December 14, 2018 Weekly Market Recap
Wall Street suffered another down week, as continued uncertainty surrounding economic growth, trade, politics, and the path of interest rates kept many buyers on the sidelines. Heightened trading volatility also proved effective in keeping buyers sidelined, too, as large intra-day swings proved exhausting and off-putting for many participants.
Investing in The Bizarro World
We’re now entering the phase of the investing cycle I like to refer to as, “The Bizarro World.” Of course, I’m making a pop culture reference to the fictional planet appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. In the Bizarro World, everything and everyone is essentially the exact opposite of what you’ll find here on earth.
December 7, 2018 Weekly Market Recap
Stocks continued their slide this week. The S&P 500 fell 4.6%, as global growth concerns were exacerbated by negative developments regarding U.S-China trade negotiations and the continued flattening of the U.S. Treasury yield curve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 4.5%, the Nasdaq Composite lost 4.9%, and the Russell 2000 lost 5.6%.
November 30, 2018 Weekly Market Recap
The S&P 500 rallied 4.8% this week, helped by the Fed softening its policy stance and by hope that U.S-China trade tensions would be meaningfully eased at the G-20 Leaders Summit. For the month, the benchmark index rose 1.8%.
What’s a Flattening Yield Curve?
What is a yield curve, and more importantly, why are stock investors interested in its shape? A yield curve gives a snapshot of how yields vary across bonds of similar credit quality, but different maturities, at a specific point in time.
As An Investor, I’m Thankful This Season
Although 2018 has not been fun for investors, this Thanksgiving I’m thankful for the decade-long bull market and economic expansion. Investors who stuck to their financial plans and stayed invested are closer to achieving their long-term goals.
November 16, 2018 Weekly Market Recap
Wall Street stumbled this week, with consumer discretionary and information technology stocks leading the retreat. Concerns over peak earnings growth continued to linger, and a further breakdown in oil prices also weighed on investor sentiment. Brexit reentered the mix this week, along with U.S.-China trade headlines.
November 9, 2018 Weekly Market Recap
The S&P 500 rose 2.1% this week, but had to weather a late week sell-off after the latest policy statement from the Federal Reserve humbled an upbeat reaction to the midterm elections. Neither outcome was a surprise, but they were representative of recent market volatility.
With Elections Over, What’s Next?
Democrats swept into the majority in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, while Republicans increased their margin in the Senate. The outcome was in line with pre-election expectations, and the stock market reaction on Wednesday was extremely positive.
November 2, 2018 Weekly Market Recap
The S&P 500 staged a rebound effort this week, tallying a 2.4% weekly gain. The continued expectation that the market was due for a bounce-back after last month’s sell-off, compounded with mostly upbeat earnings and easing trade tensions underpinned the rally.
Midterm Elections: What They Mean for Markets
It’s almost Election Day in the US once again. For those who need a brief civics refresher, every two years the full US House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate are up for re-election.
Market Downturns – Never Fun, Never Easy
The stock market closed last Friday over 9% below its recent peak and is now negative for the year. Interest rates have retreated, with the 10-year yield falling to 3.08%. Many sectors are in or near correction territory, including Financials, Industrials, Materials, and Communication Services.
October 26, 2018 Weekly Market Recap
The stock market had another terrible week, in what has been a very bad month. The Russell 2000 is down 12.5% in October; the Nasdaq Composite is down 10.9%; the S&P 500 is down 8.8%; and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 6.7%.
3rd Quarter 2018 Newsletter
Our 3rd Quarter 2018 Newsletter features articles on the markets, investing, and financial planning. We hope you find them helpful.
October 19, 2018 Weekly Market Recap
Stocks had a mixed outing this week after suffering heavy losses in the week prior. The benchmark S&P 500 finished flat, leaving its October loss at 5.0%, and the blue chip Dow ticked up 0.4%. Conversely, the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.6%, and the small-cap Russell 2000 lost 0.3%.
