September 1, 2023 A steady stream of news drained enthusiasm from the equities markets through most of August, snapping a five-month growth streak at a time of the year known for cool market performance despite the swelter of its dog days. Among that news: A tick in the wrong direction of a key measurement ignited…

August 1, 2023 Have the steady hand of the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the resilience of the U.S. economy created the much-hoped-for “soft landing” at the bottom of the inflation crisis? Time will tell – even as it declines, inflation remains above target levels – but the market seems willing to give the benefit of…

July 1, 2023 The bear may have entered hibernation in June, but can we now count a bona fide bull? That may be overselling it. Equities capped off a remarkable first half of the year by continuing to gain value even as the Federal Reserve (Fed) signaled that its inflation-fighting program could yield two more…

June 1, 2023 Though the markets remained optimistic about the chance for a bipartisan deal on extending the federal debt limit, May was nonetheless a time of waiting and seeing, extending a streak of equity market choppiness into a second month. Affirmation came during the Memorial Day weekend with the White House and House leadership…

May 1, 2023 Though equities have proven resilient, more of the long-expected effects of the Federal Reserve’s (the Fed’s) rapid interest rate-raising policy arrived in April. “After nearly 500 basis points of tightening, cracks in the labor market and economy are starting to show,” said Raymond James Chief Investment Officer Larry Adam. “This combination of…

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April 3, 2023 Events through March would again test a market that has continued to demonstrate resilience. While volatile conditions remain, and despite equities’ February retreat carrying into mid-March, the major indices ended the first quarter of 2023 up. If one were to look solely at the headlines, this may have come as a surprise.…

March 1, 2023 In other contexts, a string of positive economic data, including reports on jobs and retail sales, would provide a tailwind for equities. In these inflationary times, however, the specter of the Federal Reserve’s (the Fed) commitment to cooling the economy via higher interest rates has made any good news suspect. The major…