The year 2024 was another strong year for performance, even though we started to see signs of strain. Amid Middle East and Eastern European turmoil, higher interest rates and domestic union strikes, the S&P still managed…
Thought Leadership
After two consecutive years of outsized returns, it remains to be seen what U.S. stocks can deliver in 2025. The easy-money bet would be for increased volatility and lower returns in the upcoming year. However, you…
THE FEDERAL RESERVE It has been so long since the Federal Reserve had a “normal” easing cycle that many investors seem to have forgotten an important distinction: the Fed only cuts the overnight rate, not all…
FIRST: REVIEWING THE PATH TO 2024 Toward the end of 2023, I participated in a podcast with a nationally recognized economist about the prospects for the upcoming year. His forecast for the first half of 2024…
INTRODUCTION With the U.S. general election behind us, attention turns to proposed policy changes during a Trump 2.0 presidency. Major talking points of the Trump administration surround the efficiency of our government’s spending. From discussions on…
If you liked the equity markets in 2023, you probably enjoyed what the stock markets did in 2024. The average stock in the S&P 500 had a solid year, but the index as a whole delivered…
The word “budget,” often evokes a negative reaction for fear it will be restrictive and limit the things we’re able to do. However, a budget doesn’t have to be restrictive to be effective. While creating a…
This week, many investors have undoubtedly scratched their heads at the strength of some of the economic data. The most surprising of these were the Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook (Philly Fed) survey and Housing Starts for…
Click here for the full episode. John Norris (00:30): Well, hello again everybody. This is John Norris at Trading Perspectives. As always, we have our good friend, Sam Clements. How are you doing, Sam? Sam Clement…
This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released “The Employment Situation – December 2024.” If you have been reading this newsletter over the last 12-months, you know I have been a little perplexed by the…