Category: Weekly Investment Update

We believe competition in the financial services industry is good. Investors are best served when they can choose among a variety of service providers including both fiduciaries and non-fiduciaries. Freedom to choose only works when clients have a clear understanding of the business model of the firm and the nature of the relationship he or […]

The earnings per share growth rate for companies reporting to date has been 27.3%, lifting the blended growth estimate for all S&P 500 companies to 25% from the original estimate of 18%. In response, the financial news headline generators are cranking out a parade of potential threats which might be holding stocks back or worse, […]

The estimate for corporate earnings growth for the first quarter of this year now stands at 21%, up from 18% at the beginning of April. Although slightly lower for the week, stock prices in the month of April have responded positively. As of Friday, April month-to-date increases in the indices have been 1.1% for the […]

Stocks were lower in the final two days of trading but still managed a small gain for the week, buoyed by the positive start to earnings season. Reports, while positive, have so far been in line with the positive expectations investors had built up going into the season. Market activity will again be influenced by […]

Stock indexes continued to hold above the recent correction’s lows last week as the first quarter earnings reports began to trickle in. The season will shift into higher gear this week as companies like Netflix, Bank of America, Bristol-Meyers Squib, Merck, Honeywell and Schlumberger report, not only their revenue and earnings for the quarter just […]

Market prices constantly adjust to new information. Later this week we will begin receiving new, meaningful information as first quarter corporate earnings begin to trickle in. Reporting will be in full swing next week and continue through the month. We will soon be able to update the “E” in P/E multiples. Expectations are for S&P […]

The S&P 500 began the year at 2,673.61 and from there continued its two-year rally to January 26th posting an all-time high close of 2,872.87. At that point, the index was up 57.07%, excluding dividends, from its February 11, 2016, close of 1,829.08. From the new high, stock prices became volatile as the index corrected […]

Last week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average failed to hold at its February 8, low close of 23,860.46, finishing the week at 23,533.20, down 11.6% from its high close of 26,616.71 on January 26. The broader S&P 500 fared slightly better finishing the week at 2,588.26, slightly above its early February low of 2,581.00 and […]

Last week, we wrote about analysts’ expectations for the economy for the next twelve to eighteen months. Inflation is expected to hold at 2.0% to 2.5% for the full year. The Federal Reserve’s well-advertised plan for short-term interest rates is to raise the Fed Fund rate (the rate at which financial institutions lend to one […]

In aggregate, buyers were more anxious than sellers last week. Fears of rapid acceleration in the rate of inflation temporarily faded. This likely reduced the fear of an immediate large increase in interest rates. With renewed expectations that the 10-Year Treasury yield will remain well under the 4% to 5% range, stocks again seemed the […]