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WEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | September 5, 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....
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
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WEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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....
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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...
Read MoreWEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY | 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)...
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