Category: Commentary

U.S. opens flat as earnings season heats up; overseas markets little changed. U.S. indexes are little changed this morning as investors digest a few premarket earnings reports (including financial giant Bank of America) and brace for the week ahead, during … Continue reading →

Markets mixed but set to post strong week. Domestic equities are little changed in early trading after the Dow and S&P 500 both moved higher into record territory yesterday; helped by strong earnings from Dow component JP Morgan, rising oil … Continue reading →

We have increased our full-year 2016 total return forecast for high-quality bonds to a low- to mid-single-digit total return, up from flat, as discussed in our just released Midyear Outlook 2016: A Vote of Confidence publication. A reduced number of … Continue reading →

Yesterday, July 13, 2016, the Federal Reserve (Fed) released the latest edition of its Beige Book. The Beige Book compiles qualitative observations made by community bankers and business owners about economic (labor market, prices, wages, housing, nonresidential construction, tourism, manufacturing) … Continue reading →

Stocks rise on Bank of England stimulus hopes. Despite surprising investors by keeping interest rates unchanged this month, the Bank of England’s (BOE) signal that rates may be cut in August has U.S. markets higher in early trading. Yesterday’s session … Continue reading →

The transition in British politics has taken place much faster than anyone anticipated. Just three weeks after the United Kingdom’s (U.K.) historic vote to leave the European Union (EU), the country has a new Prime Minister, Theresa May. May was … Continue reading →

As discussed in our just released Midyear Outlook 2016: A Vote of Confidence publication, we continue to expect mid-single-digit returns for the S&P 500 in 2016, consistent with historical mid-to-late economic cycle performance. We expect those gains to be derived … Continue reading →

Stocks near flat after posting another record high; oil under pressure. U.S. stocks are little changed in early trading, while a larger than expected build in inventories has WTI crude oil moving lower by about 1%. Yesterday’s session saw the … Continue reading →

Earlier this week, the S&P 500 closed at a new all-time high for the first time since May 21, 2015. That came out to 285 trading days without a new high, or just over 14 months. The big question now … Continue reading →

Global markets continue to rally as S&P 500 breaks out to new highs. After nearly 14 months, the S&P 500 finally broke through and set a new all-time closing high on Monday, and equities are continuing the momentum this morning. … Continue reading →