Insights

The Compass – January 2023

What a fool believes
He sees
No wise man has the power
To reason away
What seems
To be

Although the above lyrics come from the Doobie Brothers hit 1978 song written by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald that was about a love affair gone wrong, it could easily describe the relationship between the Federal Reserve and the markets in 2022. Throughout the year we have experienced many ups and downs that seem to be correlated to the most recent statement from a Federal Reserve official or economic statistic and how the market interprets it.

Read January 2023 Compass

The Compass – October 2022

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Although Charles Dickens’ classic tale was set during the era of the French Revolution it could also be describing the market performance in 2022.Many individual equities have suffered the slings and arrows of this year’s bear market while many fixed income investors have seen interest rates rise to levels that have not been seen since before the Great Financial Crisis of 2008.

Read October 2022 Compass

The Compass – April 2022

Volatility (noun): vol·a·til·i·ty | \ ˌvä-lə-ˈti-lə-tē\ the quality or state of being volatile: such as a tendency to change quickly and unpredictably.

There is probably no better word to describe the markets so far in 2022. This can best be illustrated by the market movements in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Read April 2022 Compass

The Compass – March 2022

Over 200 years ago Thomas Paine wrote a series of articles known as the American Crisis which were a call to arms for the revolutionary fight against England. While we are fortunate in the United States to be free of conflict, the same cannot be said for Ukraine. As we have witnessed the tragedy and loss of life far away from us it would be imprudent to believe that these events will not wash upon our shores in one form or another.

Read March 2022 Compass

The Compass – December 2021

After several months of a calm and steady rebound in the economy and the markets, volatility has returned.The threat of inflation being less transitory and the potential impact of the newest Covid strain have become the focus for the markets and investors. Inflation was the leading topic Chairman Powell shared at his Senate testimony in late November. The result is that the Fed will be discussing the potential for accelerated tapering, which then could lead to earlier rate hikes. The argument is that stocks have benefited from the liquidity provided by the Fed, which will now be taken away. Is the punch bowl finally going to be taken away?

Read December 2021 Compass