This brief market commentary will run through some stats and provide context to the market’s recent fluctuations.
From Brazil to South Korea, emerging-market central banks are forming a line of defense as a rising dollar pushes their currencies to multi-year lows.
Delivering the first cuts in interest rates since the early days of the pandemic was the easy part.
As the year comes to a close, we revisit some of the key market themes and moves for 2024 and the year ahead.
Private credit firms want more than corporate lending. The largest are laying the groundwork to finance everything from auto loans and residential mortgages to chip manufacturing and data centers in an effort to swell the size of the market by the trillions.
Amid Donald Trump’s chaotic, last-minute intervention into congressional negotiations about government funding, he has stumbled upon a good idea: He wants to abolish the debt ceiling.
Take it from Niels Bohr: “Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.”
Despite the expectation of rate cuts, a push-pull dynamic could exist if high inflation continues, opening the door for short-term bonds.
Surely one of the silliest things that happened in tech stocks in 2024 was the sudden tumble in Nvidia Corp. shares moments after its fiscal second-quarter earnings release in August.
Bitcoin extended its slide from this week’s record high to almost 15% as hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve prompted traders to sell an asset that has more than doubled this year.
The $10.4 trillion US exchange-traded fund industry’s blockbuster year comes with an asterisk: even amid record inflows and launches, funds are shuttering at a nearly unprecedented clip.
US Treasuries gained after a closely watched batch of inflation data came in below expectations, leading traders to lift the outlook for Federal Reserve interest-rate reductions next year.
Central banks’ climbdown from the post-pandemic inflation peaks commenced amid both optimism and trepidation.
As expected, the Fed delivered a 25-basis point rate cut at the December FOMC meeting, but what comes next is far from clear. Kevin Flanagan explains why future rate moves depend on shifting economic signals and why the Fed’s definition of “neutral” may be evolving.
With persistent inflation and a resilient economy, the Fed's updated projections show two rate cuts next year.
With economic growth rising at a stronger rate than expected for this part of the cycle and inflation holding above the 2.0% target, the Fed appears more cautious about the need for rate cuts.
As the year comes to a busy conclusion, we’re still catching up with news that didn’t make the front page. In the first week of November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published a data release that’s even less frequent than the four year presidential election cycle.
The modern Chinese political system emphasizes stability and control, qualities that enabled the country to become the world’s “ultimate producer.” But these qualities imply tight control over social norms and individual behavior, and they are far less applicable to official efforts to boost household consumption.
The Exchange Team is full of gratitude for our sponsors and the community coming to the 2025 financial services conference.
Taxes are on my mind. Do I factor in whether a dividend is considered qualified or ordinary when making my recommendations?
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) increased slightly in November. The index rose 0.3% from the previous month to 99.7 after eight consecutive monthly declines.
On Friday December 6th, the U.S. stock market pushed to the most extreme level of valuation in U.S. history
Almost exactly one year after sparking a furious rally in financial markets, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell did the exact opposite on Wednesday, staking out a cautious view on interest-rate cuts in 2025 that stunned investors.
In normal times, the conduct of monetary policy is a lot like driving a car through a thick fog of uncertainty. You have a general idea of where you’re going, but you want to move slowly to avoid accidents. At the moment, it’s more like driving while double blindfolded — in a car with malfunctioning brakes. The most prudent move is to stop.
Existing-home sales in the US topped a rate of 4 million in November for the first time in six months as house hunters begrudgingly accept mortgage rates above 6%.
A BlackRock Inc. fund has bought municipal debt issued earlier this year in a first-of-its-kind deal that relies exclusively on blockchain technology.
At a time when the American consumer’s resiliency has been questioned amid signs of a slowing economy, Walmart Inc. has thrived. The world’s largest retailer, famed for its discount prices but increasingly known for its pursuits in advertising and an online marketplace, is headed for its best year since 1998.
U.S. stocks retreated as the Fed indicated it likely would lower rates only twice in 2025. The Dow dropped more than 1,000 points, and the S&P slid almost 3%. The Nasdaq lost 3.6%.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently blocked the merger of Albertson’s and Kroger, which are the two largest stand-alone grocery chains.
As we approach the start of a new year, it is a good time to take a fresh look at your portfolio to ensure that it still aligns with your long-term goals.
As cash yields dwindle, the case for fixed income becomes increasingly compelling.
Why cyclical leadership in equities could continue into 2025.
The range of potential economic outcomes is wide, but a solid starting point suggests resilience.
In his 2025 investment outlook, Head of U.S. Fixed Income Greg Wilensky outlines the most likely scenarios for the U.S. economy and which asset classes he believes will be best positioned under each scenario.
At the time of year where everyone is reflecting on the things that matter most to them in their personal lives, it is important to also consider what matters when it comes to investing. In this investment commentary, Johnson Financial Group shares what really matters as you put your money to work.
A conversation with our stock selection team, part two.
Regardless of which specific aspect of their business they want to improve, these assessments can deliver to an advisor the ultimate gift: more available time in their day.
If your firm has struggled to plan out marketing content in a way that actually works for the team, this video is a must-watch.
I don’t have the ability to say what is the best for any given situation because every situation is different. I can, however, answer your question about why people are pushing back on the full-time return to the office.
The clean-tech venture firm founded by Bill Gates is providing a $40 million grant to carbon-capture startup Deep Sky Corp., which seeks to build large-scale facilities to clean carbon from the air.
While concern has grown in the past week that narrowing market breadth has tapped the brakes on the S&P 500 Index’s blistering rally, it turns out that stock bulls are still stepping in to snap up shares ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision.
Some bond traders have been boosting options and futures wagers that the Federal Reserve is about to signal deeper interest-rate cuts next year than the market anticipates.
Alphabet Inc.’s Google has reanimated excitement over quantum computing with an announcement about how its new chip, Willow, trounced a classical computer to solve a mathematical equation much faster.
Meet the new stock pickers. They will remind you of the old stock pickers.
Brent Olson and Thomas Ross, fixed income portfolio managers, believe that high yield bonds offer comfortable driving for now, but investors might need to negotiate more difficult terrain later in 2025.
Surprises most often are hiding in plain sight. Being aware and prepared with a plan for the unexpected are keys to achieving goals.
We continue to agree with market pricing following the ECB’s latest rate cut, but see additional downside risks to growth post-U.S. election.
Last weekend, the Cathedral of Notre Dame reopened after being severely damaged in a fire five years ago. It took thousands of craftsmen and a reported €840 million to restore the iconic structure.
If history repeats itself, this trend could be especially pronounced in 2025, given the potential for lower US corporate tax rates and domestic-friendly policies.
Understanding the trajectory of corporate earnings is crucial for investors, as these earnings significantly influence stock valuations and market performance.
