So far this year the global markets have taken us on quite the roller coaster ride. Markets seem to just keep creeping higher and higher, much like that first hill of a roller coaster ride. Sitting in the back seat you have no idea when the coaster will crest the hill and begin it’s descent.… Continue reading Mid Year Market Update
Category: Market Re-cap
It’s All About Earnings
With the S&P 500 and NASDAQ touching record levels in the past two weeks, many investors are asking themselves what factors are in place to drive stock higher? Corporate earnings have always been an important contributing factor in supporting stock prices. The bull market of the past five years has been supported by earning increases… Continue reading It’s All About Earnings
Will Market Uncertainty from Q1 Lead Us to a Roller Coaster Ride for Q2?
There are a number of results from the first quarter of the year that are creating some uncertainty in how the markets will react for the balance of 2015. The Strength of the US dollar: In March the US dollar reached 1.05 USD/EUR, which is a level that it has not seen in more than… Continue reading Will Market Uncertainty from Q1 Lead Us to a Roller Coaster Ride for Q2?
Enjoy the Short Term Growth While Preparing to be Selective
The market continues to grind higher with this past week bringing record highs for both the Dow Jones and S&P 500 Index. Additionally the NASDAQ closed at its highest level in nearly 15 years. As we near the end of 4th quarter earnings season, the overall tone of the reports continues to improve with growth… Continue reading Enjoy the Short Term Growth While Preparing to be Selective
Fed Exit
This past week the minutes from the Federal Reserve meeting were released which revealed aspects of the exit strategy and policy normalization. The announcements are in line with our expectations and the Fed noted that they would be communicating their plans publicly later this year. We expect the Fed’s exit strategy will follow the sequence described… Continue reading Fed Exit
The Summer Doldrums?
The American Heritage dictionary defines “doldrums” as a period of stagnation or slump. As we have officially begun the summer of 2014, the question arises as to whether the financial markets are heading into a period of potentially side-way’s performance. This period is commonly referred to as the “summer doldrums”. Once again the time has… Continue reading The Summer Doldrums?
The Week That Was: Our Market Re-Cap
Last week was a good one for equity markets as stock prices jumped more than 1% and closed at new highs. Small cap stocks, which have been lagging this year, led the way by a wide margin followed by large companies. Economic data was also good driven primarily by manufacturing and employment figures. The U.S.… Continue reading The Week That Was: Our Market Re-Cap
By the Numbers: What Do They All Mean?
“What’s in your wallet” is the famous question posed by Capital One. U.S. consumer spending accounts for a significant portion of GDP. Weather has apparently soured our spending mood according to the economists reacting to the soft economic numbers in the first quarter, especially the recent low print on GDP. There seems to be universal… Continue reading By the Numbers: What Do They All Mean?
Q1 2014 Earnings Season Overview & Change in Leadership
As we approach the end of the first quarter earnings season, we are able to report that 91% of the companies in the S&P 500 have reported, with 75% of those reporting earnings above the mean estimate and 54% reporting sales above the mean estimate. The blended earnings growth rate is 2.2%. Seven sectors have… Continue reading Q1 2014 Earnings Season Overview & Change in Leadership
Riders on the Storm
The employment consensus estimate for last Friday was 180k. The actual number was 113k, a rather large miss! For 2013 the monthly average was 194,000. The January number is on the back of the weak December number where only 74,000 jobs were added, revised marginally to 75,000 in January. The overall employment rate however dropped… Continue reading Riders on the Storm