Markets last week varied from unchanged (for the Dow Jones Industrial Average) to modest, or more significant, declines for the S&P 500® Index, the NASDAQ and the Russell 2000® Index, respectively. The mixed results followed the midweek release of the Federal Reserve’s March meeting minutes. Discussions among Fed officials on the gradual unwinding of bond holdings, a process known as “balance sheet normalization,” unsettled investors. Most members of the monetary policy committee a… View More
Markets rose this week on the prospects for tax reform and rising oil prices. Small cap stocks, which have lagged year-to-date, led the gains; the outperformance of these more aggressive stocks suggests that investor confidence is regaining momentum. Meanwhile, the S&P 500® Index, which is dominated by large companies, ended the quarter with its best performance since the fourth quarter of 2015. Apparently, market sentiment has quickly moved past last week’s failed effort at health care r… View More
The markets declined last week as the focus on health care reform weighed on investor sentiment. Many had viewed the administration’s early efforts on the American Health Care Act, the replacement for Obama’s Affordable Care Act, as potentially delaying pro-growth initiatives, most importantly tax reform and an infrastructure package. The White House’s push for a Friday vote in the House of Representatives set the stage for a transition to other, more popular, items on the President… View More
Stocks rose this week following the Federal Reserve announcement on Wednesday to increase interest rates for a second time in three months. Fed Chair Janet Yellen, in communicating the rate decision, noted: “We have confidence in the robustness of the economy and its resilience to shocks”; and, “Many more people feel optimistic about their prospects in the labor market.” The favorable assessment buoyed investor sentiment, especially for shares of small and mid-sized companies which o… View More
Declining oil prices weighed on the markets this week; West Texas Intermediate crude, the North American benchmark, fell 9% to drop below $50 per barrel for the first time this year. Record U.S. inventory levels, partly due to scheduled refinery maintenance, but also a result of increased production, contributed to the pullback. At an industry conference this week in Houston, Saudi officials, who would prefer an oil price increase to $60 per barrel or higher, told several U.S. producers not … View More