IN REVIEW: 2024 Q2 The second quarter of 2024 presented a more complex economic landscape, challenging some of the optimism that characterized the start of the year. While the S&P 500 managed a strong gain of over 4% for the quarter, this performance masked underlying tensions in the market and economy. ECONOMICS The “stronger for … Read more
IN REVIEW: 2024 Q1 The 1st quarter of 2024 picked up right where we left off in 2023, as stocks continued to surge higher. Markets were buoyed by sustained economic strength, with 4th quarter’s GDP growth coming in above expectations at 3.4%. Growth expectations for 2024 ratched higher as well throughout the quarter, with GDP … Read more
IN REVIEW: 2023 2023 will be remembered as a year that defied expectations. Expectations for inflation, for growth, and for markets. Indeed, equity markets staged a dramatic comeback in 2023 following 2022’s losses, due in no small part to widely negative expectations. Inflation came down much more rapidly than was anticipated. Core PCE, the Fed’s … Read more
As we make our way into 2023, likely with peak inflation behind us, it is important to look at where it will ultimately stabilize. Currently, inflation is decelerating and in the process of normalizing but we must ask what is the new normal? Will we make it back to the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%? … Read more
2022 has been an extremely volatile year across all asset classes. Whether it was Stocks, Bonds, Currencies, or Crypto you have likely seen headlines throughout the year containing words such as “Unprecedented”, “Largest Ever”, and “Not seen in XX years”. While some of these headlines are just clickbait, we have had a very rare occurrence … Read more
You’ve likely been seeing the word Stagflation pop up across your TV, computer screen or phone but what does it really mean in regards to inflation, growth and employment? First let’s define it – Stagflation is where an economy is experiencing a simultaneous increase in inflation and a stagnation of economic output. In simple terms, … Read more
First off – what is globalization? It is defined as the process that moves businesses, organizations, workers, technology, products, ideas and inflation beyond national borders. We have all benefited from globalization through access to cheaper goods and services, cultural awareness and the transfer of information and technology. Many would argue on net it makes the … Read more
Back in October 2020 I wrote about how the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) loose monetary policy was injecting a large amount of liquidity into the system, pushing investors out on the risk curve and increasing asset prices. Now, for the first time in a long time, due to inflationary pressures and what appears to be a … Read more
Inflation is one of the biggest conversations happening on the street right now so let’s dive in to get the current state of affairs. Questions we want to address: What is the cause? First, let’s identify what is driving the inflation we have seen over the past year. We’ve re-opened the economy with an unquenchable … Read more
Not long after COVID landed in the U.S. our government has doled out an unprecedented amount of pandemic relief directly to consumers. One-time stimulus payments, enhanced unemployment benefits, mortgage forbearance, student loan suspensions and other programs have enabled consumers to come out of this global recession with extremely strong balance sheets. This led us to … Read more
