Insights Investments

The January payroll report was widely anticipated because it was the first “clean” report after the messy post-shutdown reports from November and December, which were also delayed. We also got annual benchmark revisions to prior years’ data (which impacted data from 2021 through March 2025). The Bureau of Labor Statistics also made a methodological change …

Like any good Midwesterner, the weather is top of mind most of the time, especially in the depths of winter. Like the stock market, there is no such thing as experiencing average temperature – just a combination of above-average and below-average. Right now, many of us are experiencing above-average temperatures and likely our first ‘false …

When we wrote our 2026 Outlook: Riding The Wave, one thing we had in mind was surfing the artificial intelligence (AI) wave, not necessarily through immediate productivity gains or direct AI corporate profits, but through the massive infrastructure buildout it required (which does support broad corporate profits). As we noted then, this is a big …

Thanks for reading this week’s Charts of the Week. This week’s charts focus on early-year market signals, AI’s familiar boom-bust rhythm, and subtle signs of consumer strain, with a few seasonality and Super Bowl quirks mixed in for fun. We’ll keep publishing Charts of the Week every Monday (Even though today is Tuesday!). To view …

By Blake Anderson, CFA®, Associate Portfolio Manager Software-focused technology firms are among the weakest stocks so far this year. The pace and magnitude of this drawdown rival other notable bear markets and might have some investors calling 2026 a ‘tech wreck.’ Yet this weak price action – largely fueled by fear of AI disruption – …

Both a McLaren and a minivan are automobiles. Both provide transportation. Both have value. But what they are designed to do, and what they are optimized for, differs dramatically. A McLaren is built for speed, agility, and performance in environments where immediacy, visibility, and optionality matter. A minivan is built for reliability, capacity, and predictability, …

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Vince Lombardi, Hall of Fame coach of the Green Bay Packers This Sunday is the big game! The Seattle Seahawks versus the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60. First things first, don’t ever invest based on who wins the Super Bowl. Or what …

As my colleague Ryan likes to always remind us, politics and investing don’t mix — it’s not about red or blue, it’s about green. Markets have gone up (and down) during Democratic and Republican administrations. Stocks have bull markets and bear markets under both parties. As Ryan wrote recently, many investors said they didn’t like …

Thanks for reading this week’s Charts of the Week This week’s set focuses on a market that’s pricing easier Fed policy while long rates stay stubbornly high, plus the uncomfortable reality that inflation progress is still sticky in services (and could even get a policy-driven nudge from tariffs/energy). We also hit the consumer angle: spending …

“An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest, unless acted upon by an external force.” Sir Issac Newton First off, happy Groundhog Day! And as Bill Murray taught us many years ago, don’t drive angry! Now, let’s get to it. An effect widely known …

2026 is off and running, with an action-packed January and a further reminder that the oldest trick in the investing book still applies. That “trick” is, of course, diversification, which proved resilient in 2025 as we reminded investors in our 2026 Market Outlook. Now is an ideal time to consider the makeup and risk profile …