Your Bond Questions Answered May 11, 2022 Bonds bond funds vs. bonds, bonds, fed funds rate, federal reserve, inflation Concerns about the state of the bond market abound—with good reason. This is the worst start to a year for bonds in decades. In our recent webinar, Pain, Promise and the Future of Fixed Income (click here to watch the replay), I addressed the state of fixed-income affairs. Since then, … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Bond Outlook Q2 2022 April 18, 2022 Bond Outlook bonds, federal reserve, inflation, managed bonds Q2 Bond Market Outlook I won’t sugarcoat it—Q1 bond market performance was disappointing for most investors. Bonds are supposed to be the safety buffer in a portfolio, but they didn’t act that way to start the year. Instead, our portfolios got a flat tire during rush hour—making a frustrating experience even worse. … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Stocks Rise, Bonds Falter as Fed Shows Talons March 28, 2022 Weekly Update bonds, federal reserve, inflation, interest rates, Market volatility, stocks, Weekly Update Please note: This update was prepared on Friday, March 25, 2022, prior to the market’s close. After last week’s relief rally produced the best run of returns since November 2020, stocks were all over the map in anticipation of, then relief over, then fear of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate policy. Fed Chair … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Stocks Rise, Bonds Falter as Fed Shows Talons March 25, 2022 Weekly Update bonds, federal reserve, inflation, interest rates, Market volatility, stocks, Weekly Update After last week’s relief rally produced the best run of returns since November 2020, stocks were all over the map in anticipation of, then relief over, then fear of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate policy. Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s hawkish remarks Monday afternoon sent indexes sliding again, leaving some to fret that policymakers … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Markets See Green Again March 21, 2022 Weekly Update federal reserve, inflation, interest rates, Market volatility, stocks, Weekly Update Please note: This update was prepared on Friday, March 18, 2022, prior to the market’s close. Despite widespread concern over the deepening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, traders saw green again this week, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. On Wall Street, U.S. stocks mounted a powerful rally through Thursday, with the … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Markets See Green Again March 18, 2022 Weekly Update federal reserve, inflation, interest rates, Market volatility, stocks, Weekly Update Despite widespread concern over the deepening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, traders saw green again this week, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. On Wall Street, U.S. stocks mounted a powerful rally through Thursday, with the S&P 500 up almost 5%—on pace for its strongest weekly performance since November 2020. Not to … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Recession: Imminent or Avoidable? March 14, 2022 Weekly Update fed, federal reserve, inflation, Market volatility, oil, russia, stocks, Weekly Update Please note: This update was prepared on Friday, March 11, 2022, prior to the market’s close. Headlines drove market action this week. They focused primarily on the latest developments in Russia’s war on Ukraine’s cities and citizenry, but also on still-rising inflation. And talk about volatility! On Monday, the NASDAQ Composite entered … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Recession: Imminent or Avoidable? March 11, 2022 Weekly Update fed, federal reserve, inflation, Market volatility, oil, russia, stocks, Weekly Update Headlines drove market action this week. They focused primarily on the latest developments in Russia’s war on Ukraine’s cities and citizenry, but also on still-rising inflation. And talk about volatility! On Monday, the NASDAQ Composite entered a bear market (off more than 20% from its November high) and the S&P 500 slipped … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Chart of the Week: The Formula for Fed Action January 24, 2022 Investing federal reserve, inflation, Jeff DeMaso, unemployment By Director of Research Jeff DeMaso It really shouldn’t be a surprise that the Federal Reserve is gearing up to raise the fed funds rate. The central bank has a dual mandate of price stability and full employment. With consumer prices having risen 7% in 2021 and the unemployment rate clocking … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Are Good Times Gone for Growth Stocks? January 24, 2022 Weekly Update bonds, federal reserve, financial planning, inflation, interest rates, stocks, Weekly Update Tech has taken a drubbing of late as traders have switched allegiances from growth stocks to value stocks. The tech-heavy NASDAQ composite index careened into correction territory on Wednesday—down 10% from its November high—before dipping another 1.3% on Thursday. The pain is explained primarily by expectations. With multiple interest-rate rises, slower growth … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Are Good Times Gone for Growth Stocks? January 21, 2022 Weekly Update bonds, federal reserve, financial planning, inflation, interest rates, stocks, Weekly Update Tech has taken a drubbing of late as traders have switched allegiances from growth stocks to value stocks. The tech-heavy NASDAQ composite index careened into correction territory on Wednesday—down 10% from its November high—before dipping another 1.3% on Thursday. The pain is explained primarily by expectations. With multiple interest-rate rises, slower growth … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Welcome to Inflation Nation January 18, 2022 Weekly Update federal reserve, financial planning, inflation, interest rates, Omicron, stocks, supply, Weekly Update The media caterwauling was loud indeed following the week’s consumer price index (CPI) reveal. Prices paid by consumers increased 7.0% year-over-year in December—the highest 12-month inflation rate since June 1982. Strip out food and energy prices, which tend to be more volatile, and costs to consumers rose 5.5%—the most in 30 years. … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right