Investments
Global Investing in the Second Half
We cover a lot of ground in our 2024 Midyear Outlook, but one area worth diving into more is non-US equities. Over the past 15 years, international stocks have only outperformed the U.S. stock market in 12.5% of rolling 12-month periods, not exactly compelling! This year has not started off any different, with the S&P …
Grant Engelbart
July 16, 2024
Under the Hood: Q2 2024 Earnings Kickoff – JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup
As we kickoff the second quarter earnings season, the market sentiment is characterized by cautious optimism. The impressive 16% year-to-date gain in the market has left investors tempering their expectations for the back half of the year, preparing for potential volatility. Concerns about market concentration and other emerging issues are balanced by the excitement surrounding …
Carson Group
July 15, 2024
Inflation Is Last Year’s Problem and Stocks Love It
In my opinion, the June inflation report was picture perfect. The consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.1% in June, which was below expectations. Core CPI, which strips out the volatile food and energy components, rose just 0.1%. These were below expectations, and combined with April and May data, reverses the “heat” we saw in the …
Sonu Varghese
July 12, 2024
Carson Investment Research Releases Midyear Outlook 2024: Eyes on the Prize
Carson Investment Research has released its Midyear Outlook 2024: Eyes on the Prize. It’s been quite a year so far, with continued job market strength (although with some slowing), strong earnings growth, and stock gains that surprised many to the upside, outpacing even our out-of-consensus views for continued market strength. As we put together the …
Barry Gilbert
July 10, 2024
Here’s Our Midyear Outlook
Carson’s midyear outlook “Eyes on The Prize” is out now! How do you balance immediate market reactions with overarching economic indicators? What strategies can help investors stay focused amidst market noise? In this episode, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Group & Sonu Varghese, VP, Global Macro Strategist at Carson Group, dive into their …
Ryan Detrick
July 10, 2024
Save the Date for Our Midyear Outlook Webinar
The stock market is off to a strong start in 2024, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossing 40,000 for the first time. The economic backdrop has helped too, thanks to a healthy employment picture. But even with those tailwinds, questions about the economy and the markets remain as we head into the second half …
Carson Group
July 10, 2024
Don’t Miss the Best Years of the Market and Lock into Poor Outcomes
The stock market has been on a tear for more than 18 months now, with the S&P 500 up 44% from December 31, 2022 to July 8, 2024. We’ve consistently maintained that momentum begets momentum, and my colleague, Ryan Detrick, has written time and again as to why there’s more than enough reason to be …
Sonu Varghese
July 9, 2024
Global Defense Spending Soars Amid Rising Tensions with China and the Middle East
Global defense spending has reached a record high of $2.44 trillion as international tensions continue to escalate1. With 56 identified conflicts currently occurring—the most since World War II2—nations are racing to modernize their military capabilities, driving spending to increase at the fastest pace in a decade3. The largest increases in spending have come from Ukraine …
Carson Group
July 8, 2024
Is It Time to Worry About Employment?
I’ve noted in the past how the US economy primarily relies on consumer spending, and since consumer spending is driven by income growth, the employment situation is pretty much the ballgame. And right now, things are getting a tad uncomfortable. We’re not quite worried yet, but simply recognize that risks are rising. What’s running strong, …
Sonu Varghese
July 5, 2024
Why A Good First Half For Stocks Bodes Well The Second Half
“Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” — Mark Twain The S&P 500 was up 14.5% in the first half of the year, with the Dow up only 3.8%, but the tech-heavy NASDAQ up 18%. Be aware that none of these important indexes topped the first six months from …
Ryan Detrick
July 2, 2024
AI is Unraveling the Structures of Life: Accelerating Drug Development
Artificial intelligence is making its mark across various sectors, providing tangible use cases that showcase its potential. From ChatGPT assisting in writing code and school essays to DALL-E generating images based on user prompts, AI’s capabilities are becoming increasingly evident in everyday applications. Apple’s recent announcement about integrating Apple Intelligence (AI) throughout its ecosystem promises …
Carson Group
July 1, 2024
Markets React to Biden’s Debate Performance
If you read Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick’s prescient blog on Wednesday, you knew this might be coming. Ryan reminded us that debates don’t usually have an impact on elections, but sometimes there is that one gaff or glaring fault that a candidate never fully recovers from. Last night former President Donald Trump did not …
Barry Gilbert
June 28, 2024