Wall Street has a long history of selling the newest shiny object to Main Street just as the trade begins to sour. If the music stops at this private equity party, you don’t want to be the last one still dancing.
Understanding How Options Work, Why They Matter, and How Investors Can Use Options
All the pieces are falling into place for silver’s bull market to accelerate, with a breakout into the $40s now looking increasingly likely in the near term.
Few are as candid and historically accurate as hedge fund manager Kyle Bass when identifying structural breaks in the global economy. In a recent interview, Bass painted a grim but telling picture of China’s economic condition, warning.
Current volatility and optimism are some of the topics being discussed in this new roundtable from Royce Investment Partners.
Our advice to Fed Chairman Powell is to consider both sides of the argument and act to lower inflation over the longer term.
Tariffs have been the dominant theme in economic policy this year. While President Trump has long held protectionist views, his administration’s approach to international commerce has been more belligerent than was seen in his first term.
After a tumultuous few months, June of 2025 saw a strong rally which took global markets to (or close to) new highs. The rally was broad-based, with international and U.S. markets all up strongly.
When the Fed increased the M2 money supply by over 40% during the COVID crisis, our instinct was that the implications would extend far beyond a temporary boost to the U.S. stock market and higher inflation. That intuition is proving accurate. We’re now seeing the long-term ripple effects play out in real time across multiple asset classes and global markets.
This year’s formidable challenges have clarified strategic lessons for equity investors to apply in the coming months
Until recently, commercial real estate appeared poised for a long-awaited rebound. However, 2025 has revealed a new reality: Uncertainty has become structural.
It’s often said there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. However, the tax landscape may become somewhat murkier, as the recently passed U.S. House budget bill may potentially lead to some non-U.S. investors paying more taxes than previously anticipated.
Unlike us mere mortals, time is usually on Tesla Inc.’s side. The launch of its robotaxi service this week has inverted that, and at a moment of particular weakness for the company.
It’s said nothing in life is certain save death and taxes. There is also certainly an increase in investors’ appetites for nontraditional instruments like hedge funds as their wealth grows.
While both valuation and technical factors suggest to us that the dollar may continue to weaken in the near-term, we would caution investors against reading too much concerning the US’ long-term economic stability into further dollar weakness.
The recent decline in the dollar relative to other currencies is well within historical norms. Notably, previous declines were much larger without the “fear-mongering” from the “experts of doom.”
The U.S. Dollar Index, when measured against a basket of other major currencies, has declined by approximately 10% this year through mid-June and is currently trading at its lowest level in three years.
Like all appetites, the consumer typically reaches some point of appeasement. That could be the case for central bank gold purchases, which have started to show signs of receding. But market experts do not see it faltering anytime soon.
Given the uncertainty of future events, global investors seek a “safe haven” for investment dollars. As such, U.S. Treasury Bonds and the U.S. dollar appreciate given their perceived “financial safety.” Last week, global investors were already starting to make that shift with the dollar rising.
529 plans are a popular choice among families looking to save for college due to their flexibility and tax benefits. However, each family’s educational journey and associated costs can vary significantly. This means you may require a tailored savings strategy to best meet your future student’s needs.
With the House passing of The Big Beautiful Bill, the challenges facing chief financial officers and treasurers across health-care systems are likely to grow. The proposed cuts to reimbursements will have varying impacts across organizations depending on their payer mix.
When planning for future financial needs, take the time to understand the key differences between a 529 plan vs. IUL insurance. Both are valuable tools, but they serve different purposes and offer unique benefits.
Lately, the “deficit narrative” has dominated much of the financial media, particularly those channels that are continual “purveyors of doom.” In this post, we will discuss the “deficit narrative,” the likely outcomes, and why the cure for the deficit may be found in Artificial Intelligence.
While crypto’s roots are libertarian and anti-state, stablecoins could serve to entrench the existing tech and monetary order dominated by the US, as 95% of them are dollar-denominated.
The first half of 2025 has been driven by headlines that have caused volatility in both the stock and bond markets. While tariff negotiations have commanded the most attention, we are now pivoting to the federal budget deficit, which feels like a perpetual headline over the last 15 years.
The global economy is continually evolving due to inflation, interest rates, and geopolitics. How could these and other factors influence the major asset classes over the coming decade?
Long-time Kestra ecosystem firm SilverStar Wealth Management combines with existing Bluespring partner LifeBridge Financial Group, strengthening Texas-based presence
Here’s the blunt truth: Many great investment strategies fail because of poor implementation. Robust capabilities in trading, transition management, overlays and currencies are critical to executing a strategy.
Investors may revisit international exposure in their portfolios amidst reduced market reactions to tariff announcements, uncertain U.S. policy and lagging U.S. stock performance.
As small business clients look toward ambitious growth, advisors have the chance to offer something foundational: a term life insurance strategy that turns ambitions into a legacy.
It would seem evident that most investors would understand that consumer spending drives economic growth, ultimately creating corporate earnings growth. Yet, despite this somewhat tautological statement, Wall Street appears to ignore this simple reality when forecasting forward earnings.
On the trade front, investor uncertainty eased for a short time as President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs seemed to lose traction. Several key developments contributed, including a 90-day tariff pause with China, the signing of a US-UK trade agreement and progress on negotiations with other partners, including Europe.
It doesn’t take much to understand that Ray Dalio, a hedge fund titan, is like every other human being and is prone to error. I will not dismiss Dalio entirely, as his track record of managing money at Bridgewater is nothing to be scoffed at.
Given the uncertainty of what potentially happens next, the recent rally is an excellent opportunity to adjust portfolio risks to navigate the next leg of this market cycle.
There’s a lot to like about the travel industry right now from an investment standpoint. You just have to know where to look.
Keep your market perspective in check, avoid anchoring, and focus on your investment goals rather than market volatility.
Though silver has been quiet lately, it’s important to be aware of the many bullish factors that are setting the stage for a strong move higher.
Someday, the dollar will cease to be the world’s reserve currency. But don’t hold your breath waiting; there is nothing even close to being able to take its role.
Best-in-class OCIO providers understand the importance of a deep relationship and will invest considerable time cultivating one.
If only Europe could offer property investors the kind of buffet the US provides. For now, its listed real estate sector is fragmented and dysfunctional, the raison d’etre seemingly to create cheap takeover targets for buyout firms.
So far in 2025, markets have had plenty to absorb: the Trump administration’s tariffs, Germany’s latest investment commitments, the implications of the DeepSeek moment, and escalating military conflicts (now including one on the India-Pakistan border).
I’ve been writing about tariffs for a couple of months now, focusing mostly on the macroeconomic harm and the costs they impose on small businesses. Today I want to consider something else: the new risks they are adding to the financial system alongside the old risks.
While coming in much stronger than expected, the latest employment data confirmed what we already suspected: the economy is slowing.
As the effects of US import tariffs begin to emerge, we shift our stance on equities to underweight.
US equity investors will be watching closely as trade talks kick off between the Trump administration and China, with trillions of dollars hanging in the balance for American companies.
Currently, the Three Tactical Rules are a “flashing yellow light” - a roughly neutral rating which represents a slight downgrade.
After entering the year with a cautious outlook, managers have become more defensively postured as the U.S. tariff policy has increased uncertainty.
Over the past two weeks, the market has had a furious nine-day rally, the longest winning streak in 21 years.
If you’ve been inside a Walmart, Target or Home Depot in the past week, you may not realize that a trade war is underway between the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest economies. Store shelves are well stocked, and prices have largely held steady.
