After three consecutive quarters of only mostly negative returns to report, the fourth quarter finally provided positive returns across most asset classes, but not without continued volatility. The downward volatility that marked the second half of the third quarter, continued into the fourth as the S&P 500 Index fell to its low for the year on October 13th. Read More

The third quarter started out well, with stocks rising and interest rates slightly declining. Even in the face of interest rate hikes by the European Central Bank (ECB), the Federal Reserve (Fed), and the Bank of England (BoE), the markets continued a steady march higher towards recovery. But by the middle of August, markets did an about face, reversing all those gains and more. Read More

By Ryan Bouchard with Cliff Aque Markets have been in a brutal tug-of-war since the end of 2021 due largely to the aftershocks of the COVID pandemic. When the pandemic first hit, the global economy came to a standstill. At the time, governments and central banks did a lot (too much, in hindsight) to try… Read More

As the summer heats up unseasonably early this year, the Federal Reserve has stepped up its efforts to cool down inflation by raising the Fed Funds rate another 75 basis points on Wednesday, June 15^th. The stock market (as measured by the S&P 500 Index), which entered bear market territory at the start of this week, at first reacted positively, but then sold off again on Thursday as investors are concerned about the risks surrounding economic growth… or slowing thereof. Read More

With the S&P 500 down 20% from recent highs, we have officially passed into Bear Market territory. In the video below, Todd Brand shares some color and historical context for the volatility seen in the equity markets. As always, we invite you to connect with your team if you’d like to discuss the markets, your… Read More