Category: Our Thinking

Unsurprisingly, March was a choppy month for the financial markets. Stocks rebounded from the sharp sell-off we noted in February that carried over into the first part of the month, while commodity prices jumped around unpredictably, and bond prices declined due to precipitously higher interest rates. Looking forward, we see a reason to be optimistic. | Read More +

February was an uneasy month for financial markets, primarily because Russia invaded Ukraine. But even though equity markets have fluctuated sharply in 2022, we remain encouraged by the strong economic backdrop supporting the expected increase of interest rates in March. As a result, we continue to think companies should have a positive environment for continued | Read More +

January was a difficult month for financial markets, caused primarily by expectations of tighter monetary policy by the Federal Reserve and a soft start to corporate earnings season. The Russia-Ukraine tensions provided an additional source of uncertainty for markets. While we observed some recent downside in equity markets, we remain encouraged by the strong economic | Read More +

In November, stocks moved lower, and bonds provided a positive return as market participants responded to the uncertainty around the Omicron variant of COVID and the Federal Reserve’s statements that it may speed up tapering in response to inflation and strong employment. The MSCI ACWI Index, which represents global equities (i.e., both U.S. and international | Read More +

The month of September saw stocks and bonds move lower as market participants responded to the Federal Reserve’s decision to likely begin tapering monthly bond purchases toward the end of Q4, the ongoing Evergrande situation in China, and upcoming policy decisions out of Washington, D.C. The MSCI ACWI Index, which represents global equities (i.e., both | Read More +

Financial markets were generally positive in August as equities advanced, bonds were mixed, and the optimistic economic backdrop continued despite uncertainty regarding the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus.  The MSCI ACWI Index, which represents global equities (i.e., both U.S. and international stocks), advanced by 2.50% in August, the U.S. large-cap Russell 1000 Index rose | Read More +

Financial markets were generally stable in July, supported by a positive economic backdrop. The MSCI ACWI Index, which represents global equities (i.e., both U.S. and international stocks), advanced by 0.69% in July, the U.S. large-cap Russell 1000 Index rose 2.08%, the U.S. small-cap Russell 2000 Index fell by 3.61%, and the MSCI ACWI Ex-USA Index | Read More +

The financial markets performed well in May, supported by continued positive developments throughout the global economy. The MSCI ACWI Index, which represents global equities (i.e., both U.S. and international stocks), advanced by 1.56%, the U.S. large-cap Russell 1000 Index rose 0.47%, the U.S. small-cap Russell 2000 Index increased by 0.21%, and the MSCI ACWI Ex-USA | Read More +

The financial markets performed well again in April, supported by continued positive developments around the COVID vaccine rollout and fiscal stimulus.  The MSCI ACWI Index, which represents global equities (i.e., both U.S. and international stocks), advanced by 4.37%, the U.S. large-cap Russell 1000 Index rose 5.38%, the U.S. small-cap Russell 2000 Index increased by 2.10%, | Read More +