Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for January. Markets pulled back to start the year, with U.S. indices dropping between 3 and 10 percent. On the medical front, the Omicron wave continued. As case growth rose to new highs, consumer and business confidence took a hit. Finally, January reports showed inflation at a 40-year high, and the Fed announced a rate hike in March was very likely. Despite this perfect storm of bad news, are there positive signs on the horizon? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.