Investment Management

The major indices finished the holiday-shortened week up for the 4th week in a row.  Some softer economic data bolstered hopes that interest rate relief could be just around the corner.  Many smaller countries have already begun rate cut cycles.  The Dow, the Nasdaq, and the S&P 500 each hit…

This Monday morning, markets are marginally higher on the back of technology and energy stocks rallying.  Last week’s bond-friendly data included a decline in retail sales ahead of the holiday shopping season.  This should cause a sharp deceleration in Q4 real GDP growth to the 1-2% level from the grossly…

Santa Claus shopped for stocks at the end of October and beginning of November post institutional tax positioning.  The S&P 500 index rose + 1.3% last week, almost all the gain coming on Friday, led by the technology and communication services sectors.  The S&P 500 is up +15% YTD and…

Santa Claus shopped for stocks at the end of October, post institutional tax positioning.  The S&P 500index rose + 5.9% last week, the DJIA +5.1, and NASDAQ Composite +6.6%, marking the markets largest weekly increase of the year.  Investors remember that large percentage moves happen most often when the markets…

Even though interest rates rallied last week, concerns about escalating conflict in the Middle East led to another week of downside in most equity markets.  The S&P 500 fell -2.5% on the week and is now down   -14.2% from its December 2021 record highs.  The 10-year interest rate fell -8…

The S&P 500 index closed on its lows for the week.  The S&P 500 index fell -2.4% last week, ending its October 2 week winning streak. The market benchmark is down month to date, as comments by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell raised investors’ concerns about interest rate policy.  The…

The S&P 500 index closed green last week rising by +.45%, it’s second consecutive marginal gain.   The market benchmark ended Friday at 4,327 up from the prior Friday’s closing level of 4,308. The index is up +0.9% in October and almost 13% this year.  The increase was small as investors…

Thoughts and prayers to all those in Israel and the rest of the Middle East affected by this weekend’s horrible events.  Taking a line from Josh Brown, “if you’re selling US stocks today because you’re waiting for a calmer, more peaceful time in the Middle East to buy back in,…

The S&P 500 index fell -0.7% last week, ending September’s trading with the index’s largest monthly loss since December 2022 and its first quarterly loss in a year amid higher interest rate policy worries.  The S&P 500 ended the quarter with a -3.6% decline.  This is its first quarterly loss…

The S&P 500 index fell -2.9% last week and is now -6.25% from its July highs. The various index declines, in the wake of higher interest rates, tapered as expected with the value tilted DJIA -1.9%, the broad S&P 500 -2.9% and technology and growth heavy NASDAQ Composite -3.6%.  This…

Ending the week on a major down note, finishing the week lower due to Friday’s broad-based selloff, with the large-cap benchmarks dropping back below their 50-day moving averages.  The cash S&P500 finished the week down only “net” -.2% lower.  It’s the 5th weekly loss since the end of July and…

U.S equity futures are pointing higher after dropping last week.  The decline of -1.3% for the S&P 500 (still +16.1% YTD) was in line with historic norms for early September.  Industrials, -2.9%, and materials, -2.4%, led the declines. We would not be surprised to see  a bounce this week into…