RESEARCH & THOUGHT PIECES FROM OUR TEAM

After being pressured during the first three quarters of the year, stocks moved higher during the fourth quarter, marking their first quarterly gain in 2022. However, for the year, stocks posted their worst performance since the Great Financial Crisis (GFC), as investors responded negatively to...

The Inflation Monster Rears Its Ugly Head

Stubbornly high inflation has forced the Federal Reserve (the Fed) to become aggressive on the interest rate front, raising rates five times in 2022. These higher interest rates created a hostile environment for most asset classes. Stocks, bonds, most...

Stock markets wrapped up the first half of 2022 on a sour note. Investors braced for higher interest rates as the Federal Reserve (the Fed) attempted to combat the highest inflation levels in approximately 40 years. All three major U.S. indexes posted their second straight quarter of declines....

Investors faced several daunting challenges during the first quarter. The war in Ukraine stole the spotlight during the second half of the quarter, but even before that tragedy began to unfold, the investment landscape was changing dramatically for investors. Inflation went from being...

Rising Oil Prices Fuel Russian Aggression. What’s Next?

It’s tempting to blame Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on President Putin’s desire to rebuild an empire or at least elevate Russia’s geopolitical influence. We view the aggression as another example of how...

Stocks marched higher during the fourth quarter as investors shrugged off mounting inflationary pressures, increasing prospects for higher interest rates next year, and a surge of new COVID-19 infections stemming from the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Investors applauded favorable corporate...

September marked the worst performing month for stocks since the pandemic-induced swoon in March 2020. Last month’s market decline ended a seven-consecutive month winning streak for the S&P 500. Historically, September has proven to be the worst month for stocks over the past 10 and 20...

Stocks marched higher during the past three months, marking the fifth consecutive quarterly advance since the pandemic-induced crash last year. Value stocks continued their upward momentum but did give up some of their gains relative to growth stocks in June. The latter were bolstered by interest...

During the first quarter, stocks marched higher, fueled by trillions in fiscal and monetary stimulus and continued expectations that a post-COVID-19 economy will be a strong one. A noteworthy rotation from growth to value that began late last year continued in the first quarter of 2021. Some...

You certainly did not need 20/20 vision to see that 2020 was not an ordinary year. From a global pandemic, civil unrest to an election like no other, news headlines took many twists and turns throughout the year. Despite the vast amount of negative news, financial markets ultimately shrugged off...

As this piece is being written, we are coming into the homestretch of the 2020 U.S. elections. It seems that this election has stirred more emotions and captivated more voter interest than any other election in recent memory. We have certainly received a fair amount of clients' questions about...

Stocks posted a sharp rebound during the second quarter, as investors bid up prices in anticipation that the economy would enjoy a sharper than expected bounce-back from depths of the COVID-19 nationwide shutdowns that occurred in late March and early April. Stock prices put in their best...