Economic & Market Report: Breakout

The U.S. stock market got off to a bumpy start in 2024 Q2. No sooner did the calendar flip to April and the S&P 500 descended into a pullback. Over the course of the first fifteen trading days of the new quarter, the S&P 500 retreated by nearly -6%. Knowing that stock market corrections within a broader uptrend last anywhere … Read More

Economic & Market Report: S&P’s Eleven

A passing glance at the U.S. market might make an investor think that it’s all about technology stocks all of the time.  But the S&P 500 Index is made up of eleven sectors, all with their unique and individual forces driving their returns.

Economic & Market Report: Bond Market Broadside

The bond market sustained its latest broadside from the U.S. hot economic data warship on Thursday. Not only did the advance reading for 2024 Q1 U.S. GDP come in weaker than expected, but inflation readings also came in hotter than expected.

Economic & Market Report: How Low Can We Go

The long overdue correction has finally arrived. No sooner did the market peak at 5264 on the last trading day of March than the calendar flipped to the start of the second quarter and the market has been moving sustainably to the downside. Now that the correction is underway, how low can we reasonably expect the market to go? Why … Read More

Economic & Market Report: Worth Its Weight In Gold

When thinking about portfolio diversification, investor minds often focus on how much in bonds to own against their stock allocations. But as we saw most recently in 2022, limiting our diversification thinking exclusively to these two asset classes can have its limits. The good news is that capital markets offer a variety of highly liquid asset classes that are widely … Read More

Economic & Market Report: Outlook 2024 – 3/4 Pole

Hard to believe the first quarter of 2024 is drawing to a close. As we pass the 3/4 pole in our 8 furlong race through the calendar year, it is worthwhile to assess the key market events that are now behind us and what lies ahead in the horse race to the year-end finish line. Starting gates. A key market … Read More

Economic & Market Report: The Monopolistic Seven

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in conjunction with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general announced an antitrust lawsuit against technology giant Apple. The filing claims that Apple engaged in anticompetitive behavior through its control of the iPhone, resulting in harm to businesses and consumers. This suit is the latest in a series of recent bipartisan antitrust … Read More

Economic & Market Report: The Ides of March

The middle of March was certainly a bad time of year for Julius Caesar, but what about capital markets? After all, it was almost exactly one year ago when investors were looking directly into the abyss of another potential financial crisis with the sudden unraveling of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and global banking giant Credit Suisse. Where do we … Read More

Economic & Market Report: Looking Beneath The Surface

“Look beneath the surface; let not the several quality a thing nor its worth escape thee.” – Marcus Aurelius The gains in the U.S. stock market keep on coming. This includes the headline benchmark S&P 500, which is now up over +7% year to date with seemingly any and all dips (Tuesday this week) almost immediately being bought (Wednesday this week). … Read More

Economic & Market Report: Shortness of Breadth

The U.S. stock market is flying once again this year.  After posting an impressive +24% advance in 2023, a year when many prognosticators thought that the market would descend further into bear territory instead of skyrocketing, the S&P 500 Index is already up nearly +7% in 2024 so far.  But a troubling characteristic continues to linger for the U.S. stock … Read More