Markets were mixed last week; small cap stocks gained while large cap stocks were essentially unchanged. Sectors which respond to economic growth, such as Energy, Industrials, and Financials, outperformed; conservative areas of the market, including many consumer stocks and Utilities, lagged. The performance variance reflects a “risk on” sentiment as investors view positively the prospects for tax reform and improving global economic conditions. Congressional leaders have promised to release… View More
Markets rose last week as Hurricane Irma caused less damage than feared and tax reform efforts took center stage. Prices for both U.S. Treasuries and gold fell following steady increases since early July; an apparent easing of geopolitical tensions with North Korea (notwithstanding Friday’s early morning launch of a missile over Japan) relaxed demand for these “safe haven” assets. The price of West Texas Intermediate crude, the North American benchmark, briefly surpassed $50 per barrel for… View More
We saw this commentary from one of the research analysts we follow. Brian Wesbury is the Chief economist at First Trust and we thought you might find his commentary interesting. This dovetails with the update we sent out last weekend about not believing everything you see or hear in the media. What Brian is discussing is the need to be honest about how and why the Federal Reserve grew its balance sheet. The Federal Reserve will finally look to start reducing its balance sheet and as it does, the… View More
Stocks pulled back last week during the holiday-shortened week as investors paused to assess the potential impact of multiple hurricanes, legislative developments, and ongoing tensions with North Korea. On Sunday, Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida barely ten days after Hurricane Harvey caused historic flooding in Texas; and, this week, Hurricane Jose is expected to follow Irma’s path through the Caribbean. The natural disasters will sap economic activity in the third quarter; over time, … View More
We recently ran across on article on wealthmanagement.com that we thought would be timely. They, as have we, observed and increase in concern over the stock market's value (we've also encountered this concern in relation to the bond market). "Lately, we have seen an uptick in investors who express concern that stock valuations are overheated and could soon spill into bubble territory. This is predictable, thanks to markets surpassing one benchmark after another in recent months—a surge that, … View More