Click here to download this commentary in PDF format. Layoff announcements are ramping up as companies adjust to slowing sales and profitability. So far, major job cuts have been concentrated in technology and consumer-related industries due to overhiring during the pandemic recovery when demand was unusually strong. Whether this spills into the broader economy is the subject […]
To see this commentary in PDF form, click here. Over the past week, there has been nonstop news coverage on the federal government hitting the $31.4 trillion borrowing limit known as the debt ceiling. This once again puts Washington drama on center stage as the Treasury Department enacts “extraordinary measures” to not default on its obligations. Although this […]
The bear market in bonds last year was a shock to markets and raised questions around the role of fixed income securities in portfolios. This is because, until 2021, inflation had been steadily falling for 40 years, pushing interest rates lower and bond prices higher. This period supported the idea that bonds act as a stable foundation to […]
Perhaps no sector of the economy has been impacted by rising interest rates as much as housing. The declines in both housing activity and prices have wide-ranging effects on households and the economy, as well as across financial markets. Like many other sectors, the housing market surged during the pandemic and is now experiencing a hangover. […]
November 23, 2022 2022 has been a historic year for financial markets and a challenging one for investors. With inflation rising at the fastest pace in over 40 years, both stocks and bonds fell into bear markets and reversed some of the strong gains made during the pandemic recovery. As we approach the end of the […]
All investors understand that markets operate in cycles. This is even more the case for technology stocks which depend not only on the underlying business cycle, but also experience waves of hype and exuberance. Benjamin Graham, often considered to be the father of value investing, famously stated that “in the short run the market is a voting machine but […]
November 9th Economic uncertainty continues to affect financial markets, as it rightfully should since, in the long run, stock prices follow trends in economic growth. Investors are wondering how high interest rates might rise, whether there will be a deep recession (or if we’re in one already), when inflation might begin to recede, if unemployment will tick […]
It’s no secret that this year has been characterized by market and economic uncertainty due to inflation, the Fed, geopolitics, and more. Market unease has been prolonged by the fact that these economic effects take time to evolve. Inflation is not an overnight event but the result of supply and demand factors since 2020, compounded by monetary […]
The latest inflation numbers confirm that the prices of everyday goods and services are still rising despite Fed rate hikes and a slowing economy. Major stock market indices continue to be in or near bear market levels with the S&P 500 down 25% year-to-date, while interest rates jumped further last week with the 10-year Treasury yield […]
U.S. midterm elections take place on November 8 amid significant market, economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Inflation continues to be a top issue for voters and while some prices such as those for gasoline have improved, price pressures remain the highest in 40 years. Major stock market indices are also still in bear market territory which […]