Category: Insights

As we head into the final months of 2024, we are watching several key trends and topics that could shape financial markets in the near term. In this edition of Sage Insights, we’ll discuss three of them: the upcoming U.S. elections, the recent rise in U.S. Treasury yields, and the latest corporate earnings reports. Our | Read More +

September was a much-awaited month for investors as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) made its highly anticipated decision to cut interest rates for the first time in over four years. The move, which followed unprecedented rate hikes in 2022 and 2023 designed to curb inflation, marks a key shift in U.S. monetary policy. As | Read More +

August started on shaky ground but ended on a high note. The month began with an unexpectedly weak jobs report, currency volatility in Japan, and disappointing tech earnings, triggering a sharp global selloff. However, as the initial shocks subsided and more data came in suggesting a continued decline in inflation and an increased likelihood of | Read More +

June was a positive month for global stocks and bonds, driven by a favorable inflation trend and critical actions from global central banks. In this edition of Insights, we review monthly market performance, discuss the recent divergence of global central bank policy, monitor the slowing yet growing U.S. economy, and observe attractive yield opportunities across | Read More +

Markets regained momentum in May after retreating toward the end of April and welcomed softer inflation data, a strong jobs report, and healthy consumer-driven economic growth. The CPI report in mid-May showed lower inflation than anticipated, supporting expectations for the likelihood of lower future interest rates. Since consumer spending accounts for nearly 70% of U.S. | Read More +

The cautious optimism we brought into April after the first quarter’s market momentum was tempered during the month because of challenges in both equity and fixed-income markets. Despite a positive start to the earnings season, equity markets retreated throughout the month, driven by the prospects of “higher-for-longer” interest rates and concerns regarding the persistence of | Read More +

As we reflect on the markets’ performance in March, we also mark the end of the first quarter of 2024. It has been a good start to the year. Equity markets maintained their positive momentum, steadily climbing upward, while fixed-income markets posted healthy returns in March despite a fluctuating interest rate environment during the first | Read More +

February, with its extra day for the leap year, saw equity markets vault ahead. Earnings season was in full swing throughout the month, with more than 97% of U.S. companies reporting quarterly results. In aggregate, these companies exhibited healthy profit margin growth and pricing power, buoyed by robust U.S. economic activity. Despite a shared vigorous | Read More +

January was a mixed month for stocks and bonds, following the high bar set by their formidable performance in the final two months of 2023. Much of the strong rally at the end of last year was driven by the expectation that the Federal Reserve had completed its two-year initiative to restore price stability in | Read More +

2023 in Review: A Bitter Start For Financial Markets With A Sweet Ending Last year brought a collective rebound for major economies and financial markets. There were unsettling moments and expectations of a domestic recession that caused uncertainty and short-term discomfort, including the failure of a handful of banking institutions over a short period in | Read More +