Participating

April 5, 2021

  As COVID restrictions continue to ease in many areas, the jobs are coming back. Last week’s monthly employment report showed the U.S. added 916,000 jobs in March. Many new jobs came in areas that suffered over the past year such as leisure and hospitality, as well as education. The stock market was closed for …

Navigating the Waters

March 29, 2021

  We head into the end of the first quarter with all three major U.S. equity indices positive for the year. We are fortunate to be in a better economic and social environment versus this time last year when the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was driving equity markets lower and forcing people into …

Fed Speak

March 22, 2021

  The Federal Reserve acknowledged some improvement in the economy in its Wednesday Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting statement, while stating that inflation remains below target. The economic improvement versus inflation battle continues in the fixed income and equity markets. This past week “Team Inflation” won as the equity markets declined and bond yields …

Springing Forward

March 15, 2021

  Springing Forward! The equity markets moved to the upside last week. Investors seem to be a little more comfortable with bond yields. Two inflation measures for February, the CPI and PPI, showed an increase in inflation mainly tied to increasing energy prices. The February CPI showed 12-month rate of inflation for consumer goods and …

Goldilocks versus the Bears

March 8, 2021

  Continued upward movement in interest rates pressured stocks during the week, but a strong Employment Report ended the week on a stronger note. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was +1.8%, the S&P 500 Index was +0.8%, and the NASDAQ 100 Index was –1.8%. The U.S. economy added 379,000 jobs in February versus an expectation …

Ready to Spend

March 1, 2021

  A sharply steepening yield curve pressured stocks last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was –1.7%, the S&P 500 Index was –2.4%, and the NASDAQ 100 Index was –4.9%. We are nearing the end of the fourth quarter earnings season with 479 in the S&P 500 Index having reported earnings. Eighty percent of companies …

Frozen

February 22, 2021

  The equity market advance froze this week along with most of the country. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was +0.2%, the S&P 500 Index was –0.7%, and the NASDAQ 100 Index was –1.6%. With 399 companies in the S&P 500 Index having reported fourth quarter earnings, 81.7% have reported earnings above consensus. Continuing the …

Vaccination Acceleration

February 16, 2021

Continued progress on COVID-19 vaccine administration, stimulus, and quarterly earnings lifted equity markets last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was +1.1%, the S&P 500 Index was +1.3%, and the NASDAQ 100 Index was +1.5%. With 372 companies in the S&P 500 Index having reported fourth quarter earnings, 82.0% have reported earnings above consensus. Earnings …

Fourth Quarter Comeback

February 8, 2021

  Positive quarterly earnings reports and progress on stimulus talks helped the equity market rebound to start February on a positive note. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was +3.6%, the S&P 500 Index was +4.3%, and the NASDAQ 100 Index was +4.9%. We’re just past halfway in the fourth quarter earnings cycle and S&P 500 …

The Long and Short of It

February 1, 2021

  The financial headlines were packed last week with earnings results, short squeezes, and vaccine news. The end results left all major U.S. market averages in the red for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 Index, and NASDAQ 100 Index were all down 3.3%. We are almost halfway through the fourth quarter …