Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – October 21, 2019

Great Britain’s prime minister and the European Union reached an agreement for Britain to exit the European Union on October 31, 2019, pending the approval of the British Parliament. Efforts to secure Parliament’s approval over the weekend were postponed to this week as Brexit opponents seek to shift enough votes to thwart the deal.

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – October 14, 2019

Chinese and U.S. negotiators reached a tentative agreement to step back from policies designed to inflict damage on each other’s economies as they seek to negotiate a more permanent trade deal. The Chinese agreed to accelerate purchases of U.S. agricultural products,

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – October 7, 2019

The monthly U.S. employment report created some very positive headlines but also indicated slowing business investment is spilling over to the jobs market. The unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, the lowest level in 50 years. As shown on the accompanying chart, payrolls increased by 136,000 jobs last month, roughly in line with expectations.

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – September 30, 2019

Impeachment proceedings led news coverage most of the week, but other economic data may be more impactful on portfolios. As the accompanying chart shows, consumer spending rose just 0.1% in August. The below-expected results indicate weakness from trade, and business spending may be slowing consumer confidence, too.

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – September 23, 2019

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates 0.25% last week. While the move was widely expected, various forms of dissent reflected the underlying tensions faced by the Fed. As the accompanying chart shows, interest rates dropped last week but remain above recent lows.

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – September 16, 2019

Global stocks rallied sharply for the third straight week. The S&P 500 rose 1.0%. The MSCI ACWI index of global stocks rose 1.3%. The Bloomberg BarCap Aggregate Bond Index dropped 1.7% as optimism about future economic growth pushed interest rates higher and bond prices lower.

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – September 9, 2019

Global stocks rallied sharply for the second straight week. Stocks have historically performed worse in September than any other month, so the positive performance comes at a welcome time. For the week, the S&P 500 rose 1.8%.

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – September 3, 2019

Global stocks rallied sharply last week and erased much of the decline experienced in August. Economic news was generally in line with recent themes, and the Chinese government’s comments expressing its willingness to negotiate reassured investors.

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – August 26, 2019

Global stocks were having a positive week until an escalation in the trade war between the U.S. and China pushed the market lower Friday morning. The S&P 500 dropped 2.6% on Friday after the president indicated the U.S. would respond to additional Chinese tariffs.

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary – August 19, 2019

Volatility continued to rise last week as the markets swung sharply in both directions. Markets moved more than 1% on four days. The most impactful event was the two-year yield temporarily rising above the 10-year yield, a move that has coincided with the last seven recessions.