The clouds of uncertainty parted last week as former President Donald Trump decisively won the U.S. election, making him the second U.S. president to win non-consecutive terms (Grover Cleveland was the first to do it back in 1892). Investors welcomed the news with renewed risk appetite, bidding the S&P 500 to its 50th record high of the year on Friday. Trump’s proposed economic policies, including deregulation, a likely extension of the 2017 tax cuts, a possible corporate tax rate cut, and proposed tax exemptions on tips, social security, and overtime pay helped underpin buyer enthusiasm. The immediate de-risking of when the election will be decided was another big factor behind the post Election Day rally.
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Weekly Market Commentary
Election Stock Market Playbook | Weekly Market Commentary | November 4, 2024
As Election Day approaches, we discuss potential stock market implications of various possible outcomes. But before we get into that, we offer our regular public service announcement around elections and investing. Political views are best expressed at the polls and not in portfolios.
What Scares Us About the Economy and Markets | Weekly Market Commentary | October 28, 2024
Stocks have done so well this year that it’s fair to say market participants haven’t feared much. But just because risks haven’t affected markets lately doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. In that “spirit,” as Halloween approaches, we discuss what scares us about the economy and financial markets.
Q3 Earnings Should Be Fine, but Expectations Beyond This Quarter Are High | Weekly Market Commentary | October 21, 2024
The S&P 500 consensus earnings growth number of 3% for the third quarter is not something to write home about, especially after double-digit earnings growth in the second quarter. The soft number is partly due to a tougher comparison. In Q2 2024, earnings had an easier comparison with a 3.3% drop in earnings in the prior-year quarter (Q2 2023 vs. Q2 2022). For the third quarter now being reported, the comparison gets tougher as earnings growth in Q3 2023 was over 5% (vs. Q2 2022).
Happy Two-Year B-Day Bull Market – Here’s to a Third! | Weekly Market Commentary | October 14, 2024
The October 13 rally that ended the bear market at a low of 3,577.03 began with the S&P 500 selling off in the morning only to rally dramatically higher into the market close. The CPI report earlier in the day showed headline inflation at 8.2% on a year-over-year basis, but Core CPI ─ not including food and fuel prices ─ beat the consensus estimate at 6.6%. The S&P 500 closed at 3,669.91 and the bull market had commenced.
Just When We Recalibrated, Another Shock Arrived | Weekly Market Commentary | October 7, 2024
Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell said last month’s decision to cut the fed funds target rate by a half percentage point was due to a “recalibrating” policy, as the Fed follows its dual mandate regarding inflation and growth.
Gold Rally Is No Flash in the Pan | Weekly Market Commentary | September 30, 2024
When it comes to investing, gold may be the antithesis of artificial intelligence (AI). The precious metal has acted as a store of value for thousands of years with zero technological innovation — gold is discovered, not developed. Gold is also a real tangible asset and can act as a potential hedge against inflation or a safe haven during times of crisis.
Policy Crosscurrents: Potential Market Impacts | Weekly Market Commentary | September 23, 2024
Of course, last week’s headliner was Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve (Fed) cutting rates by a half percent on Wednesday, September 18, the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020. The Fed “pause” ended at 423 days and now stands as the second-longest on record, while the 26% gain for the S&P 500 during the pause (7/27/23–9/18/24) ranks first. Here we share some thoughts on the Fed’s move last week and some potential market implications of not only Fed policy but also fiscal policy post-election.
Election Implications on the Municipal Market | Weekly Market Commentary | September 16, 2024
While there are still several months until the election is decided, the expectation is that regardless of who ultimately becomes our 47th president, the biggest loser could be the fiscal deficit. Per the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the U.S. government is expected to run sizable deficits over the next decade — to the tune of 5% – 7% of gross domestic product (GDP) each year. According to the CBO, the deficit increases significantly in relation to GDP over the next 30 years, reaching 8.5% of GDP in 2054.
Russia To Host BRICS Summit 2024 Amid Heightened Geopolitical Conflict | Weekly Market Commentary | September 3, 2024
In December 2023, Vladimir Putin declared that the 2024 BRICS Summit, hosted by Russia, would be focused on establishing a “fair world order” based on shared principles.
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