Economic & Market Report: Cruising Altitude

It has been a phenomenal year for the U.S. stock market in 2024. The S&P 500 was still trading below 4800 emerging from what had been a strong 2023, and while a good year ahead was anticipated, the idea of the benchmark index cresting 6000 to close out 2024 seemed a long shot at best.

Economic & Market Report: 78 More Than 47 (or 45)

Move over Grover Cleveland (22 and 24).  The epic grade school social studies question must now be rewritten, as we are now on the brink of having our second President in U.S. history in Donald Trump (45 and soon to be 47) with the distinction of serving two non-consecutive terms.  But far more important than revisions to our trivia books …

Economic & Market Report: It Takes Time

Changes to the political landscape continue to unfold in the wake of the Republican sweep in the 2024 elections.  The financial market reaction has also been dramatic, as U.S. stocks have rallied strongly in the days since Election Day with the removal of the uncertainty of who will be running the executive branch as well as the U.S. Senate and …

Economic & Market Report: The Heat Is On

It was all going so well for the doves. The U.S. stock market continued to surge to new all-time highs at the same time that bond yields were plunging, all in anticipation of the U.S. Federal Reserve cutting interest rates at their mid-September Open Market Committee meeting.

Economic & Market Report: Rekindling the Flames

It continues to top the charts as a major downside risk for capital markets as we continue through the 2020s. It sent the markets reeling a few years ago, and the problem was never fully eradicated even though the focus of policy makers has since turned elsewhere.

Investing is a long-term game. And when evaluating long-term portfolio opportunities, it is worthwhile to consider the relative performance of various segments relative to the broader market.