Two Sessions, or Lianghui, is the popular name for the annual meeting of China’s top legislative and consultative bodies. These gatherings are closely watched by overseas observers as they provide key insight into China’s political landscape, economic priorities and overall policy direction.
Customization is an integral part of direct indexing. The technology behind it can make or break the experience for clients and advisors alike. We dive into the features and functions that make the best tools.
As of the end of trading on Thursday, March 13, the S&P 500 closed down 10 percent from its all-time high, marking an official correction. It was the first correction since October 2023—17 months ago.
The Defined Outcome investment landscape is rapidly evolving, offering new opportunities for managing risk and return with greater precision.
One of the textbook drivers of alpha is an information edge. Having more information, advanced ways to use that information, and the ability to react to it before anyone else has been a massive advantage throughout the history of markets.
I recently celebrated another trip around the sun, which meant I couldn’t let the occasion pass without enjoying some birthday cake.
Several indicators used by fixed income investors to measure value have recently taken a positive turn, potentially flashing an entry-point opportunity for investors with money to put to work.
What does a "correction" mean, what's likely to happen next, and what can investors do now?
A time-honored belief holds that inflation is bad for stocks, but recent developments may be challenging this view.
The U.S. housing market has been a critical factor in the broader economic landscape, and its trends have profound implications.
Official recession calls are the responsibility of the NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee, which is understandably vague about the specific indicators on which they base their decisions. There is, however, a general belief that there are four big indicators that the committee weighs heavily in their cycle identification process.
Head of research at VettaFi, Todd Rosenbluth interviews Neil Bage, the co-founder of Shaping Wealth about his upcoming workshop "Building a human-centric wealth culture" at the Exchange conference.
Gas prices were down for a fourth straight week, hitting their lowest level in two months. As of March 17th, the price of regular and premium gas were down 1 and 2 cents from the previous week, respectively. The WTIC end-of-day spot price for crude oil closed at $67.373, up 2.0% from last week.
Join the experts at SS&C ALPS Advisors and VettaFi for a 30-minute LiveCast on March 18th at 12:30 pm ET as they explain NGLs and the related growth opportunities for midstream.
Although annuities can offer a guaranteed income stream in retirement, they come with significant risks and complexities. It's essential to thoroughly understand these products and consider whether they align with your financial goals and risk tolerance.
FINRA has released new data for margin debt, now available through February. The latest debt level is at $918.144 billion, just below its record high from January. Margin debt was down 2.0% month-over-month (MoM) and up 23.6% year-over-year (YoY). However, after adjusting for inflation, the debt level was down 2.5% MoM and up 20.2% YoY.
Banks needed the right version of Donald Trump to justify their high-flying stock prices. They got the wrong one. The US president’s chaotic and aggressive performance during his first few weeks in the White House has shocked companies, put investment plans and deals on hold and threatens to drag the economy into recession.
Google parent Alphabet Inc. agreed to acquire cybersecurity firm Wiz Inc. for $32 billion in cash, reaching a deal less than a year after initial negotiations fell apart because the cloud-computing startup wanted to stay independent.
For years, Federal Reserve meetings have been the main event on Wall Street as the central bank fought to contain runaway inflation.
US investment firms are rushing to grab a greater chunk of Europe’s market for active exchange-traded funds, an industry projected to grow to $1 trillion in assets over the coming years.
US housing starts rose in February by more than forecast after a weather-related plunge, led by a pickup in single-family home construction underpinned by builder incentives.
The share of US workers making a direct transition from one employer to another has slid near a four-year low, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, pointing to a weakening labor market.
I often encounter individuals struggling with financial stress – whether it's saving for retirement, building an emergency fund, or paying down debt. To better understand these concerns, Barnum conducted a comprehensive study on the financial wellness of working Americans.
There’s nothing like a good sale to get people excited—unless that sale happens in the stock market. Instead of celebrating a chance to buy at a discount, investors panic, dump stocks, and brace for economic doom.
