolitics and earnings. Oh, my! It was a rough week for stock markets. “The S&P 500 closed 1.5% lower on Friday, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 1.6%. Every S&P 500 sector closed lower—and just about 40...

Monday, April 8, 2024

The Markets The bull charged from October 2023 through March 2024. Last week, it took a breather. Optimistic may be the best word to describe the first quarter of 2024. From the start of the year, investors were confident that an...

Monday, April 1, 2024

The Markets What do dieters have in common with the Federal Reserve? If you’ve ever dieted, you may be familiar with the weight-loss plateau. Many people experience steady progress. The bathroom scale moves lower week by week – until...

Monday, March 25, 2024

The Markets The central banks have spoken. No one expected the United States Federal Reserve to announce a rate change last week – and it didn’t. But Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comments and the actions of other central banks led to new...

Monday, March 18, 2024

The Markets Here’s the tea on stock markets and presidential elections. Last week, a slew of headlines mentioned stock market bubbles and frothy valuations. The implication was that markets might be headed lower because...

Monday, March 11, 2024

The Markets The week got off to a good start... In testimony before House and Senate committees, Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell noted that prices had been falling and unemployment rates remained quite low. As a result, he...

Monday, March 4, 2024

The Markets The bull market is alive and well. “We know what investors are thinking,” reported Jacob Sonenshine of Barron’s. “The gains can keep coming, driven by an economy that is neither too hot nor too...

Monday, February 26, 2024

The Markets Optimism abounds! Enthusiasm for everything related to artificial intelligence (AI) drove a global stock market rally last week. Equity markets in the United States, Europe, and Japan hit all-time highs after a leading...

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

The Markets Don’t fight the Fed. The Federal Reserve (Fed) is the central bank of the United States. A longstanding bit of investment wisdom is: Don’t fight the Fed. It means that investors should align their strategies...

Monday, February 5, 2024

The Markets We’ve been hearing a lot about layoffs. Last week, the January 2024 Challenger Report found that employers based in the United States cut more than 82,000 jobs in January. That’s a lot. In December 2023, about...

Monday, January 29, 2024

The Markets Even better than expected! The United States economy is not performing the way anyone thought it would. Instead of tipping into a recession last year, it crushed expectations. Gross domestic product, which is the value of...

Monday, January 22, 2024

The Markets Are you feeling optimistic or pessimistic?  Consumers are a force to be reckoned with – and we’re all consumers. We buy coats and tweezers, electricity and bread, screens and fishing poles. We download apps...

Thursday, January 18, 2024

The Markets Is inflation retreating? Last week, we received a lot of information about inflation. Some seemed to support the idea that inflation was sticky, meaning it wasn’t moving lower, while other data suggested inflation was...

Monday, January 8, 2024

The Markets And we’re off…to a slow start. Last week, investors appeared to suffer from a New Year’s hangover. The culprit was too much optimism. After its December meeting, with inflation easing and the U.S. economy...

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

The Markets 2023 was a big year for U.S. stocks. The story of 2023 has its roots in 2022, when the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index lost almost 19.5 percent amid rising inflation and aggressive Federal Reserve rate hikes. As...

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

The Markets If all you wanted for Christmas was two percent inflation, you’re in luck! Barring unforeseen events, it appears the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) is on the cusp of accomplishing a feat many thought impossible...

Monday, December 18, 2023

The Markets Have rates peaked? Last week, at its final policy meeting for 2023, the United States Federal Reserve indicated that rates may have peaked. After the meeting, Chair Jerome Powell said: “As we approach the end of the...

Monday, December 11, 2023

The Markets  Still exceeding expectations. Last week, the United States Treasury market rallied. Yields fell and bond prices rose as some bond market investors enthusiastically embraced the idea that the Federal Reserve will soon...

Monday, December 4, 2023

The Markets  We’re cycling along. It’s easy to forget that economic activity tends to move in cycles. A full cycle, known as the business cycle, typically includes four stages: Contraction occurs when economic growth...

Monday, November 27, 2023

The Markets  In November, investors were more optimistic than consumers. At the start of November, investors were decidedly bearish. During the week of November 1, the AAII Investor Sentiment Survey found that about 50 percent of...

Monday, November 20, 2023

The Markets  Is it done? (We’re not talking about the turkey.) Last week, investors enthusiastically embraced the idea that the Federal Reserve (Fed) could be done raising rates – and that it might even begin to lower...

