The 2024 election season will likely be seen as one of the most unpredictable and unprecedented election years in modern American history. Despite how it all unfolded and the geopolitical instability abroad, the market remained resilient, with market volatility well-below average compared to other presidential election years. Now that the election has been decided, where do markets go from here?
Continue reading
The Federal Reserve’s recent decision to cut interest rates by 50 basis points has sent ripples through financial markets. While this move is intended to stimulate economic growth, it may also have implications for various aspects of your financial life.
Continue reading
It has been conventional wisdom over the years that Republicans are better for the stock market than Democrats, but like a lot of conventional market wisdom, it isn’t always accurate.
Continue reading
For most of the past quarter-century, stocks and bonds have moved in opposite directions. This movement created what’s called a negative correlation between these two asset classes.
Continue reading
One month into the new year, and one thing’s for certain: The presidential election will continue to grab headlines and grip the nation’s attention for the better part of 2024. How might this impact investors in terms of perceptions and actual market performance? We explore these questions, in the context of historical data, in this week’s Markets in a Minute.
Continue reading
As we look down the open road of a new year, the question is whether the rally that began in 2023 will continue into this year. While there are still plenty of risks (more on this below), there are good reasons to believe the rally has staying power. Still, investment opportunities may look different this year if, as we expect, the rally broadens to sectors and smaller companies that have lagged.
Continue reading
Today we so often hear central bankers discuss “long and variable lags” in monetary policy that it almost appears cliché. But it wasn’t always understood that way.
Continue reading
Like every previous election, the state of the economy and financial markets will be a hot topic of debate among voters and candidates alike.
Continue reading
After finishing 2020 and 2021 with robust gains, the S&P 500 index is down -13.2% this year, through last week. Adding to the pain, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is down -8.6% for the same period.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that down markets provide investors with opportunities that may over time enhance returns, reduce risk and provide tax advantages.
Continue reading
Volatility may not be fun, but it is normal. The market regularly experiences declines. Despite those declines, the market has consistently rewarded those who can patiently see through the short-term volatility, much like the famed investor Charlie Munger and his long attention span. In volatile times such as these, we favor a back-to-basics approach.
Continue reading
