Archive
Archive for the ‘Investment Commentary’ Category
2017 Q3 Review and Outlook
Nearing the end of the year creates a natural inclination to reflect on where the markets have been, where they are, and where they may be in the future. In the third quarter the song remained very much the same as previous quarters…
2017 Q2 Equity and Fixed Income Commentary
Despite headwinds of rising interest rates, a decreasing likelihood of fiscal stimulus and high valuations, U.S. equity markets keep climbing…
2017 Spring Newsletter
What Your Children In Their 30s And 40s Should Know About Wealth Preservation Are you preparing your beneficiaries for wealth? Trust funds are not always lost to divorce or reckless spending. More often than not, children are simply not educated in wealth preservation. Being a conscientious steward of wealth is a tremendous responsibility. Heirs in their…
2016 Q2 Fixed Income Commentary
The second quarter of 2016 has been one for the books. Negative interest rates continued to confuse investors, Puerto Rico defaulted on their constitutionally guaranteed GO debt, US politics continue to provide global amusement… however the UK eclipsed them all with a surprise vote to leave the European Union. The “Brexit” surprised markets and caused a rush of…
2016 Q1 Equity Market Commentary
The first quarter of 2016 was a roller coaster ride. From the onset, the S&P 500 fell nearly 5% in the first week of trading and by the second week of February was down approximately 10%. A sharp rebound then took hold as the flu-like temperature of the global economy seemed to subside; oil prices…
2015 4th Quarter Fixed Income Comments
Finally, after a year of talking about it, the Federal Reserve raised rates by 0.25 percentage points, the first rate hike since 2006. The new range for the federal funds rate is 0.25% to 0.5%. The Fed unanimously agreed the economy was strong enough to warrant an increase: they noted as positives “ongoing job gains”…
2015 4th Quarter Equity Comments
The end of 2015 concluded a roller coaster of a ride for investors, as investors adjusted to an era of slower Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. In the U.S. following strong second and third quarters, 3.9% and 2.0% respectively, GDP growth slowed to just 0.7% in the fourth quarter…
Market Commentary
By any measure, the world’s stock markets have had one of the worst starts to a year in history. The markets are dealing with a slowing Chinese economy, geopolitical concerns in the Mideast, growing political and economic pressures in Europe and a downdraft in global commodity prices, especially energy…
2015 November Insight Report
NOVEMBER 2015 IN REVIEW ECONOMY: SHARP RISE IN JOB CREATION SURPRISES MARKET November economic data, which mostly capture economic activity from October, continue to signal slow but steady growth by the U.S. economy. With labor markets continuing to improve, wage growth strengthening, and household wealth growing, the U.S. consumer remains strong…
2015 3rd Quarter Equity Comments
Volatility is the name of the game in today’s financial markets as the gripping effects were felt by one and all. The third quarter started slowly with Greece’s “No” vote to the EU bailout, unsettling the broader markets. This doubt was quickly quelled weeks later as Greece blinked, stepping back from the ledge, yielding to…