Monday, November 13, 2023

The Markets  Earnings grew in the third quarter.  Four times a year, during earnings season, publicly traded companies report how well they performed during the previous quarter. The strength of corporate earnings –...

Monday, November 6, 2023

The Markets Will there be a year-end rally? Last week, there was a lot of speculation about whether the United States will see a year-end stock market rally. Some say yes, and some say no. For example, at Bank of America, “Chief...

Monday, October 23, 2023

The Markets Stay calm and consider the big picture. Today, investors have a myriad of worries that are creating tremendous uncertainty. A September Investopedia survey found investors are concerned about how their investments may be...

Monday, October 16, 2023

The Markets Markets were resilient. Last week, investors had a lot to process – geopolitics, inflation, consumer sentiment, the possibility of government shutdown – and markets were volatile. Toward the end of the week,...

Monday, October 9, 2023

The Markets Financial markets lost ground during the third quarter. While year-to-date returns for the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index remain above the historic average, which was 10.24 percent, including dividends, from 1973...

Monday, October 2, 2023

The Markets Inflation is slowing but consumers aren’t feeling it. In August, for the first time in two years, inflation (excluding volatile food and energy costs) dropped below four percent. Last week, one of the Federal Reserve...

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

The Markets How high will they go? Just as the market anticipated, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) chose not to raise interest rates last week. However, Fed officials made it clear another rate increase might be...

Monday, September 18, 2023

The Markets Adding new ingredients to the economic blender. The performance of the United States economy in 2023 has been as unexpected as a lentil-avocado-cinnamon smoothie – a tasty surprise. Last week, economic data suggested...

Monday, September 11, 2023

The Markets All the work, work, work. 2023 has been a remarkable year so far. It has, “confounded economists, humbled forecasters, and rewarded investors. Despite a rapid rise in interest rates, the U.S. economy continues to grow...

Thursday, September 7, 2023

The Markets Lowering inflation. If you’ve ever waited in traffic while the center section of a bridge lifts to allow ships and sailboats to pass underneath, you may have noticed the enormous counterweight that lowers as the...

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

The Markets Lowering inflation. If you’ve ever waited in traffic while the center section of a bridge lifts to allow ships and sailboats to pass underneath, you may have noticed the enormous counterweight that lowers as the...

Monday, August 28, 2023

The Markets Becalmed. The Chinese government’s zero-COVID policy took the wind from the sails of its economy. When the government finally ended the policy earlier this year, many economists anticipated that pent-up consumer...

Monday, August 21, 2023

The Markets Higher bond yields may be good for income investors – and not so good for stock markets. After more than a decade of near-zero interest rates, the “free money” era – a time when people and businesses...

Monday, August 14, 2023

The Markets Consumer sentiment is a lagging indicator. It’s also a contrarian indicator. After rising sharply in June and July, consumer sentiment leveled off this month. The preliminary August reading for the University of...

Monday, August 7, 2023

The Markets An unwelcome surprise. Last week, Fitch Ratings startled markets by lowering the credit rating of United States Treasuries from AAA to AA+. It was the second rating agency to downgrade U.S. Treasuries; Standard &...

Monday, July 31, 2023

The Markets Central bank palooza! While music lovers attended concerts and festivals across the United States, central banks had a lollapalooza of their own. The U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) led things off last Wednesday, followed by the...

Monday, July 24, 2023

The MarketsBetter than expected.In January of this year, the Bloomberg’s MLIV Pulse survey collected and shared investors’ expectations for stock markets. Survey participants were generally a gloomy group. Seventy percent...

Monday, July 17, 2023

The MarketsDisinflation was in the air!To the great relief of the Federal Reserve, the American economy has been experiencing “disinflation,” which is a slowdown in the rate of inflation. For example, last week we learned...

Monday, July 10, 2023

The MarketsMarkets are playing Federal Reserve (Fed) Clue.Last week, investors parsed the monthly Employment Situation Summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for clues about whether the Fed will raise the federal funds rate at its...

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

The MarketsShowing remarkable resilience.Throughout the first half of 2023, the U.S. economy and financial markets proved to be resilient – and so did investors. U.S. stock markets moved higher amid enthusiasm for artificial...

Monday, June 26, 2023

The MarketsThe Artificial Intelligence (AI) Express is traveling fast.Investors are enthusiastic about AI. Late last year, an AI research lab introduced a chatbot that could answer questions – and people were enthralled. Within...

