The Market: June 2017

“It’s a Bull Market until proved otherwise” is an old Wall Street saying.  From what we have experienced in recent history, this old adage makes sense.  Starting in 2009 to the present, Bull has withstood negativity, fear, Greek crises, Brexit, elections, you name it and still makes its way higher.  Many pundits say the Bull…

The Market: May 2017

Is there Russian interference? The seemingly widening question of Russian influence in the 2016 Presidential Election and in the current Trump administration has gripped the headlines and placed a new concern as to the continuation of the bull market.  It is hard to predict where the investigations will lead.  However, I don’t believe that even…

The Market: April 2017

Stocks remain resilient Until the past two weeks, geopolitics is something that the market has ignored for quite some time. With North Korea saber-rattling with its missiles and the US firing off some of their own at Syrian targets, stock market volatility has increased. In addition, the fear-trade seems to be on again with investors…

The Market: March 2017

Continued good economic news The economic news continues to come in reasonably good. Consumer sentiment, jobless claims, and manufacturing gauges are all continuing to be positive. Good data also continue to come in from China and Europe. European inflation for the first time since January 2013 hit 2%, a signal that the extraordinary actions the…

The Market: February 2017

As we move into February, stocks continue to show strength, albeit without the explosiveness we witnessed in January.  Expectations for policy changes such as a reduction in regulations, tax reform, and increased spending continue to support the bulls.  However, the optimism may be losing some of its luster.  Interest in safety trades There seems to…

The Market: January 2017

I’d like to wish all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.  Promises of Tax Cuts and More Government Spending 2016 is gone and with it the tensions surrounding the US election. My guess is that the old saying that “one campaigns in poetry but governs in prose” is likely to hold true. …

The Market: September 2016

I hope everyone’s summer was fun and an enjoyable break. This summer, unlike the recent past, did not bring a decline in the markets.  The old proverb, “Sell in May and go away” was not the right call this year. For the most part, the markets managed to grind higher.  The events that were supposed…

The Market: July/August 2016

I ended my commentary last month with the sentence, “Hopefully good economics will prevail this time around”. Brexit decision That sentiment became more of an open question following the unexpected decision by the British electorate to leave the European Union. The immediate market response was to run for cover. The British Pound fell precipitously, stocks…

The Market: June 2016

The global markets are on pins and needles awaiting next week’s referendum on whether the United Kingdom will leave the European Union. The vote on June 23rd has significant ramifications not only for the British. It may well set the tone for other EU nations to contemplate exiting the economic bloc.  If the “Brexit” movement…

The Market: May 2016

The stock market has managed to grind higher throughout April. Oil prices rallied, the US dollar weakened and China showed signs that its economy is stabilizing. These three conditions are just what the market needed to breathe easier and recover from the steep declines expressed in the first quarter. As usual, the market rallied in the…