Stock and bond markets diverged. Last week, the Bank of England surprised markets with a rate hike, its first in three years, and the Bank of Mexico raised rates more than expected. Both cited persistent inflation as the reason for the increases, reported Carla Mozée of Markets Insider. In the United States, the Federal Open […]
Wishing You the Merriest Christmas Perhaps Dr. Seuss said it best: “Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.”1 Dr. Seuss also said, “Christmas can’t be bought from a store. Maybe Christmas means a little bit more.”2 After these past couple years, we can enjoy the spirit […]
Inflation met expectations. When the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) last week, it showed that inflation was at levels last seen in 1982. In November, prices were up 0.8 percent month-to-month and 6.8 percent year-to-year. “It was the blowout, superhot inflation number that everyone was expecting—and it was met with […]
Investors look to the future. Last week, employment and manufacturing data confirmed that the United States economy continued to strengthen in November, but positive economic news was overshadowed by investors’ concerns about the spread of coronavirus and Federal Reserve policy. Let’s start with the economic news. More Americans were working. The Bureau of Labor Statistics […]
COVID-19 strikes again. Coronavirus cases have been on the rise in Europe, climbing from about 700,000 new cases a week in September to 2.6 million a week in November, reported Richard Pérez-Peña and Jason Horowitz of the New York Times. As Thanksgiving approached, there was concern that travel and togetherness could increase the number of […]
Thinking about the possibilities. The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index finished last week slightly higher and has gained about 6 percent during the past 25 days; however, investors have curbed their enthusiasm. The S&P 500 hasn’t experienced a move of one percent or more in 25 trading days. That’s the longest period without a […]
Gratitude is an expression of appreciation for all we have in addition to being an affirmation of goodness and warmth.1 This Thanksgiving, there are so many things for which to be grateful: our families, our health, and our successes. Here are some ways you can express gratitude this Thanksgiving: Pass the gratitude basket. Give everyone […]
Economists like to joke that inflation is just right when no one notices it. Last week, investors noticed it. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is a measure of inflation, rose 0.9 percent in October and 6.2 percent over the last 12 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (When volatile food and energy […]
Feeling bullish… Investor bullishness ticked higher last week on all four investor sentiment gauges tracked by Barron’s. Investor optimism may have been fanned by positive financial and economic news. For example, last week: The jobs report was better than expected. Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that 531,000 new jobs were added […]