The volatility that surfaced during Q1 spread into the early days of Q2 as investors and analysts tried to absorb the barrage of information about geopolitical issues, including tariffs, potential trade wars, and rising global tensions. Much of the initial news on these issues broke during a lull in economic data, which may have sparked […]

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The early days of May brought some positive momentum to the markets, sparked in part by strong earnings reports and job numbers along with interest rates holding steady. But this doesn’t mean investors should throw caution to the wind. It’s too early to tell if the volatility of recent months might be behind us. Higher […]

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The first part of May brought calmer waters and upward momentum thanks in part to a strong earnings season that saw average S&P 500 (SPX) earnings grow more than 20% year-over-year. However, as the month progressed, the market seemed to lose some of its direction, possibly because there were fewer earnings reports, lighter trading before […]

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Key Takeaways Despite a few bumps, markets are currently on upward trend for 2018 Strong earnings expected by many analysts for Q2, which may bode well for stocks Fed hinted at possible fourth rate hike in 2018 instead of three June kicked off with a stronger-than-expected jobs report, which seemed to help fuel optimism about […]

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Key Takeaways Robust jobs report helped to fuel optimism about the economy Many analysts anticipating strong Q2 GDP growth Industrials and materials face downward pressure as trade tensions with China rise Volatility edged upward in final week of June over tough trade talk The initial calm of June gave way to some jitters as fears […]

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Key Takeaways See-saw ride continues as geopolitical issues and earnings jockey for investors’ attention Earnings season off to a mixed start for big banks; JP Morgan and Bank of America exceeded targets while Wells Fargo missed The Federal Reserve likely to keep watch for signs of increasing inflation Investors may want to review their portfolios […]

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Key Takeaways As has been the case for much of 2018, investor focus shifted between geopolitical news and corporate earnings Earnings season got off to a strong start with many big banks and tech companies leading the way Fed policy appeared to remain unchanged in advance of its next meeting on July 31 and August […]

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Key Takeaways As has been the case for much of 2018, investor focus shifted between geopolitical news and corporate earnings Earnings season got off to a strong start with many big banks and tech companies leading the way Fed policy appeared to remain unchanged in advance of its next meeting on July 31 and August […]

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Key Takeaways Many analysts expect the Fed to raise rates at its September 25 meeting Overall, retail sales have been strong; some categories appear to be showing signs of weakness Geopolitics and a potential U.S. government shutdown could fuel uncertainty in the markets As earnings season wound down, geopolitical headlines flared up again due in […]

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Key Takeaways Earnings season lived up to the hype with another quarter of double-digit growth Caution was the watchword due in part to geopolitics and rising U.S. Treasury prices A third rate hike in September could be likely; fourth one still a toss-up While there were some turbulent days in August, enthusiasm for another strong […]

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