Tag: Investments

Although the COVID-19 induced recession last year was short-lived, the on-going effects of COVID-19 on the global economy persist.  Prior to the pandemic, the U.S. inflation rate was contained; GDP growth, though positive, was struggling to rise above 2% annually; the super-cycle of commodity price declines was continuing; global supply chains were robust, despite the [...]

What is the difference between ESG, socially responsible, and impact investing? This question and may more were answered during last week’s webinar. Members of our Investment Strategy Group, Howard Coleman, Hans Krippaehne, Chris Chung, and Nina Rose, gathered to discuss all things ESG. They also discussed how clients who are interested in ESG can implement [...]

Most likely you are asking the same question we are. What is going on in Washington? And how and when does it end? We clearly have an acrimonious situation in Congress that has caused a government shutdown.  Coupled with the looming debt ceiling deadline of October 17th, this state of affairs is creating mounting uncertainty [...]

September 2013 marks the five-year anniversary of the financial market collapse in 2008; we have certainly come a long way in those five years. With the S&P 500 and the Dow eclipsing all-time highs and interest rates having stayed low for the longest stretch in 50 years, most investors have already received quite a benefit [...]

In this low interest rate environment, income-minded investors, who have some tolerance for risk may find dividend-paying stocks attractive.  In fact, nearly 40% of S&P 500 companies have dividend yields above the 10-year US Treasury bond yield. The appeal of dividend-paying stocks is easy to understand as they can provide investors with regular income regardless [...]

“For the loser now will be later to win For the times they are a-changin’” – Bob Dylan With a modest improvement in unemployment, a nascent housing recovery and continued accommodative Federal Reserve, the US markets continued to generate positive returns, albeit with considerable volatility in the second half of the quarter.  In the prior [...]

In every life we have some trouble When you worry you make it double Don’t worry, be happy….. – Bobby McFerrin 1988 While all of the problems the market has been worrying about for the last few years have not been solved, it seems that “the can was kicked down road” enough this quarter for [...]

It came down to the very last minute, but compromise was made and the majority of the fiscal cliff averted.  Not surprisingly the markets rallied early on news of the pending compromise.  What was surprising was the resilience of the market during weeks of tough negotiations.  Those expecting a repeat of the prior year’s debt [...]

With the elections over, the media has turned its attention to negotiations between the U.S. House, Senate and Administration over tax policy and spending programs to avert what has been dubbed the “fiscal cliff” facing our country.  One of our research resources, Strategas Research Partners, provides a list below of the various tax extensions, programs and spending [...]