RECENT NEWS
- Looking Back at a Year of Resilience and What to Expect in 2025on December 23, 2024 at 8:38 am
From shifting regulatory environments to technology advancements and persistent housing shortages, the themes of this year have set the stage for what’s to come in 2025.
- Costco says it's seeing a shift in how much people eat at home vs. at restaurantson December 23, 2024 at 8:38 am
Costco said it's seeing a boost in meat and produce sales. Costco's finance chief said in the Q1 2025 earnings call that there was a shift toward "food at home." The retailer posted strong growth this quarter, with sales increasing 7.5% from the year before.
- Decisions, Decisions: Choosing Among Retirement Plan Contribution Typeson December 23, 2024 at 8:38 am
Your retirement plan might allow pre-tax, Roth, and after-tax non-Roth contributions. Which should you choose?
- What do the gods of generative AI have in store for 2025?on December 23, 2024 at 8:38 am
OpenAI and Google have unveiled their next generation of products.
- Apple Is Adding ChatGPT to iPhones This Week. Here's How It Works.on December 23, 2024 at 8:38 am
ChatGPT is taking over questions that Siri can't answer.
Weekly Market Commentary
A Busy (And Perhaps Historic) Week For Central Banks | Weekly Market Commentary | March 18, 2024
While the Federal Reserve (Fed) meeting will likely take top billing in the financial media, it’s the Bank of Japan (BOJ) meeting on Tuesday that could be the real game changer. With inflationary pressures still above target in Japan, the BOJ may finally be ready to take interest rates out of negative territory for the first time since 2016. If true, the era of free money will finally be over, which could have an impact on U.S. markets.
Gold Shines Brighter Than Ever | Weekly Market Commentary | March 11, 2024
Bullion broke new ground last week after rallying to a record high. Growing investor confidence for a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut by this summer dragged down yields and the dollar, creating a tailwind for gold. The breakout above key resistance at $2,075 was also a major technical development, confirmed by bullish momentum that suggests the rally could continue. Global central bank demand has been another key catalyst and has shown no sign of slowing down, while a rebound in demand from gold-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could provide additional support for the yellow metal.
Super Six Drives Solid Earnings Season | Weekly Market Commentary | March 4, 2024
After a slow start mired by messy bank results early on, corporate America picked up the pace and ended up delivering results well ahead of expectations. The “Super Six” was part of the story — the Magnificent Seven minus Tesla (TSLA) — but resilient profit margins are also noteworthy. Here we review fourth quarter earnings season and share some thoughts on the earnings outlook for 2024.
Buybacks Are Back | Weekly Market Commentary | February 26, 2024
After a brief lull in 2023, buyback activity appears to be back this year. A resilient U.S. economy, easing inflation pressures, and expectations for an eventual shift to interest rate cuts have given corporate America confidence to boost authorized share repurchases. These companies have a history of outperforming the broader market and tend to have more exposure to momentum, value, and growth factors. While buybacks also reduce share count and help support earnings growth and valuations, they can also help limit downside volatility during periods of selling pressure.
Treasuries: Who’s Buying and Why It Matters | Weekly Market Commentary | February 20, 2024
As the Federal Reserve (Fed) continues with its Quantitative Tightening (QT) program, questions abound regarding the Treasury Department’s expanding funding needs. The QT program is designed to reduce the Fed’s balance sheet — now $7.7 billion down from $9 billion — after Treasury notes (mostly) were bought after economic concerns intensified during the COVID-19-related pandemic. Households and, perhaps surprisingly, foreign investors have been buyers recently, and with the amount of Treasury supply coming to market, both will need to keep buying.