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

The MarketsRebalancing ahead!There is one decision all investors should make: how to allocate the money they’re investing. Asset allocation decisions are usually based on a myriad of factors: expected returns, potential...

Monday, June 12, 2023

The MarketsLeaping over the wall of worry.The “wall of worry” is an obstacle – or set of obstacles – that investors face. This year, the wall reached a considerable height as inflation, the War in Ukraine,...

Monday, June 5, 2023

The MarketsAs Gomer Pyle used to say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”Gomer Pyle USMC was a popular American sitcom in the 1960s. It focused on a naïve, do-gooding auto mechanic from Mayberry RFD who joined the military...

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

The MarketsIt’s a three-ring circus!For centuries people have embraced the circus. Enjoying the sticky fluff of cotton candy while elephants, clowns and trapeze artists perform in the spotlights. Merriam Webster Dictionary...

Monday, May 22, 2023

The MarketsInvestors aren’t happy, but stocks are up.If you ever participated in a fantasy football league, you may have experienced a run on a position during your draft. One person picks a kicker or defense mid-round and,...

Monday, May 15, 2023

The MarketsBrace yourself! The debt ceiling standoff continues.Consumers aren’t optimistic. The Consumer Sentiment Index fell to a six-month low in May, dropping 9.1 percent month-to-month. Participants in the University of...

Monday, May 8, 2023

The MarketsThe labor market just keeps growing…and growing…Last week, the April employment report for the United States arrived. It showed that unemployment dropped to the lowest level in more than 50 years – 3.4...

Monday, May 1, 2023

The MarketsGet real!Despite more than a year of aggressive Federal Reserve rate increases, the United States economy is still growing, albeit more slowly. U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) – the value of all goods and services...

Monday, April 24, 2023

The MarketsBetter than expected.It’s earnings season – the time when publicly traded companies report on how profitable they were during the first quarter of 2023. So far, reports suggest that companies listed on United...

Monday, April 17, 2023

The MarketsKeep your eye on the big picture.Last week, there was nothing too surprising in economic and financial news.Inflation eased, as expected, although it remained above the Federal Reserve (Fed)’s target rate. The Treasury...

Monday, April 10, 2023

The MarketsAmbiguous images. Some illustrations are optical illusions. When two people view the picture, they may see completely different images. A good example is Rubin’s Vase. One viewer may see a vase, while another sees...

Monday, April 3, 2023

The MarketsPerhaps we should call this a pushmi-pullyu market.The first quarter of 2023 brought Dr. Dolittle’s pushmi-pullyu – the rarest animal of all – to mind. It is the offspring of goat-antelopes and unicorns,...

Monday, March 27, 2023

The MarketsWhat’s your jam?When you think of fun, are you running an Arctic marathon? Biking to your favorite burger place? Gaming with friends online? Each has inherent risk: Polar bears and hypothermia, traffic and flat tires,...

Monday, March 20, 2023

The MarketsUnknowns and uncertainty. Financial markets were volatile last week as investors parsed the risks around bank closures, central banks offered additional protections for depositors, and regulators took a harder look at...

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

The MarketsThrown for a loop.Early last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told Congress the Fed is committed to bringing inflation down to 2 percent. If economic data continues to come in hot, he said, then it’s likely...

Monday, March 6, 2023

The MarketsSibling discord.Stocks and bonds are two of the better-known asset classes in the family of potential investments. Last week, they were in opposition.Bond yields have been moving higher in anticipation of the Federal Reserve...

Monday, February 27, 2023

The MarketsIs it good news or bad news?The answer depends on your perspective. Last week, we learned that:Consumer sentiment is at its highest level in more than a year. Consumers are feeling better about current economic conditions...

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

The MarketsBrace for a bumpy ride.There were some unwelcome surprises in last week’s economic data that caused markets to reassess expectations for 2023. For example:Inflation didn’t fall as fast as expected. Last week, the...

Monday, February 13, 2023

The MarketsThis time may be different...or it may not be. There has been a lot of speculation about how the Federal Reserve’s policies will affect the United States economy. Economists have differing opinions about whether...

Monday, February 6, 2023

The MarketsWhat do Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) and the current economic expansion have in common? Author and humorist Twain was prematurely reported to be dead. It first happened in 1897. Twain was on a speaking tour in...

