Videos
Short videos from the industry's leading investment firms
Market Thoughts for January 2022 [Video]
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for December. The year closed on a strong note, with the Dow and S&P showing gains. The Nasdaq struggled a bit, but it ended the month in the green. On the medical front, the omicron variant drove COVID cases to new highs. Still, the economic data kept getting better. Consumer confidence numbers bounced back, and consumer spending kept growing. Further, business confidence and investment remain very high. But could there be risks ahead? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
Market Thoughts for December 2021 [Video]
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Commonwealth CIO Brad McMillan recaps November’s market and economic news. It was a generally weak month for the markets, with declines driven by the emergence of the Omicron variant and a move by the Fed to start normalizing monetary policy. Should we expect more volatility ahead? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer
Market Thoughts for November 2021
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for October. The markets saw a bounce last month. The Nasdaq and the S&P gained over 7 percent, and the Dow was up almost 6 percent. These results were driven by the stabilization of key economic data. Job growth declined in September, but a higher October result is expected as labor demand remains strong. Plus, consumer confidence has stabilized. With improving medical data and economic risks trending down, are we almost out of the woods? Stay tuned for more. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
Market Thoughts for October 2021
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for September. It was a bad month for the markets. In the U.S., all three major indices were down. Developed markets dropped, and emerging markets did worst of all. These declines resulted from the weakening of the economic data, driven by the spread of the Delta wave of the virus. Job growth was down, layoffs trended up, and consumer confidence dropped. Does the economy have the momentum to keep going until the virus is under control? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
Market Thoughts for September 2021
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for August. It was another very good month for the financial markets. In the U.S., both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 showed material gains, while developed markets also did well. On the medical front, the virus continued its spread. There are signs that the rising medical risks are starting to appear in the data, with consumer confidence dropping significantly in August. So, will we see a slowdown in the recovery as we move into the fall? Stay tuned for more. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
Market Thoughts for August 2021
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for July. It was a generally good month for the markets, with all three major U.S. indices up by more than 1 percent. But emerging markets were hit hard and ended the month down significantly. On the economic front, the data remains positive, although business and consumer confidence declined. Further, medical risks are on the rise, with the Delta variant hitting the unvaccinated population. Will these risks slow down the recovery? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
Market Thoughts for July 2021
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for June. It was a mixed month for the markets. In the U.S., the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 were up, but the Dow ticked down. We saw the same trend internationally, with developed markets falling even as emerging markets moved ahead. On the economic front, business confidence remains at or close to all-time highs. Still, the problems of success (labor shortages and supply chain issues) loom large. So, where do we go from here? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
Market Thoughts for June 2021
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for May. It was a mixed bag for the markets, with the Dow up more than 2 percent, the S&P 500 up slightly, and the Nasdaq down. On the medical front, case growth and death rates declined, and more than 4 of 10 people are now fully vaccinated. With fading medical risks, the economy continued to improve. Layoffs are trending down, and consumer confidence remains close to pre-pandemic levels. So, could we be back to normal by the summer? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
Market Thoughts for May 2021
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for April. It was a good month for the markets. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq gained more than 5 percent, while the Dow was up almost 3 percent. These returns were driven, in part, by the medical news, with new case counts, hospitalizations, and deaths all down. While the medical risks declined, reopening accelerated. Job growth rose, and weekly layoffs dropped. Consumer confidence and spending also improved. Will these positive trends persist? Stay tuned for more. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
1Q 2021 Review and Market Outlook
AAM CEO Scott Colyer and Chief Investment Strategist Matt Lloyd recap Q1 2021 and share their market outlook for the coming months. See their insights and expectations
To view all of AAM’s Market Commentary videos, please visit our video gallery page. Here, you can subscribe to our video channel, to receive AAM’s newest videos straight to your inbox. Video topics include market updates & insights, media appearances, & firm updates.
Market Thoughts for April 2021
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for March. We saw a strong end to a healthy first quarter for stock markets. Both the Dow and S&P 500 here in the U.S. showed gains, while developed markets abroad showed lower but still positive returns. We also had good news on the economic front. Hiring rebounded, layoffs dropped, and consumer confidence rose to post-pandemic highs. But with more work to do to contain the medical risks, when will the economy return to full health? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
Advisors Asset Management: 40 Years Strong
AAM has been providing carefully sourced, vetted, and supported solutions for over 40 years. We offer access to a diverse range of investment solutions to meet today’s challenges. See why we are a trusted resource for financial professionals.
To view all of AAM’s Market Commentary videos, please visit our video gallery page. Here, you can subscribe to our video channel, to receive AAM’s newest videos straight to your inbox. Video topics include market updates & insights, media appearances, & firm updates.
Mike Rodenbaugh Real Estate
by Investius News,
Buying or selling a home is a complicated, expensive undertaking that presents an opportunity for you to deepen your client relationships. Advisor Mike Rodenbaugh of Boardwalk Financial Strategies shares his perspective on helping smooth a real estate transaction, providing important counsel on affordability, cash flow, retirement impact, mortgage financing and estate planning. For example, he says, “down payment sourcing creativity” may be needed for a client buying a new home before selling a current home.
John Cole Scott Interval Funds
by Investius News,
As you hunt for yield with less exposure to market volatility, you may want to consider Interval Funds, an unlisted type of closed-end fund. John Cole Scott, chair of the nonprofit Active Investment Company Alliance, says Interval Funds have been around a long time but are now gaining “traction.” While they do not trade on an exchange, they are readily available from fund families and offer a range of asset classes including alternative-style investments. AICA is hosting a free online Interval Fund “boot camp” on March 31.
Market Thoughts for March 2021
by Commonwealth Financial Network,
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for February. Markets climbed last month, although they faced some turbulence on a spike in interest rates. While markets were choppy, the medical news improved. New cases and hospitalizations dropped, and vaccinations more than doubled. On the economic front, unemployment remains high, but companies are hiring again. Plus, stimulus payments hit bank accounts, and consumer confidence is moving up. Could a return to normal be in sight? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
