Category: Weekly Investment Update

Tax policy, interest rates, trade policies, regulatory reform, job growth, consumer spending and finance, technological transformation, and political dysfunction are potentially disruptive. Investors must continuously monitor these and other changing external variables and make corresponding adjustments to their models for the economy and securities markets. These changing variables are part of life, but change is […]

For the seventh week in a row, the S&P 500 closed at another all-time high. Bullish traders have supported their buying by pointing to what has been a good earnings season. Factset compilations note that with 55% of companies reporting, 76% of S&P 500 companies have reported positive earnings per share surprises and 67% have […]

It will be a busy week for the markets. Hundreds of companies will be releasing third quarter earning’s reports. Continued favorable news from Washington on tax reform is anticipated. On Friday, the preliminary report on third quarter Gross Domestic Product will be released. Short term interest rates have been on the rise as can be […]

Earlier this month, psychologist and economist Richard Thaler was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in economics for his work in the field of behavioral economics. The study of the psychology of economics is of questionable value in the minds of many traditional economists. Economists have long struggled to have their field of study accepted as […]

September is on track to beat the averages this year. As we begin the final week of the month and quarter, the S&P 500 is up 1.24% month to date and 3.25% quarter to date. Year to date, the price return of the S&P 500 stands at 11.76% as of Friday’s close. This is quite […]

Last week began with a Monday rally of 1.08%, the best one day gain since April 24th, and a new high close for the S&P 500. The index added another 12+ points during the rest of the week and closed at a record high of 2,500.23. The last 5% or greater correction in the index […]

Yields on Treasuries debt with maturities of one year and longer declined leaving the yield on the benchmark 10-Year Note at 2.05% on Friday. The S&P 500 finished the week fractionally lower as investors processed new information with regard to threats from North Korea, the damage and rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey and potential threats from […]

Interest rates, as measured by Treasury instruments, were generally flat for the week. Stocks advanced with the S&P 500 gaining 1.37%. Gold rose 3% to its highest level since October 2016. As we move into September, historically the worst month for stocks, it will be interesting to watch for a turn in psychology sufficient to […]

In my experience, common misconceptions investors have deal with their understanding of their investment time horizon. They tend to plan as though their horizons end at retirement or at age 70-1/2 when required minimum distributions from retirement accounts must begin. It is true, our goals, tolerance for risk, return objectives and allocations should be reviewed […]

As we pass through the dog days of summer, the month of August is barely hanging onto a gain as of Friday’s close. The financial media is reporting the market in August is on track to be the worst of the year. No matter how August finishes, clear thinking investors know none of this month’s […]