Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary February 09, 2026 The Markets Investor mood matters. Over the past month, we’ve seen five sharp stock market declines – and five rebounds, reported Charles Riley of Bloomberg. He pointed out that market declines often go hand-in-hand with a change in the economic outlook, but that’s not the case this time. The economy appears to be doing reasonably well. The declines and r...

Weekly Market Commentary February 02, 2026 The Markets It was a busy, busy week. If you just looked at the weekly return for the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index, you might assume the United States stock market was relatively calm last week. It was not. A lot happened last week – and some news moved markets. Here’s a brief recap: The Federal Reserve (Fed) held the federal funds rate stead...

Weekly Market Commentary January 26, 2026 The Markets Geopolitics roiled financial markets. Just a couple of weeks ago, many analysts and asset managers expressed broad optimism about the potential performance of United States stock markets in 2026 – and the stock market started the year strong. “The S&P 500 closed at new records three times in the first seven trading days of 2026, and isn’t f...

Weekly Market Commentary January 20, 2026 The Markets Investor appetite broadens. For a long time, investors have craved artificial intelligence (AI) related investments. Early in 2026, that’s begun to change. Paul R. La Monica of Barron’s reported: “Everywhere you look, stocks of all stripes are hitting new highs. That should be great news for investors as the market broadens out to start 2026…Th...

Weekly Market Commentary January 12, 2026 The Markets A change in leadership. Last week, investors were presented with a stew of economic and policy developments. These included the surprising announcement that the United States would “run” Venezuela, disappointing jobs data, signs of improved consumer optimism, and a flurry of new policy proposals. Investors weighed what it all means for financia...

Weekly Market Commentary January 05, 2026 The Markets Lots of people are willing to predict what’s ahead. If the past is prologue, few will be accurate. You don’t have to look far to find an example. In 2023, a majority of economists agreed recession was ahead. They were wrong. Tyler Cowen of Bloomberg explained: “Last year at this time, 85 [percent] of economists in one poll predicted a recession...

Weekly Market Commentary December 29, 2025 The Markets What is the most important principle of investing? People have different opinions, but these three tend to be at or near the top of the list: Have a plan for reaching your financial goals. Hold a diversified portfolio that reflects your goals, circumstances, and risk tolerance. Keep a long-term perspective (a.k.a. avoid short-term noise, exerc...

Weekly Market Commentary December 22, 2025 The Markets Happy holidays! Over the past year, financial markets reminded all of us that progress is rarely linear. As markets gyrated higher and lower, one truth remained constant – building wealth is the result of diversification, discipline, and thoughtful planning. An important aspect of planning is the year-end review. If you haven’t yet taken steps...

Weekly Market Commentary December 15, 2025 The Markets Last week, the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) played “Would You Rather?” Would You Rather? is a board game that presents players with classic dilemmas and asks which options would be more palatable to them. For example, a game card might ask, Would you rather: Be able to run on your hands or write with your feet? Eat chocolate-flavored br...

Weekly Market Commentary December 08, 2025 The Markets It’s beginning to look a lot like a rate cut… A lot of information about the economy arrived last week. Some was delayed by the government shutdown. Some was right on time. Investors took a look and decided their holiday wish could come true. The Federal Reserve (Fed) might deliver a cut rate cut this week. Here’s a brief recap of the informat...