Stocks Continue to Climb The market climbed inexorably higher during the third quarter. This relentless march upward without yielding a meaningful decline is virtually unprecedented. Usually, even in the best of years, the market always sustains ordinary pullbacks. 2017 might end up being the first time the market has made positive returns every calendar month […]

Last Friday’s US jobs report of only 118,000 new private sector jobs was the worst reading in three years. This means the Fed was right to leave rates unchanged on its policy decision from September 17th. People now realize Fed policy and our economic conditions are consistent. This clarity reboots the market and is staging its recovery course.

During the six week period in August and September, the stock market dropped sharply due to a weakening economy and confusion about the direction of the Federal Reserve policy. The market was also disturbed by deteriorating economic conditions in China but this concern was secondary to our own troubles.

This week marks the end of a systematic adjustment phase for the stock market. Generally, stocks hate interest rate increases. Since August, the market has been perplexed about facing the first rate increase from the Federal Reserve in nine years. Since August 20th, the market has dropped about 8%. This along with other weak economic […]

Happy Independence Day! We enter the year’s second half with the flat market profile solidly intact. There is an imperative need for our assets to prosper but this market is not being very cooperative. The second quarter’s small loss broke a string of nine straight quarterly gains for the S&P 500. For the year, the […]

Today’s 350 point drop in the DOW tipped all of the market averages into the red for the year. Concerns about Greece the Greek fiscal condition and the Chinese market have presented the market with a formidable two headed monster to overcome. Adding to concerns for the stock market is today’s selloff, which penetrated the […]

The markets continue to plod along on their well-established ways. After a negative start to 2015, the market indices inched to a 3% gain for 2015 only to lose that and retreat to a virtual standstill. According to Bespoke Investments, the S&P 500 has never hovered this close to its beginning of the year starting […]

Despite some big swings both up and down, the market has very little to show for itself for 2015.  The S&P 500 fell 3.6% in January, rose 4% in February and is looking to be slightly negative in March. This market is threatening to post its first quarterly loss since Q4 2012 and this is […]

Yesterday’s Federal Reserve announcement ignited a stock market rally that sent the S&P 500 to a narrow gain for this year. The context of this announcement surprised investors because the Federal Reserve and Janet Yellen indicated the economy was actually weaker than the recent data suggested. A weaker economy means the Fed might delay the […]

The bull market may be over. There are lots of reasons that experts are using to support the argument that our six year bull market is coming to an end.  Famous bond investor Bill Gross said at the year’s outset, “Good times are over.” Chief amongst the concerns are the stresses on foreign governments.   These […]

Just as fears of widespread Ebola virus swarmed the stock market earlier this month, the acceptance that the illness might be contained has returned the market to its previous levels. Put simply, stocks fell 6% in the first two weeks of October and then rallied 6% over the last two weeks. This type of zig-zag […]