The Federal Reserve continued to be the driver in the stock market for the first quarter.  The market appeared to have bottomed in October of last year.  The bad news is the uptick was on the back of just ten stocks while the broader market continued to underperform.  That is not a good indication of.. read more →

Hopefully, you had the safety bar firmly in place for 2022.  The DOW was down 8.8%, the S&P 500 down 19.4%, the Nasdaq down 33.1% and the Russel was down 21.6%.  The only sector to exit the year in the positive was energy. Movement in the stock market was less about fundamentals and more about.. read more →

The DOW ended the 3rd quarter down 5.3%, down 25% YTD. The Nasdaq down 30%. The drop in the market is the result of the Federal Reserve’s decision to bring inflation in the US down from 8.6% to 2%.  The FED has a tough fight on its hands.  Inflation is the result of too much.. read more →

The first 6 months of 2022 was the worst start of the year for the S&P since 1970.  US stocks are in a bear market. Every recession in the US has started with a big jump in oil and food prices.  We are probably in a recession.  The Federal Reserve is acting to curtail inflation.. read more →

The Federal Reserve has announced the expected half percentage point increase in its benchmark lending rate.  The increase was the biggest bump since 2000.  But that only brings the interest rate to .75%.  Compare that to an inflation rate near 10%.  The Federal Reserve is indicating a greater interest in protecting the stock market than.. read more →

Ouch! First quarter 2022 is going to leave a mark.  The 5th worst start to the year since 1929.  So, what caused the pullback across the major market indices? I will say Covid because it was still hanging around. But the real culprits were the worst inflation in 40 years, rising interest rates that reflected.. read more →

This commentary is meant to be a reflection on the past quarter and expectations for the coming quarter and year.  But in thinking back on the past year I am reflecting on the sudden loss of a very good friend and client.   There was also good news just received that a client was winning her.. read more →

 The market faced the start of the third quarter with high expectations and ended with a flip from growth to value.  The good news that drove the market through the first half of 2021 simply stopped coming, replaced by concern over the $3.5 trillion dollar tax and spend plan the democrats proposed, supply chain issues,.. read more →

The 2nd quarter market performance reflected a mixed bag of investor concerns.  Most US states reopened as covid vaccinations were made available across all age groups.  While the push was still on to vaccinate more of the US population a far fewer number of vaccinations were being administered everywhere else in the world.  The appearance.. read more →

We would all like to forget 2020 and move on.  But.  A friend sent me this text on January 8th of this year.  “I’d like to cancel my subscription to 2021.  I’ve experienced the free 7-day trial and I’m not interested.” 4th quarter was even more fun, simply different, from the first 3 quarters of.. read more →