The first half of 2017 brought predominantly positive returns for all markets and our portfolios. In the U.S. strong equity markets saw earnings improve dramatically not only in the first quarter, but all indications are the second quarter as well. Overseas earnings improved even more as developed and emerging economies […] Read more »

The primary driver of markets in the first quarter was the continuing coordinated global economic recovery which began last fall. Stocks around the world are starting to show earnings growth. For example, in the U.S. the earnings projections for the first quarter of 2017 show an increase of 9% versus […] Read more »

2016 markets began the year with a six-week downturn, as concern over plummeting oil prices and an economic slowdown in China manifested in investor concern for a looming recession. On January 20th oil sold for a twelve-year low of less than $27 a barrel (currently $52 a barrel), and the […] Read more »

With the close of the third quarter 2016, stock markets around the world failed to find firm direction in one way or another. The quarter began with equities in full bull market mode, owing to a rebound from post-Brexit declines that notably occurred because so few investors actually expected the […] Read more »

Second Quarter 2016 Highlights • Bond yields continued to drop, especially with the “flight to safety” from Europe and the Fed’s decision not to raise rates. • Oil prices and the dollar have stabilized creating a rebound in commodities and emerging markets. • U.S. stocks continue to advance albeit with […] Read more »

A quarter ago investors harbored concerns about declining oil prices, an economic slowdown in China, and the potential for recession looming in the U.S. prompting the first double-digit loss and resulting double-digit gain ever in one quarter, with the markets essentially going nowhere for the first three months of the […] Read more »

The domestic equity markets seemed to be telling investors a story about resiliency in 2015. The S&P finished 2015 flat at -0.7%, but it was anything but a calm year. What is interesting is that even though the S&P 500 was flat for the year, the average stock in the […] Read more »

Global stock markets experienced a number of low-scale tremors in August and September that seemed to shake the confidence of many investors. As with geological tremors, the events of the third quarter—increasing concern about China’s economy accompanied by a surprise Yuan currency devaluation, a subsequent tumble in global stock markets, […] Read more »

Coming into 2015, a major theme for the equity markets was an expected increase in volatility during the first quarter. Indeed, the past three months have been anything but consistent for investors. The benchmark S&P 500 index slid 3.1% in January then leapt 5.5% in February. The index did record […] Read more »

U.S. stocks advanced overall in 2014, but sounded a retreat for the first month of the year – not unlike what happened in the markets last January. And even though January was down last year, the domestic equity markets still turned in a decent performance for the year. Many market […] Read more »