Key Takeaways 2019 turned out to be one of the best years for the financial markets in recent history. To understand how we got there, it’s helpful to consider where we began. Factset did a very good job of this on its website insight.factset.com: “As we began 2019, the big economic stories were the Fed’s […]
‘Risk On’ trades take the lead in October Key Takeaways U.S. growth stocks and emerging markets jump-started the 4th quarter with returns of 2.82% and 4.22% respectively as investors shifted away from ‘risk off’ assets such as defensive stocks and U.S. Treasury bonds The FOMC dropped its federal funds interest rate target for the 3rd […]
Oil shocks, impeachment, and Brexit – Oh My! Key Takeaways U.S. stock and bond markets closed the 3rd quarter with an impressive – though volatile – year-to-date return. The S&P 500 index ended September up nearly 19%, the best 3-quarter return since 1997, while the Barclays Aggregate Bond index posted an outstanding return near 8%. […]
The U.S. stock market feasts on recession fears before regaining its risk appetite in late August Key Takeaways President Trump added, then delayed, another tariff on Chinese goods, exacerbating trade tensions and concerns about the strength of the global economy. As talks with China resume, Britain’s new prime minister attempts to achieve a ‘hard Brexit’, […]
Welcome back to A Few Minutes with Marcia. My name is Marcia Clark, senior research analyst at Warren Street Wealth Advisors. Today we’re going to spend a few minutes considering the pros and cons of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee holding short-term interest rates steady at its June meeting. Most of my comments today […]
Key Takeaways The U.S. economy just exceeded the record for the longest business cycle expansion since economists started recording expansions in the 1930s (120 months plus 1 day) Global trade tensions are impacting manufacturing sectors all around the world; only the U.S. and France show continued expansion, with Germany falling the most Despite these concerns, […]
Key Takeaways The stock market stumbled in May after strong performance in April. The decline was likely due to concerns over the impact of proposed tariffs on Mexican goods, especially given that Chinese trade negotiations are still unresolved. Treasury yields hit new lows in May as investors fled stock market volatility. However, a 10-year Treasury […]
April 2019 Market Commentary Key Takeaways 1st quarter GDP beat expectations at 3.2%, due in part to increasing net exports and inventories The U.S. stock market reached new highs as economic data and corporate earnings were stronger than expected, though stock prices of companies with disappointing results have been punished Despite slowing GDP in China […]
Volatility measures the frequency and magnitude of price movements, both up and down, that a financial instrument experiences over a certain period of time. The more dramatic the price swings, the higher the level of volatility. Learn the basics of market volatility with Marcia Clark, CFA, MBA. Watch: For those who prefer to read! Welcome […]
WSWA Monthly Market Commentary for February 2019 Key Takeaways Commodities took the lead in February with a year-to-date return of 13.14% as oil prices recovered from the supply/demand imbalance during the second half of 2018 The S&P 500 index is on pace for its biggest early-year advance in nearly 30 years, due in part to […]