RESEARCH & THOUGHT PIECES FROM OUR TEAM

Rising Oil Prices Fuel Russian Aggression. What’s Next?

It’s tempting to blame Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on President Putin’s desire to rebuild an empire or at least elevate Russia’s geopolitical influence. We view the aggression as another example of how...

Stocks marched higher during the fourth quarter as investors shrugged off mounting inflationary pressures, increasing prospects for higher interest rates next year, and a surge of new COVID-19 infections stemming from the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Investors applauded favorable corporate...

September marked the worst performing month for stocks since the pandemic-induced swoon in March 2020. Last month’s market decline ended a seven-consecutive month winning streak for the S&P 500. Historically, September has proven to be the worst month for stocks over the past 10 and 20...

Stocks marched higher during the past three months, marking the fifth consecutive quarterly advance since the pandemic-induced crash last year. Value stocks continued their upward momentum but did give up some of their gains relative to growth stocks in June. The latter were bolstered by interest...

During the first quarter, stocks marched higher, fueled by trillions in fiscal and monetary stimulus and continued expectations that a post-COVID-19 economy will be a strong one. A noteworthy rotation from growth to value that began late last year continued in the first quarter of 2021. Some...

You certainly did not need 20/20 vision to see that 2020 was not an ordinary year. From a global pandemic, civil unrest to an election like no other, news headlines took many twists and turns throughout the year. Despite the vast amount of negative news, financial markets ultimately shrugged off...

As this piece is being written, we are coming into the homestretch of the 2020 U.S. elections. It seems that this election has stirred more emotions and captivated more voter interest than any other election in recent memory. We have certainly received a fair amount of clients' questions about...

Stocks posted a sharp rebound during the second quarter, as investors bid up prices in anticipation that the economy would enjoy a sharper than expected bounce-back from depths of the COVID-19 nationwide shutdowns that occurred in late March and early April. Stock prices put in their best...

Stocks began 2020 on an up note, with most major averages (both domestic and global)hitting record highs around mid-February. However, optimism accompanying these record highs quickly dissipated, as government actions designed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus took their toll on the...

What a Difference a Year Makes

2019 was a stellar year for stocks. Stocks marched higher around the globe, paced by the S&P 500.The Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ Composite also posted record highs. Ironically,just twelve months ago, investors were licking their wounds following one...

When good news is bad news, and bad news is good news

Six short months ago, the economy was enjoying its best performance in recent memory and the Fed was talking about raising interest rates three or four times in 2019. The possibility of higher interest rates spooked investors, sending stock...