The US, Iran, oil, and the economy…Where do we go from here?
We have been asked often what we think of US/Iranian hostilities, including how that dynamic might develop and how it might impact the economy. Truth be told, an investment professional should be reluctant to opine on any budding global conflict since discerning the direction it…
Vlog: Quarter-end Q&A 4Q2019
Tim Holland, CFA, asks and answers those questions we think will be top of mind for clients as they open their quarterly statements and think back on the quarter that was: What do Q4 returns tell us about the outlook for the economy and markets…
Top 10 blog posts of 2019
From market perspectives with the weekly wire to behavioral finance and technology insights, these are our top 10 blog posts of 2019. The formula for happiness: Wanting what you have The power of place The BIG list of great money advice There is never a…
Cue the Griswold’s…Tis the season for European Vacation
As Christmas approaches, many of us happily turn our attention to our couch and TV, taking time to watch any number of Christmas classics, including “The Year Without A Santa Claus,” “It’s A Wonderful Life” and, of course, “Christmas Vacation.” While “Christmas Vacation” is always…
Is there a bull market in feeling bad?
As 2019 draws to a close, US investors have much to celebrate: a YTD gain of 27% for the S&P 500 Index (S&P 500), its best annual showing since 2013; an economy expanding for the 10th consecutive full calendar year; inflation well anchored, with the…
Small Caps have been packing a punch, and that could be big for the market
One needn’t be a fan of Ant-Man and The Wasp to appreciate small things can pack a powerful punch. As it is with superheroes, so it is with stocks. With that convoluted opening out of the way, let’s turn our focus to small cap stocks…
There’s more to market patterns than “sell in May and go away”
Stock market returns should – and will – ultimately reflect the underlying economy, particularly the level of interest rates and corporate earnings, which means, among other things, that the calendar, Gregorian or otherwise, should have no impact whatsoever on performance. Yet, with that written, most…
“Fixer Upper” may have gone away, but housing has come back!
America’s favorite home improvement program, “Fixer Upper” starring Chip and Joanna Gaines, may have gone away, but housing has come back, and that’s a big deal for the US economy. Most folks understand housing was at the epicenter of the Great Recession, but many may…
Earnings yield – What it is and what it says about stocks today
We would argue the most popular way to value individual stocks and the stock market is using earnings, with investors taking what a company or the market has earned (“reported earnings”) or what a company or the companies that make up the market are expected…
Cue UB40 – The US unemployment rate is worth singing about!
The US unemployment rate is worth singing about, with the widely followed and reported upon Household Survey Unemployment Rate (also known as U3) coming in at 3.6% in October, up ever so slightly from its 50-year low of 3.5% in September. For those who question…