WELLth Financial Planning

Stocks chopped this summer as high hopes for AI product and infrastructure development were offset by rising inflation and an increasingly hawkish Federal Reserve.

Global stocks surged during the second quarter as oversold conditions in March and de-escalation in the Middle East created ripe conditions for a rally. In the United States, the large-cap S&P 500 index climbed by 13%, while the small-cap Russell 2000 index increased by nearly 25% (yCharts).

The weight of evidence suggests that the current equity market decline should be viewed as a short-term pullback within an ongoing, longer-term bull market. However, we are watching indicators closely for changes in global economic/market health. Below are five charts we will be paying special attention to in Q2.

Monetary and fiscal policy are now decisively stimulative to the economy thanks to interest rate cuts and the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This should provide a tailwind to investments.