Monday, January 23, 2023

The Markets“It’s hard to be a contrarian for very long these days because the consensus seems to change so quickly,” opined Ed Yardeni via LinkedIn last week.We’ve certainly seen a shift in investors’...

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

The MarketsBullish or bearish?After last year’s geopolitical turmoil, economic malaise, and tumultuous stock market decline, many financial professionals – from investors to asset managers – have strong opinions about...

Monday, January 9, 2023

The MarketsIt’s being called the “Goldilocks” report.Last Friday, we learned that demand for workers in the United States remained strong in 2022. The unemployment rate dropped to 3.5 percent in December. (It was 3.7...

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

The MarketsIt’s finally over.2022 was a dismal year for financial markets. Major United States stock indices moved lower, trimming, or eliminating the previous year’s gains. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, which had...

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

The MarketsWhat a year!  In some ways, it feels as though we lived through several years in 2022. The onslaught of events included, “The first major European war since the 1990s, unprecedented sanctions, energy-price mayhem,...

Monday, December 19, 2022

The MarketsBad news is bad news, once again.For months, investors have cheered bad economic news. When the United States economy showed signs of weakness, stock markets often reflected investor enthusiasm. The thinking was that...

Monday, December 12, 2022

The MarketsWhat comes next?The U.S. stock market tends to be a forward-looking vehicle. Investors make decisions today based on what they think may be ahead for the economy, and how economic change may affect the companies...

Monday, December 5, 2022

The MarketsWhat will it take to slow this economy down?In 2001, railway workers slowed a runaway train in Ohio by latching a second engine to the back of the locomotive and applying the brakes. In all, the train traveled sixty-six...

Monday, November 28, 2022

The MarketsThere was a shift in the winds of monetary policy.Last week, it became clear the Federal Reserve (Fed) had softened its hawkish stance. The minutes of the central bank’s November policy meeting indicated the Fed was...

Monday, November 21, 2022

The MarketsThanksgiving and football go together like turkey and stuffing. For some families, though, this year may be more like a turducken, stuffed with American football and the sport the rest of the world knows as football...

Monday, November 14, 2022

The MarketsLast week was remarkable for many reasons. One reason is that sky watchers around the world had an opportunity to see a total lunar eclipse. The moon, Earth and sun aligned, causing the moon to appear crimson. We...

Monday, November 7, 2022

The MarketsIt’s the lag time.To no one’s surprise, the Federal Reserve continued to battle inflation last week, raising the federal funds rate for the fourth time this year, reported Claire Ballentine of Bloomberg. The Fed...

Monday, October 31, 2022

The MarketsSome companies are doing better than others – a lot better. It’s earnings season; the time when companies share how well they performed during the previous quarter. Earnings reports are important because...

Monday, October 24, 2022

The MarketsMarkets turned – again.Markets continue to be volatile. Last week, stocks headed north. Nicholas Jasinski of Barron’s reported the change of direction reflected investors’ desire for the market to finally...

Monday, October 17, 2022

The MarketsWe’re not there yet.Investors are understandably eager for the stock market to hit bottom. Some hoped it happened last week, but it did not. Despite the Fed’s rate hikes, last week the Consumer Price Index...

Monday, October 10, 2022

The MarketsBah humbug!Last week, OPEC+, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied oil producers like Russia, chose to cut production by two million barrels a day. The stated goal is to keep crude...

Monday, October 3, 2022

The MarketsThe third quarter marked a change in attitude.So far, 2022 has been a tough year for investing. We’ve experienced an unusual phenomenon – the simultaneous decline of stock and bond markets. Throughout the third...

Monday, September 26, 2022

The MarketsCentral bank tightening sparked recession fears.Last week, the Federal Reserve (Fed) raised the federal funds rate for the fifth time this year. During 2022, the Fed has lifted its benchmark rate from near zero to 3.12...

Monday, September 19, 2022

The MarketsIt’s open to interpretation.Jackson Pollock was an action painter. He poured, dropped, and dripped paint onto horizontal canvases. Some people look at his work and wonder why it’s highly valued. Others find deep...

Monday, September 12, 2022

The MarketsCentral banks are hawkish. Stocks popped higher, anyway. Last week, despite signs that inflation is slowing, U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) officials emphasized their commitment to tightening monetary policy to lower...

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

The MarketsYou may have heard this one: Don’t fight the Fed.The Fed is the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States. Among other things, the Fed influences monetary conditions in pursuit of price stability and full employment....

