Investments
Under the Hood: Earnings from Consumer Facing Companies
As macroeconomic data points to a resilient yet slowing economy, corporate earnings updates are reinforcing this narrative, especially in consumer-oriented businesses. The first quarter revealed a more selective consumer, with shoppers trading down; as Walmart noted, wealthier customers were increasingly seeking value, evidenced by fancier cars in their parking lots. Initially, it was believed that …
Carson Group
August 12, 2024
Top 5 Ways Financial Advisors are Using AI Today
It’s funny, despite the extraordinary level of investment in AI, use cases may appear limited at first glance. There are a few game-changing examples or “killer apps” to highlight. However, its influence is subtly growing across various aspects of our daily routines. From refining search results in Google, assisting with email composition in Outlook, analyzing …
Carson Group
August 9, 2024
AI’s Evolution: From Code to Images
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the world around us. The rapid advancement and adoption of this technology was catalyzed by Nvidia GPUs, powerful processors that have revolutionized the interaction between technology and humans. The evolution of these semiconductors has enabled researchers and developers to create more sophisticated and human-like AI systems. These systems reflect the …
Blake Anderson
August 8, 2024
The Low Volatility Anomaly: Sometimes Less is More
Risk vs. reward. How do we balance both? Consider the child who calculates whether sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar is worth the risk of getting caught by an angry parent. Or the adventurer who knows the risks of scaling a tall mountain, but imagines the reward of reaching the highest peak. The risks …
Mike Lawrence
August 7, 2024
Is There Anything to Fear?
How do you know when to stay the course or press the panic button during market volatility? In this special episode, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Group & Sonu Varghese, VP, Global Macro Strategist at Carson Group, chat with Barry Gilbert, CFA®, Ph.D. Vice President, Asset Allocation Strategist at Carson Group, and Grant …
Ryan Detrick
August 7, 2024
10 Talking Points About the Recent Volatility
“The stock market is a giant distraction from the business of investing.” -John Bogle It might not feel like it, but stocks were having one of their strongest and least volatile years ever just a few weeks ago. Now it feels like each day has more worries and more volatility. To help, we put together …
Ryan Detrick
August 6, 2024
Chaos Is Normal
“There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.” -Harry S. Truman What a few weeks it has been. A former president was inches away from being assassinated, while the current president was forced out of running again by his own party, even though he won basically all the …
Ryan Detrick
August 5, 2024
Out of the Ether and into an ETF
The second largest cryptocurrency by market cap, Ethereum, has now made its way into US-listed exchange-traded funds. Last Tuesday, the SEC greenlit 9 products (one conversion) to begin trading in a quiet and almost unexpected launch, especially relative to the craze seen earlier in the year surrounding Bitcoin ETFs. Ethereum was the logical approval after …
Grant Engelbart
August 2, 2024
The Labor Market is Ready for Rate Cuts
Well, that didn’t take long. Since the Fed’s decision to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday- presumably waiting on continued solid data supporting their case – the data confirmed otherwise. Thursday’s set of economic data saw initial jobless claims rise to their highest level in a year, alongside a weak manufacturing ISM number. Stocks fell …
Grant Engelbart
August 2, 2024
The Fed Opens the Door (Wide)
The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee meeting concluded Wednesday, leaving target interest rates unchanged, almost exactly a year after raising rates to their current level. In their statement and press conference, the committee acknowledged moderation of the labor market and the move higher in the unemployment rate. Chair Powell went beyond hinting when referring to …
Grant Engelbart
August 1, 2024
Beware of August? Maybe Not in an Election Year
“August slipped away into a moment in time, ’cause it was never mine.” — Taylor Swift Let’s get right to the point, August historically isn’t a very good month for stocks. Most people know this and it is factually true, as stocks are down on average during this month since 1950 and the past 10 …
Ryan Detrick
July 31, 2024
Investing Insights with Cliff Asness
How do you balance rigorous research with open-mindedness in investing? How do you communicate effectively with clients during volatile times? This week, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Group & Sonu Varghese, VP, Global Macro Strategist at Carson Group, chat with Cliff Asness, Managing and Founding Principal at AQR Capital Management, for an insightful …
Ryan Detrick
July 31, 2024