Markets continued their banner year in Q3, albeit with some bumps and major rotations. Noticeably, investors preferred small-cap, mid-cap, and emerging market stocks over the dominant force of the “big US tech” stocks...
Domestic large and mid-sized companies led total returns in the last twelve months and through the initial two quarters of 2024 (although emerging markets were about 1.6% higher than mid-sized companies on a year-to-date basis). Large companies generated a positive total return in the second quarter with mid-size and small companies contracting a couple percent, but on a year-to-date basis all three categories have generated positive total returns...
For many years, market participants have been closely following every statement made by the Federal Reserve Chairperson and every data point used by the Fed to guide its decisions. However, it has become increasingly tiresome. While monetary policy, including interest rates, is undeniably important, the daily fluctuations caused by inflation reports and their potential influence on the Fed's interest rate decisions have become excessive...
It is not a secret that the prices of goods and services have increased substantially over the past year. We see it in our daily lives, whether at the grocery store or browsing Amazon.com in search of our familiar vices. As some of you know, this steady increase in the prices of goods and services is due to inflation (in most cases). According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, year-over-year inflation currently sits at 4.93% for the 12 months ending April 2023. This is based on the ‘all items’ consumer price index, which includes food and energy. However, should all price increases be attributed to an increase in the consumer price index? The answer is no, and here’s why:
By no measure was 2022 a good year for investors. Looking into 2023, there are three issues that will impact the market: The Fed and Interest Rates, Ukraine/Russia/Energy, China/Supply Chains.
There is no doubt that the rapidly growing inflation rates seen around the world in 2022 have severely impacted Americans. September 2022 numbers show the US inflation rate hovering at about 8.2% for the previous 12 months(1) as American families struggle to keep up with rising costs of basic needs like food and gas. The IRS recently released adjustments for over 60 tax provisions in response to the overwhelming inflation rates...
It is no surprise that inflation is skyrocketing in the US. The current inflation rate for 2022 exceeds 9%. Typically, annual inflation is estimated to be about a “standard” 3%. So what has happened to cause this craziness, and what does it mean for you?