This week’s press conference by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was one of the most consequential of his tenure at the helm of the Federal Reserve (Fed).
With rising geopolitical tensions, sharp market swings and Congress at odds over Department of Homeland Security funding – likely to cause a brief government shutdown – there’s no shortage of factors influencing sentiment. Here, we address some of the most prominent headlines shaping sentiment and offer our perspective.
Doug Drabik discusses fixed income market conditions and offers insight for bond investors.
Raymond James Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán discusses current economic conditions.
Markets, interestingly enough, felt their own version of a “deep freeze” this week. Geopolitical flare-ups, fresh tariff threats and a mini-meltdown in Japan’s bond market briefly rattled investors and pushed volatility sharply higher.
Each spring, investors in individual publicly traded companies get a chance to voice their opinions as the companies whose stock they own prepare for their annual shareholders’ meetings.
Investors have reaped the benefits of good market conditions in many of the recent years. These periods are ideal for wealth accumulation.
2026 is coming out of the gate quickly. In just the first two weeks, we’ve seen a flurry of headlines – rapid-fire policy proposals, legal uncertainties, and fast-moving geopolitical developments – all with the potential to influence the economy and financial markets.
The biggest concern for the Federal Reserve (Fed) today is the weakness in employment over the last year, and especially during the second half of the year. This weakness was behind its decision to resume interest rate cuts in September of 2025.
Raymond James Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán evaluates economic conditions heading into 2026.
Drew O’Neil discusses fixed income market conditions and offers insight for bond investors.
As we step into the new year, many of us are setting personal and professional goals for what we hope to accomplish in the months ahead. The same holds true for financial markets, where Wall Street strategists have been busy refining their outlooks for where the S&P 500 might finish the year.
Our forecast for 2026 is for a strengthening US economy on the back of a strong fiscal spending profile due to the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
In 2025, the S&P 500 delivered double-digit returns for a third straight year. Heading into the fourth year of the bull market, Raymond James Chief Investment Officer Larry Adam identifies 10 themes to watch in 2026.
After three consecutive years of increasing stock prices, it can feel comfortable and certainly satisfying to ride the trend. Investors may want to capture the boon rather than be complacent with it. Long-term financial health can go hand-in-hand with the opportunities the markets have laid out.
For the third consecutive year – and sixth among the past seven – the S&P 500 tallied double-digit gains – a remarkable run. As the index climbed 16.39% for the year, it also recorded 38 new record highs.
This week’s release of the FOMC meeting minutes showed relatively strong diverging views on current monetary policy as well as on the path for policy this year.
Now, as we turn the page to 2026, new challenges await: geopolitical tensions, lofty valuations, and an evolving macro backdrop. That’s why we’re excited to unveil our Ten Themes for 2026, inspired by Mission: Impossible, celebrating the 30th anniversary of its first movie this year.
Now that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the delayed October and November nonfarm payroll numbers, do we know more about the US labor market than we knew before the release? Probably not.
Before we turn the page on 2025, let’s take a moment to reflect on the key trends that shaped the economy and financial markets this year. Despite heightened policy uncertainty and persistent geopolitical tensions, both proved remarkably resilient.
The Federal Reserve wrapped up its final meeting of 2025, delivering – as expected – its third consecutive rate cut. Policymakers lowered the fed funds rate to a target range of 3.5% to 3.75%, signaling continued support for the economy.
Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán discusses current economic conditions.
With the Fed's final 2025 meeting approaching, markets anticipate a third rate cut amid labor weakness, though the FOMC remains publicly divided on balancing a cooling job market against sticky inflation.
Recessions are less common today than they were before the 1980s. Some argue that the reason is that we have become better at conducting fiscal and monetary policy to reduce the ebbs and flows of economic cycles.
A mid-month bout of volatility focused primarily on the AI tech giants gave way to a broader rally in November’s final days amidst renewed expectations the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will cut interest rates in the coming weeks.
Rob Tayloe discusses fixed income market conditions and offers insight for bond investors.
Investors are needy. Insatiable, really. But it makes sense: If an investor buys a share of a company, they’re going to want some benefit from it.
Although the September employment report surprised to the upside, the overall stance of the US labor market remains weak, something that was underscored by the third consecutive increase in the rate of unemployment, from 4.1% in June to 4.4% in September.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, there’s so much to be thankful for in 2025, especially for investors. After a challenging start to the year, the economy and markets regained their footing quickly, with nearly all asset classes on track for solid gains heading into year-end. Looking ahead, there are reasons for optimism to continue into 2026 as well.
While headlines often speculate about an AI bubble, we believe the long-term outlook for technology remains strong. Periodic volatility is a normal part of any innovation cycle and unlikely to derail our constructive view on equities.
We were in the camp that the Federal Reserve (Fed) should have reduced interest rates during the first half of the year, taking advantage of the underlying disinflationary path during that period.
It’s been one year since President Trump secured his second term, and we’re taking stock of how the economy and financial markets have performed during that time, highlighting both the wins and the challenges.
Although the stability of the consumer depends on its ability to generate labor income, i.e., wages and salaries, households’ financial conditions are very important in supporting the stability of consumption.
Together with the surge in investments brought about by the CHIPS and IRA acts, plus the recent surge in AI investment, US consumers continue to be the backbone of the US economy.
Even with the government shutdown casting a shadow over Washington D.C., equity markets have continued their upward march, fueled by a trifecta of positive surprises: cooler-than-expected inflation, another rate cut by the Federal Reserve (Fed) and easing trade tensions.
Markets were taken by surprise by Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Powell’s strong suggestion that a rate cut in December is not a certainty, as they were sure they were going to get one at December’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.
This convergence creates a thrilling, unpredictable day for sports enthusiasts packed with drama. Interestingly, the financial markets are gearing up for their own version of a 'Sports Equinox' week. Just as fans juggle overlapping games on October 27, investors will face a crowded calendar of potentially market-moving events that have our attention.
Every week, this platform is used to highlight current ideas, fixed-income concepts, economic occurrences, and/or clarify a strategic fixed-income feature. The cohesive topic threads are fixed-income issues relevant to current market conditions.
Last week’s scheduled release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September was postponed due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has disrupted the operations of key agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Tech and its derivatives have led returns thus far. After hefty multiple expansion, earnings will need to take the driver’s seat.
Despite inflation remaining a concern, the Federal Reserve (Fed) cut interest rates in response to weakening jobs numbers. This allowed small-cap equity performance to lead a month that was generally positive across sectors, cap sizes and asset classes.
Last week, my colleague wrote about Anchoring Bias, a psychological phenomenon that attaches a particular price or specific yield level to a bond.
Consumption spending surprised to the upside once again in August, something we had already seen from last week’s release of retail and food services sales during the same month.
