Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary October 05, 2026 The Markets Traveling a bumpy road. Early in the third quarter, markets moved ahead enthusiastically. However, the road got rougher later in the quarter as investors pondered inflation, oil prices, interest rates, and other economic concerns. Here’s a brief recap: AI-related stocks drove stock markets higher For the last three years, artificial intelligenc...

Weekly Market Commentary September 28, 2026 The Markets Keep your eye on your long-term goals. Batters have one of the most difficult jobs in baseball: keeping their eyes on the ball. It seems straightforward, but there are always distractions, from a pitcher’s pacing to the fans’ heckling. As Crash Davis points out in Bull Durham, “Know what the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is? It's 2...

Weekly Market Commentary September 21, 2026 The Markets Interest rates rose, and markets reacted. With inflation running well above the target rate, the Federal Reserve (Fed) chose to raise the federal funds rate last week. Interest rates are one of the primary tools the Fed relies on to influence the economy. Generally, rate hikes are blunt tools that can help slow demand and ease price increases...

Weekly Market Commentary September 14, 2026 The Markets The influence of supply and demand. Last week offered a lesson in supply and demand, along with a reminder that financial markets are always looking to the future. As disruptions in the Middle East squeezed oil supplies, rising fuel prices and August inflation data seemed to set the stage for higher interest rates and lower stock prices. Then...

Weekly Market Commentary September 08, 2026 The Markets The bond market isn’t happy. The United States Treasury market is the biggest and most liquid government bond market in the world. Throughout 2026, rates on U.S. Treasuries have increased. The benchmark 10-year Treasury started the year at 4.2 percent and ended last week at 4.8 percent. The 2-year Treasury note rose more sharply, from 3.6 per...

Weekly Market Commentary August 31, 2026 The Markets Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving the market and the economy. Last week, markets experienced a burst of AI enthusiasm after a leading chip manufacturer’s earnings report exceeded expectations. The company anticipates revenue will grow by 70 percent over the coming year. Its shares advanced, as did shares of other AI-related stocks. “The S...

Weekly Market Commentary August 24, 2026 The Markets Investors may have a rosier view of the future than consumers do. In 2026, markets have been volatile with major U.S. stock indexes posting new highs and new lows. “The S&P [Standard & Poor’s] 500 posted 30 new highs and one new low; the Nasdaq ⁠recorded 155 ​new highs and 85 new lows,” reported Noel Randewich and Avinash P. of Reuters i...

Weekly Market Commentary August 17, 2026 The Markets Reading the economic tea leaves. The stock market is forward-looking, which means that it reflects investors’ expectations for the future. No one knows exactly what will happen in the months ahead, but investors try to gain an edge by interpreting economic information. Last week, we saw information about inflation, consumer spending, and consume...

Weekly Market Commentary August 10, 2026 The Markets The rally continues. A lot of factors influence the United States stock market, including economic trends, market sentiment, and government and Federal Reserve (Fed) policies. However, many investors consider earnings, which reveal how profitable a company is after paying expenses, one of the most important indicators of company and market healt...

Weekly Market Commentary August 03, 2026 The Markets Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Warsh shakes the market's confidence. Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke has said that "monetary policy is 98 percent talk and only 2 percent action.” He meant that public statements are powerful tools that can shape the market’s expectations around future Fed actions. That proved true last week, when the Fed appeared to l...