January 17, 2020
What a difference a year makes! Entering 2019, investors were fearful of slowing earnings, a fairly brutal 4th quarter market sell-off, and a Federal Reserve that had been hiking interest rates while oblivious to slowing economic conditions. An escalation of trade tensions with China, the world’s second-largest economy, combined with Britain’s potential exit from the… Read more »
November 26, 2019
Entering the back half of November, it is clear that investor bullishness has returned to financial markets as U.S. equities logged their sixth straight weekly gain. While it’s painful to not be “all-in” on stocks while the market racks up gains so quickly (U.S. stocks are up +8% from their October lows), recall just a… Read more »
November 25, 2019
JNBA Financial Advisors’ CEO Richard S. Brown recently sat down with David Webb, Director of Investment Management at JNBA, to talk about the markets for this JNBA podcast episode – specifically, what we saw in 2019 and what factors we’re keeping an eye on as 2020 quickly approaches. We cover topics including the concept that… Read more »
October 11, 2019
Despite a serious bout of market turbulence and an inversion of the yield curve, stocks held onto their best year-to-date gains in over two decades during the 3rd quarter. Lower interest rates supported modest gains for many asset classes – even as weakness in global manufacturing spilled into the U.S. Some of this weaker data… Read more »
August 8, 2019
After a brief lull in market activity, stock volatility returned with a vengeance last week as equity markets finished with their worst five-day performance since last December. Monday’s market drop made it six days in a row with losses, and many investors are rightfully scratching their heads wondering what could have changed so much over… Read more »
July 23, 2019
Last year was characterized by central banks raising interest rates and tightening liquidity which caused essentially all asset classes to decline. As promises of rate increases have dramatically shifted to expectations of rate cuts this year, virtually all asset classes have reversed course. Stocks, bonds, and commodities have all rallied, making this year the opposite… Read more »
June 19, 2019
To view this update, click on the play button above. If you have any questions, please contact your Advisory Team. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained… Read more »
May 14, 2019
If you’ve invested in the stock and bond market for any amount of time, you’ve likely experienced one or two of your investment holdings losing value over some time period. Occasionally these holdings bounce back quickly, but not always. If some of your holdings seem to be lagging behind others or underperforming the market in… Read more »
May 14, 2019
Since hitting all-time highs at the end of April, U.S. stocks have quickly retreated in May, losing 4.5% from their record peak. Meanwhile, global stocks are down in lockstep from their April highs. How fast narratives change! Last fall, investors were becoming more optimistic that a favorable trade deal might get done and fretted about… Read more »
February 21, 2019
Most psychologists will tell you that people who tell lies generally leave out details, admit to faulty memory, make quick corrections, and keep things short and vague. When markets are trying to tell a fib, often asset class movements don’t work to corroborate the same story. Since the December lows, this seems to be what… Read more »