The S&P 500 has set new all-time highs in recent weeks and has crossed the 5,000-level for the first time ever. After closing as low as 3,670 in October of 2022, the bull market run in stocks has been robust and has been welcome news for investors. What has driven this market higher, however, and … Continued
The S&P 500 ended 2023 up more than +24% for the year, a strong recovery following a miserable 2022 for investors. With some up and down throughout the year, markets surged at the end — gaining for nine straight weeks to close out the year, adding +13% in just the final two months. Much of … Continued
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is now at an all-time high, and the S&P 500 is close to one, as 2023 comes to an end. Market participants are exuberant in their anticipation that the Federal Reserve may be set to accomplish one of the rarest of feats — an economic soft landing. A soft landing … Continued
As a forgettable October came to an end, the S&P 500 rallied in the final week for its best weekly performance since November 2022 — and continued the rally into November, gaining in 9 of 10 trading days through November 10. The rally kicked into gear following the Federal Reserve’s November 1 meeting, where comments … Continued
September lived up to its reputation as a tough month for stocks, as markets across the board struggled and the S&P 500 finished down nearly -5% for the month. The U.S. 10-year treasury yield spiked to levels not seen since 2007, and the popular 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose to its highest level since 2000, … Continued
2023 has been an eventful year for impact-focused investors. Following years of increased participation and interest in responsible investing, in recent months there has been some push back on these strategies. Critics have argued that investors should consider only financial factors and metrics when evaluating companies for investment, and should not factor in potential risks … Continued
The S&P 500 calmly added +3.11% in July, continuing its new bull market run from the lows of last October. With the exception of a few days around the regional bank failures, it’s been a market rally characterized by markedly subdued volatility. For example, the CBOE VIX index, sometimes referred to as Wall Street’s “Fear … Continued
While the drivers, effects and outlook for a down market tend to engulf investors attention, when markets are marching higher, there are often fewer questions and less consternation. While many investors are not keen to argue with a strong market, and are enjoying the latest bull run, we’d encourage investors not to lose the thread … Continued
After 248 trading days in bear market territory — the longest bear market since 1948 — the S&P 500 entered a new bull market June 8. Optimism has been driven by softening inflation, a timely deal on the debt ceiling and huge gains in the tech sector, particularly for companies involved in artificial intelligence. According … Continued
Wall Street loves its adages. “Sell in May and go away,” “Don’t catch a falling knife” and “Buy the rumor, sell the news” are just a few examples. Like many sayings, there may be examples of truth in some of these. For example, over the last 25 years, markets have earned on average around +2.10% … Continued