Insights Investments

One of the most important myths when it comes to the value of a financial advisor is that the value lies primarily in selecting individual securities that provide better returns. But even when it comes just to portfolio returns (ignoring all the other ways a financial advisor helps clients reach financial goals), research suggests that’s …

“The future ain’t what it used to be.” Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame Yankee Catcher Yes, that’s an eye-catching title, but we do in fact continue to think a strong year-end rally is possible. For starters, the S&P 500 is up nearly 17% for the year as of October 27, so it isn’t like 20% …

Technology investors were on a rollercoaster this past week. Notable names in the group saw large share price movements in the day following their earnings report. Investors digested a range of reports, from good to scary, as companies continue to progress through product cycles and deal with the macroeconomic landscape. These early reports set the …

Three weeks can feel like eons when you don’t get any official macroeconomic data (thanks to the shutdown), and so this morning’s release of the September Consumer Price Index (CPI) was more than welcome. The shutdown continues but this was a “special” release because the government needs this data to make cost of living adjustments …

Because of the government shutdown, government data on the labor market has been absent lately but the trend in job growth has been clear. Labor force growth has been slowing, and today we’ll take a look at some of the pieces contributing to that. But be careful with that sentence—slower growth is not the same …

“Vaughn into the windup and his first offering …. Juuuuust a bit outside.” Harry Doyle (played by Bob Uecker) in the 1988 classic baseball movie Major League First things first, how funny was Major League? I was just a kid when it came out, but I’d watch that movie over and over growing up and …

In the latest episode of Facts vs. Feelings, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist, and Sonu Varghese, VP, Global Macro Strategist, welcome Kate Hall, VP of Alternative Due Diligence at Carson Group. They dive into the “cockroaches in a bull market” conversation—what it means for credit markets, how private credit has evolved, and why due diligence …

By Michael Barczak, CFA Bulls On Parade If the story of 2025 heading into the third quarter was one of “uncharted waters,” then Q3 held up its end of the bargain by flipping the script on history. Historically, the third quarter tends to be the weakest period for equities as investors contend with summer slowdowns …

Financials top the list of early earnings highlights. The six largest companies in the group have traded higher since reporting robust results. These results come despite a backdrop of increasing economic worries and defaults at select customers. Many of these financial institutions have worked to capture demand and improve operations which together powered earnings estimates …

“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” General George S. Patton Well, that October volatility and spookiness is happening, but to be honest, we aren’t surprised. Yes, worries over trade with China, regional banks, and private credit are taking “credit” for the recent weakness. (See how I did that?) But the truth is …

Gold has now rallied a whopping 61% year-to-date (as of October 15th, 2025) and has rallied 25.7% since August 25th. That makes 2025 the metal’s second-best year since 1975—surpassed only by 1979’s 127% surge—and it follows strong gains in 2023 (+13%) and 2024 (+27%). We first added gold to our portfolios in March 2023 as …