Unlike the first three quarters of the year, market results during the fourth quarter were substantially negative for stocks and positive for bonds. The trade conflict with China and the Federal Reserve’s persistent effort to follow through on “normalizing” monetary policy led to a significant pullback in the stock market and a corresponding rally in high quality bonds. We will expound below, but resolution to one or both issues will be necessary for stock markets to stabilize in 2019. If no resolution is reached, economic activity will likely slow … more >

At first glance, market results during the third quarter pleasantly surprised us but given the strong economic data, the moves appear justified. That said, our 2018 expectations for equity returns have been exceeded and we still have three months to go. Bonds, while slightly negative for the year, have held up well considering the path of the Federal Funds rate. Interest rates have moved higher and appear to continue that trajectory. Of course, concerns persist on many levels which we will discuss below. Economy In our last letter we … more >

While the first quarter of 2018 reintroduced volatility into the markets, the second quarter seemed to offer a glimpse of stability. Riskier assets in general saw strong returns while the more conservative fixed income markets were flat/slightly negative. The U.S. economic picture remains robust with historically low unemployment and growth projections in the 3% range for the year. These strong dynamics have yielded elevated consumer confidence and support optimistic expectations that the good economic news will continue. Corporate balance sheets are strong, capital expenditures are rising, and earnings are … more >

For the first few weeks of 2018, equity markets echoed the same trend we saw in 2017: steadily marching higher in the face of both good and bad economic/political news. Beginning in early February, markets began to behave differently with dramatically higher volatility. There have been many reasons discussed by financial pundits for why this change occurred, with the most likely culprits being the Fed’s tightening monetary policy (to contain inflation), Washington trade policy negotiations via tariffs and the leadership of large cap Technology companies potentially coming to an … more >

As we close the door on 2017, we look back a bit surprised at the magnitude of the rise in global markets. Riskier assets appreciated almost across the board - perhaps no greater example of 2017 “animal spirits” is the headline grabbing emergence of cryptocurrency trading. For stocks, favorable earnings and low interest rates drove valuations higher and led to record highs for most indices. Bond markets struggled to find equilibrium while grappling with Fed rate increases and the magnitude/direction of inflation. As we head into 2018 it appears … more >