he central bank made a technical move on the balance sheet, reducing the pace of permitted runoff in its Treasury holdings from $25 to $5 billion per month.
The Fed held the federal funds rate steady and signaled two rate cuts this year, despite expecting inflation to remain elevated.
Muni issuers are generally sound, so cuts in aid would be felt but dealt with.
With only eight trading days left in the first quarter, M&A announcements are set to come in at their lowest level since Q2 2020.
Despite the increase in policy uncertainty, the Federal Reserve held its forecast steady at the March FOMC meeting with two rate cuts projected in 2025.
Congress managed to avoid a government shutdown, but Democrats are divided on strategy.
As a value investor, it’s really important to understand just how important valuation is regarding making sound, long-term and profitable and successful investment decisions. A lot of people don’t understand this. Most people tend to be price focused.
The Federal Reserve held rates steady today, but downgraded the outlook for economic growth in the year ahead. Policy changes in Washington, looming tariffs, and a cautious consumer have made “uncertainty” the new favorite word in the Fed’s vocabulary.
It's been full steam ahead for active ETFs, with total assets now rapidly approaching the $1 trillion milestone.
Tariffs among developed countries could mean emerging market (EM) assets like bonds could garner interest.
Human stupidity is the one thing you can rely on in financial markets. I recently read a great piece by Joe Wiggins at Behavioral Investment, which discusses why “Investing is hard.”
In the understatement of 2025 thus far, the headlines emanating from Washington, D.C., have been fast and furious. Whether they be tariff-related, involving federal government cuts or geopolitical in nature, there has been a headline for many facets that investors could think of.
Recession fears have risen sharply of late as economic soft data have rolled over, upping the risk that hard data start to catch down.
European equities have started 2025 on a positive note. Several factors could help support the market overcome challenging conditions.
GMO has posted a new 7-Year asset class forecast as of February 28, 2025.
Receiving an unexpected gift or inheritance is something that people may dream about. Our Bill Cass discusses some key considerations if that dream becomes reality and you do receive a financial windfall.
A creative look at the parallels between March Madness and the bond market.
On March 11, Russell Investments hosted a webinar examining the challenges and opportunities presented by alternative diversifiers, including strategies for incorporating these solutions into portfolios.
Since our last update of our ‘Three Tactical Rules’ on February 4, equity markets have been under pressure as the S&P 500 has retraced more than 23% of the rally that started October 2023.
In this week’s edition, we shift our focus to another critical segment of the ABS market: those tied to consumer loans, such as credit cards and auto loans.
Value investing and emerging markets are not often associated with one another. Conventional wisdom says that emerging markets, with their rapidly developing economies and rising consumer classes, are naturally the hunting ground of growth-oriented investors.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When breakthroughs occur, researchers get the lion’s share of the credit. But they owe a big debt of gratitude to those who collect and organize the data with which insight is manufactured.
Understanding actual inflation – instead of what the media’s narrative tells you it should be – is critical to your investment planning. It is one thing for a pundit to say this or that, but it is another to look at the actual data for yourself.
Recent economic data has been all over the map. Consumer confidence sank this month to the lowest level since November 2022, yet the labor market remains strong, with historically low unemployment and rising wages.
One thing we have seen underscored in 2025 is that the bond market can change its mind very quickly, particularly as it relates to policy emanating from Washington, D.C. Following President Trump’s election win, the dominant theme in the U.S. Treasury (UST) arena was that his Administration’s policies would lead to higher budget deficits, increasing UST supply and, ultimately, higher rates for maturities like the 10-Year yield.
Stocks rebounded on Wednesday as core inflation in the United States came in below consensus expectations and news of a possible 30-day truce in the Russia-Ukraine war emerged. Big tech stocks also recovered after flirting with bear-market territory earlier this week.
During the onset of the COVID crisis, I made a note to myself to write an update in five years to discuss what happened to the markets since that trying period of time. This week, I received a task alert in Salesforce reminding me to write that update.
