The S&P 500 Index returned -2.49% last week. The index recorded gains for five consecutive months through August and is up 4.80% year-to-date. However, the first two weeks of September have trended down with the index currently down 4.50% for the month. Crude oil closed at $37.33 per barrel on Friday, declining 6.14% for the week. This is the second straight week of losses, marking the largest two-week decline since April. Energy stocks have been under pressure posting the worst sector perf… View More
September is a notoriously difficult month for the markets. It has been consistently difficult in many years, but we were hopeful this year would be different with the Coronavirus interrupting our normal lives and habits. Since the lockdowns in March, there has been a tremendous pick up in retail investors, who now make up 25% of invested assets. Traditionally, retail investors have exacerbated market trends. Retail investors, generally speaking, tend to buy and sell at the wrong times (buy high… View More
Stocks continued to rise to record levels last week after a clearer path was laid out by the Federal Reserve. In a shift from previous statements, chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed would be more accommodative and let inflation and employment run at higher rates that will likely accompany lower interest rates. The statement came as unemployment benefits dropped, signaling the labor market is recovering. President Trump officially accepted the GOP nomination on Thursday. His speech at the White … View More
The perceived disconnect between the strength in equity markets vs. the current standing of the economy remains – without hesitation – the primary source of anxiety among investors. We continue to think about this a little bit differently than the consensus… specifically, the quiet leadership from the more cyclical corners of the market may be more suggestive of a positive economic surprise in the months ahead. Consumer Discretionary vs. Consumer Staples (equally weighted), is on the cusp … View More
Last week, equities were positive as value names led the way. The S&P 500 index was up 0.69% while the S&P 500 Value index was up 0.91% and the S&P 500 Growth index returned 0.55%. Top performers in the S&P 500 index were cruise providers Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings along with gaming/hotel titans Wynn Resorts LTD and MGM Resorts International. These names benefitted from the 7-day average positive COVID19 tests falling to 54,503 on Friday, down … View More