Before I begin, my thoughts go out to those both preparing for hurricane Milton and those impacted by hurricane Helena. Intro For a while this summer, it looked like the bull market in stocks was in trouble. But by the end of the third quarter, stocks were back to posting new record highs. Bonds also…
Read article
Since July 10, we have observed a rotation in market performance. Over the past week this trend accelerated. Major equity markets, most notably Japan, have sold off as a combination of events shifted risk appetite in markets. Despite this trend of volatility our economic outlook remains steady. We feel the market’s recent reactions appear overblown…
Read article
During July, the S&P 500 was a bit more volatile than in past months despite ending in nearly the same place it started. The market rose through the first half of the month before reversing course despite most stocks in the index gaining value for the month. The driver of recent market losses is the…
Read article
The S&P 500 index gained a whopping 14.5% to close the first six months of 2024. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.8% and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 18.1%. Like much of 2023, there’s been one big driver behind the gains: artificial intelligence. Similar to last year, a large part of this year’s gains were…
Read article
Every morning, every week, every month and every year we all get a chance to reset. A chance to show our production and reap the rewards (or losses) for that time period. The same applies to the prudent investor. As the markets rises, so does investor confidence. But be-careful-what-you-wish-for. We are seeing lower trading volume…
Read article
Unless you filed for an extension, or live in Maine or Massachusetts, congratulations! The 2023 tax season is over! Now would be a great time to review what you’ve learned from last year to improve your filing and tax efficiency for next year. For example, last month the market pulled back on news that the…
Read article
Last quarter was a phenomenal one by almost any standards for a wide range of risk assets in a large part of the globe. The S&P 500 climbed nearly 10% to post its biggest first-quarter gain since 2019. The benchmark index in late January hit its first record high in two years. From <https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/how-us-stock-market-rocketed-through-first-quarter-2024-03-28/> But markets are…
Read article
20 years ago, I opened my first office as an Advisor in Bethlehem, PA. I still recall my first client, a young couple opening a college 529 account for their newborn child. The firm I was associated with was commission driven however, following the advice of my then mentor, I focused on the client relationship…
Read article
Fed Chair Powell says the job market is still strong. Here’s what to know January is typically a big month for job losses, with seasonal workers being let go after the holidays and companies tightening their belts at the outset of a new year. That can make January jobs reporting among the trickiest to forecast. However, last month’s…
Read article
Happy New Year!!! Can’t believe we are in 2024. How time flies!!! If we rewind the clock one year, analyst forecasted the following for 2023: “2023 will more than likely be a continuation” of 2022 … “and a cautious outlook seems prudent. … Moreover, cash will play a major role both for buying opportunities and…
Read article