November was a busy month, marked by the U.S. election and another rate cut from the Federal Reserve. In this edition of Insights, we’ll discuss how these events influenced market dynamics, shaping expectations for trade policy, economic growth, and cryptocurrency trends. As we look toward year-end and beyond, our focus remains on effective portfolio management | Read More +
Category: Our Thinking
Our Perspective: On the 2024 U.S. Elections
With the results of the U.S. presidential election announced and the congressional elections coming into more precise focus, we wanted to share our perspective on what these outcomes could mean for markets and your investment portfolio. Upfront, it is important to state that historically, equity markets have delivered positive returns on average, regardless of the | Read More +
Sage Insights: Navigating Key Market Developments
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 +
Sage Insights: Implications of Falling Rates
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 +
Sage Insights: Market Resilience Amidst Volatility
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 +
Insights: Market Movements and Perspective — Analyzing the Past Month and the Road Ahead
In this edition of Insights, we review monthly market performance, the potential for the Federal Reserve to lower rates in September, the standout month for small-cap stocks, and historical market patterns during election years. Market Overview Positive labor markets and inflation data drove markets higher in July. Earlier in the month, the U.S. jobs report | Read More +
Insights: Observations at Halftime
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 +
Insights: Observations as Data Cools and Markets Rise
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 +
Insights: Market Observations as the Fed Remains on Pause
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 +
Insights: Market Observations at the End of the First Quarter
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 +
