The major benchmark indexes closed last week lower. Rising tensions over the Russia-Ukraine situation coupled with rising inflation made investors a bit skittish towards stocks. A higher-than-expected jump in the Consumer Price Index added to jitters over an accelerated tightening of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy. The Nasdaq, the S&P 500, and the Dow lost […]
Read MoreUpdates
Help Wanted: Why Can’t Businesses Find Enough Workers?
The headline U.S. unemployment rate fell from 6.7% at the end of December 2020 to 3.9% in December 2021, marking the biggest one-year improvement in history.1 While many workers took advantage of this strong rebound in the job market, companies large and small have been struggling with labor shortages. A conspicuous lack of workers has snarled […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close February 4, 2022
Last week was notable for a stronger-than-expected jobs report and mixed fourth-quarter earnings data. Stock values rose and fell throughout the week, ultimately closing higher. Crude oil prices rose for the seventh consecutive week, as prices near an eight-year high. A cold snap in the United States and concerns about the Ukrainian situation contributed to […]
Read MoreFederal Tax Filing Season Has Started
The IRS announced that the starting date for when it would accept and process 2021 tax-year returns was Monday, January 24, 2022. Tips for making filing easier To speed refunds and help with tax filing, the IRS suggests the following: Make sure you have received Form W-2 and other earnings information, such as Form 1099, […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close January 28, 2022
A very turbulent week, marked by volatility, ended with a robust finish. Last Friday’s gains were enough to push several of the benchmark indexes higher by the end of the week. The Dow advanced 1.3% and the S&P 500 gained 0.8%. A late-week tech rally was enough to move the Nasdaq back to where it […]
Read MoreWill Infrastructure Investment Pave the Way to a Stronger Economy?
In November 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a roughly $1 trillion package that reauthorized existing programs and provided more than $550 billion in new funding over the next five years to help upgrade aging U.S. transportation, water, power generation, and communication systems.1 The American Society of Civil Engineers applauded the bipartisan legislation, […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close January 21, 2022
Volatility has engulfed the markets this month and is showing no signs of letting up, impacted by a more hawkish Federal Reserve stance, economic disruptions from Omicron, and risks to company profits due to rising costs. Fourth-quarter 2021 corporate earnings season has begun with uneven results so far. Inflation continues to hover over investors as […]
Read MoreThe Fed Pivots to Fight Inflation
On December 15, 2021, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve System made a significant shift in monetary policy in response to rising inflation. The Committee accelerated the reduction of its bond-buying program in order to tighten the money supply and projected three increases in the benchmark federal funds rate in 2022, […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close January 14, 2022
Equities closed generally lower last week, with only the Global Dow ending the week in the black. Inflation, or more likely the Federal Reserve’s response to rising prices, may have influenced investors. Markets are still adjusting to the anticipated tighter monetary policy from the Fed, which is planning on raising interest rates several times this […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close January 7, 2022
The Trust Company of Kansas (TCK) today announced that Angela Malley has been named Chief Investment Officer (CIO), effective January 1. After beginning the week on a high note, stocks couldn’t maintain that momentum, ending the week in the red. Following a record close on Monday, the S&P 500 ended the week down 1.9%, the […]
Read More