Industrial production jumped 0.75% in February to a new record high, surpassing the expected 0.2% increase. Compared to one year ago, industrial production is up 1.4%.
The wealth industry could be headed into an era of accelerated innovation, as advisory firms shift from zero to full speed ahead with artificial intelligence.
In the latest report by the Census Bureau, building permits fell for a third straight month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.456 million in February. This marks a 1.2% decrease from January and a 6.9% decline compared to one year ago.
In the latest report by the Census Bureau, housing starts jumped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.501 million in February. This marks an 11.2% increase from January but a 2.9% decline compared to one year ago.
Last week’s economic data was plagued by uncertainty. A brief respite in inflation pressures was overshadowed by sentiment concerns.
With market uncertainty abound in today's macro and geopolitical climate, Berkshire Hathaway hasn't been immune to the volatility.
Every so often we hear a theory that makes sense superficially but on closer examination doesn’t add up. The most recent one is that the Trump Administration wants a recession (or at least wouldn’t mind one) because interest rates would drop, making it easier to service the national debt.
Policies to support mainstream crypto adoption are underway.
The recent sell-off has certainly sparked concerns with investors but the NYSE advance-decline line is an important technical measure to watch. However, what is it, and why does it matter?
On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Director and Senior Investment Strategist Alex Cousley discussed recent developments in the trade war and the impact on markets. He also dug into the latest U.S. economic data and provided an update on investor sentiment.
Keep calm and carry on. Recent weeks have seen financial markets rattled by swirling news headlines, tariff whiplash, and rising economic uncertainty.
Unpredictable U.S. tariff policy has heightened concerns about a potential U.S. economic recession.
This morning’s retail sales report is a bit of relief. The economy, as of the end February, is not in free fall as the control group increase of 1.0% offset the same decline in January. Nevertheless, the underlying concerns that emerged over the last few days cannot be ignored.
The economy stands upon the edge of a knife as gold hits new highs. Plus, we review our predictions for gold and silver last year and provide our price predictions for 2025.
Five of the nine indexes on our world watch list have posted gains through March 17, 2025. Hong Kong's Hang Seng is in the top spot with a year to date gain of 23.05%. Germany's DAXK is in second with a year to date gain of 15.29% while France's CAC 40 is in third with a year to date gain of 9.20%.
One of the biggest challenges investors face today is navigating the most concentrated U.S. stock market in history, where the largest stocks represent a record share of total market value.
Join the experts at ProShares for a discussion on an inflation hedged bond strategy that aims to virtually eliminate rate risk while capturing returns.
No matter how conversant one is with global security issues, it’s hard to fully grasp what that abyss would look like; Jacobsen accomplishes this formidable task by spending more than a decade with the dramatis personae in the history of nuclear weaponry.
Prices can continue to rise, until they don’t. Have we reached the point where they don’t?
Nominal retail sales in February were up 0.20% month-over-month (MoM) and 3.11% year-over-year (YoY). However, after adjusting for inflation, real retail sales were down 0.02% MoM and up 0.38% YoY.
Builder confidence fell for a second straight month as economic uncertainty, tariff threats, and elevated construction costs continue to weigh on sentiment. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Housing Market Index (HMI) dropped to 39 this month, down 3 points from February and the lowest level since August. The latest reading was below the 42 forecast.
Digital tokenization of assets, made possible by the crypto-blockchain construct, can boost efficiency in the capital markets, thus greasing the wheels that drive the economy.
Manufacturing activity dropped significantly in New York State, according to the Empire State Manufacturing March survey. The diffusion index for General Business Conditions fell 25.7 points to -20.0, the lowest level since January 2024. The latest reading was worse than the forecast of -1.9.
Markets have been overwhelmed lately by the administration’s fast-paced and, many times, highly uncertain tariff measures.
Banks’ retreat is creating opportunity for investors.
Disappointing retail sales last month added to concerns of a pullback in consumer spending in the US, while a pair of business surveys suggested growing caution.