Monday, August 29, 2022

The MarketsMarkets were tuned to the signals coming from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.During World War II, United States armed forces often relied on high-powered radio sets to communicate. When determining whether transmissions were garbled...

Monday, August 22, 2022

The MarketsIs this a bear market rally or a new bull market?Investment professionals are in the middle of a heated debate. Since mid-June, United States stock markets have moved higher, regaining about $7 trillion as many investors who...

Monday, August 15, 2022

The MarketsRally caps were waving.In recent weeks, investors have embraced the idea that economic data will persuade the Federal Reserve to slow the pace of rate hikes. Last week’s inflation data fanned their enthusiasm.The big...

Monday, August 8, 2022

The MarketsThe strength of the United States economy continues to surprise.If you have ever been camping, you may have banked your campfire by covering the hot coals with ash. It’s a process that keeps the...

Monday, August 1, 2022

The MarketsInvestors thought they heard a dovish note from the Federal Reserve and markets rallied.Last week, we learned from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that economic growth in the United States slowed for the second...

Monday, July 25, 2022

The MarketsA lot of people are worried that a recession may be in our future. Some think it may already be here.Unemployment is low (3.6 percent), and inflation is high (9.1 percent). Both tend to occur when an economy is experiencing...

Monday, July 18, 2022

The MarketsNobody is happy, but Americans are feeling more optimistic. Last week, headlines blasted the new inflation numbers. Prices were up more than 9% year-over-year in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s...

Monday, July 11, 2022

The MarketsRising inflation is a bit like a child throwing a temper tantrum in the grocery store.The red-faced parent, in this case the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed), tries to calm the child. Sometimes, it works and the child calms down...

Monday, July 4, 2022

The MarketsThe first six months of 2022 have earned a place in history books.2022 is likely to become part of the lore passed from generation to generation. Stories will be told about this bear market, as well as the remarkable...

Monday, June 27, 2022

The MarketsLast week, bad news was good news.Consumers were feeling blue in June, according to the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey. The survey scored sentiment at 50, which was the lowest level on record. Surveys of...

Monday, June 20, 2022

The MarketsThe fight against inflation intensified.Last week, the Federal Reserve (Fed) delivered a message that it is serious about fighting inflation. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lifted the federal funds target rate by 0...

Monday, June 13, 2022

The MarketsInflation is proving to be far more tenacious than markets had hoped. The idea that inflation peaked in March was put to rest last week when the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed that inflation accelerated in May....

Monday, June 6, 2022

The MarketsHow strong is the United States economy?That’s the question investors were mulling after last week’s jobs report.More jobs were created in May than economists expected, and the labor force participation rate rose...

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

The MarketsInvestors reassessed and markets bounced.Last week, major U.S. stock indices moved higher for the first time in weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 6.2 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was up 6.6...

Monday, May 23, 2022

The MarketsOn the fear and greed cycle.One of the most challenging times for investors is a market downturn. Whether markets are experiencing a correction or a bear market, it’s really disturbing to watch the value of your...

Monday, May 16, 2022

Monday, May 9, 2022

Friday, May 6, 2022

Monday, May 2, 2022

Monday, April 25, 2022

Monday, April 18, 2022

Monday, April 11, 2022

Monday, April 4, 2022

Monday, March 28, 2022

Monday, March 21, 2022

Monday, March 14, 2022

Monday, March 7, 2022

Monday, February 28, 2022

Thursday, February 24, 2022

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Monday, February 7, 2022

Monday, January 31, 2022

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Monday, January 17, 2022

Monday, January 3, 2022

Monday, December 20, 2021

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Monday, December 6, 2021

Monday, November 29, 2021

The Markets COVID-19 strikes again. Coronavirus cases have been on the rise in Europe, climbing from about 700,000 new cases a week in September to 2.6 million a week in November, reported Richard Pérez-Peña and Jason...

Monday, November 22, 2021

The Markets Thinking about the possibilities. The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index finished last week slightly higher and has gained about 6 percent during the past 25 days; however, investors have curbed their enthusiasm. The...

Monday, November 15, 2021

The Markets Economists like to joke that inflation is just right when no one notices it. Last week, investors noticed it. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is a measure of inflation, rose 0.9 percent in October and 6.2 percent over...

Monday, May 10, 2021

The Markets Like a gender reveal gone wrong, last week’s employment report delivered an unexpected surprise. Economists estimated 975,000 new jobs would be created in April. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)...