Insights Investments

We have come a long way since I last published a Carson Quilt chart, and the situation at that time for market returns was immensely different. Commodities were leading the way, up just 2.1% for the year, followed by fixed income, illustrating how the diversifying parts of a portfolio can be beneficial when the going …

“I look to the future because that’s where I’m going to spend the rest of my life.” George Burns, Actor and Comedian   Thanks to the near bear market back in April around the Liberation Day crash, 2025 joined the ranks of basically every other year in history that had some scary headlines and market …

Technology investors are walking away with a smile from this earnings season. Many of the largest companies in S&P 500 traded higher after their earnings report, with the notable exception being Meta. The fundamental results produced by these companies were largely cheered by investors and fueled earnings expectations, as well as spending expectations, higher. And …

“A body at rest stays at rest and a body in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an external force.” Sir Isaac Newton, First Law of Motion   The incredible rally continues, justified with some spectacular earnings results. Yes, we are looking at a six-month win streak for the S&P 500, but as …

The Federal Reserve (Fed) cut rates by 0.25%-points at their October meeting, as expected. The target federal funds rate is now in the 3.75–4.50% range, 1.5%-points below the peak of this cycle, and the second cut in consecutive meetings. The chart below shows the upper end of their target. This is now the largest set …

In the latest episode of Facts vs Feelings, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist, and Sonu Varghese, VP, Global Macro Strategist, discuss why a strong year-end rally may already be underway. They explore the drivers behind market momentum, earnings strength, inflation trends, and the Fed’s next moves, while adding insight, a bit of humor, and practical …

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 …