As poor as last year was for investors, 2023 has fortunately been a near mirror image. Stocks and bonds have both made solid gains to kick off the new year. The economy is in better shape than most expected, and overall inflation is also coming down, making a very nice combo.
Last week the stock market rally continued, with various sectors showing renewed strength. This time a year ago, defensive areas, such as utilities, consumer staples, and health care, were leading. That was a warning sign, and it sure turned out something was wrong. Today small-caps, cyclic …
Stocks sold off early in the week on disappointing retail sales and industrial production numbers, but they staged a nice bounce on Friday to close out the week. Although some recent data has been disappointing, inflation data continues to show fast improvement, with producer-level inflatio …
After one of the worst years ever for investors in 2022, we are quite happy to report that 2023 is off to a much better start. The S&P 500 is already up more than 4% for the year and flirting with the round number of 4,000. Optimism that the economy can avoid a recession (more …
The December payroll report was yet another upside surprise. Monthly payrolls rose by 223,000, above expectations for a 200,000 gain. As Fed Chair Jerome Powell has noted, the economy needs to create about 100,000 jobs a month to keep up with population growth. That’s less than half the cur …
The S&P 500 lost 19.4% in 2022, marking the worst year since 2008 and the fourth worst since World War II (behind 1974, 2002, and 2008). The big loser was the NASDAQ, which fell more than 30% thanks to large-cap tech and growth names lagging the overall market significantly. On the flip …
Why 2023 Should Bounce Back We hope everyone had a great holiday season, and we wish everyone a safe and happy New Year!
As you reflect on the past year in preparation to meet with your accountant, consider these loopholes that may help you dodge the taxman.
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