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

Have you glanced at world markets in the last few months? It can be hard to avoid, particularly with daily headlines touting the volatility on any given day. Let’s take a look at a few definitions that will help give some context to what we’re seeing and how to respond. Read More