Market Analysis

Markets: The good, the bad and the ugly

Global stocks and bonds are experiencing declines, albeit of very different magnitudes across asset classes. Much of the recent turmoil has been attributed to the Federal Reserve’s focus on reigning in the easy monetary policy it adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support the economy.

Feb 07, 2022
Tags: Investment Management
By: Rafia Hasan

What a year: Taking a moment to reflect on market performance in 2021

In reviewing 2021, the number of negative headlines — from the spread and depth of COVID-19 to inflation to Fed policy to meme stock investing — would lead you to believe that the year was an example of highly volatile markets and poor performance.

Jan 12, 2022
Tags: Investment Management
By: Janice Deringer

What inflation means for your investment portfolio

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that for the month of October, the Consumer Price Index — which measures the average change of prices for consumers for a market basket of goods and services — rose by 6.2% over the last 12 months. This is the highest reading we have seen in three decades and marks the fifth month in a row that the U.S. year-over-year inflation rate has been greater than 5%.

Dec 08, 2021
Tags: Investment Management
By: Cole Gustke

Fed tapering, bonds and what you need to know

Since March 2020, the Federal Reserve has been purchasing $120 billion of treasury and agency backed mortgage bonds monthly. This was one part of the massive and unprecedented liquidity the Federal Reserve provided financial markets in response to COVID-19.

Nov 11, 2021
Tags: Investment Management
By: Rafia Hasan, Nathaniel DeMeo

The things we know we don’t know

When it comes to predicting the future of the economy and public securities markets, there are plenty of things no investor can ever foresee.

Oct 18, 2021
Tags: Investment Management
By: Dean Stange

How reliable are trends?

As investors it’s natural to obsess over the issues of the day — whether that be inflation reports, stimulus packages or Fed tapering of bond purchases.

Sep 13, 2021
Tags: Investment Management
By: Rafia Hasan

Information overload

The rise of the internet and cable TV have delivered great benefits to investors, but does all of this stock market information help them make better decisions?

Aug 18, 2021
Tags: Investment Management
By: Dean Stange

The false promise of changing course

Let’s review some of the recent investment darlings and think about them in the context of creating the best opportunity to produce attractive long-term returns at tolerable risk levels.

Jul 14, 2021
Tags: Investment Management
By: Janice Deringer

Inflated expectations

With all the news headlines on inflation, it’s helpful to understand what prices are increasing and why, plus what investments hold up well during inflation.

Jun 09, 2021
Tags: Investment Management
By: Rafia Hasan

The role of bonds in a low-interest environment

Core bonds have generally been used in portfolios to help dampen overall portfolio volatility (i.e., bonds provide a cushion to stock market volatility) while providing some current income.

May 10, 2021
Tags: Investment Management
By: Dean Stange