Investments

You Want Market Breadth? You Got It, but Be Careful What You Wish For

Everyone’s been complaining that the market lacks breadth, and now we have more of it. On October 22, 324 of 500 S&P 500 companies gained, with the median stock up 1.09% (177 gained over 2%). Yet the S&P 500 fell 1.36%, technology plunged 3.3%, and the Goldman Sachs Broad AI Index dropped 6.01%. Nine of …

Sonu Varghese

October 23, 2026

Is the Index Hiding Something?

2026 has “felt” like more volatile than years past – in part due to headlines and other asset classes experiencing volatility, especially interest rates and commodities. Realistically, though, when compared to previous years, 2026 is quite tame, if not one of the tamest years in a long time. The war in Iran and the software …

Grant Engelbart

October 22, 2026

5 Signs You May Be Suffering From Bond Derangement Syndrome

In the third quarter, the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index (“Agg”), the most widely used bond benchmark, fell 3.5%, its worst quarter since Q4 of 2022 (-4.8%). Suddenly, the trauma of 2022 was back for bond investors, and they once again forgot how bonds worked. I’ve anecdotally heard so much fear of bonds lately that …

Barry Gilbert

October 21, 2026

Talking Midterms with Libby Cantrill (FvF Ep. 210)

In Episode 210 of Facts vs Feelings, Carson Group’s Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist, and Sonu Varghese, Chief Macro Strategist, welcome back Libby Cantrill, Head of Public Policy at PIMCO, for her fifth appearance on the show. With the midterm elections about two weeks away, Libby explains why the data is flashing signs of a …

Ryan Detrick

October 21, 2026

Earnings Check-In: The Shortage Quarter

Welcome to Carson Investment Research’s Earnings Check-In. This series is built weekly from FactSet’s Earnings Insight report (John Butters, VP, Senior Earnings Analyst with FactSet), with index weights and market caps sourced from YCharts, and aggregation performed in-house. We tie every figure to FactSet’s published numbers, then add Carson’s perspective on top of that. We …

Harry McDonald

October 20, 2026

Remembering the Crash of 1987

“It felt like the world was ending.” -Economist Chris Rupkey on the Crash of 1987   October is known for many things, with incredible market crashes likely at the top of the list. The crashes of 1929 and 1987 stand out for many investors, and who could forget the selling and volatility of October 2008? …

Ryan Detrick

October 20, 2026

Charts of the Week: Oct. 12-16

Thanks for reading this week’s Charts of the Week This week’s charts cover CDS spreads, new inflation measures, wealth levels, and the current state of the labor market. We’ll keep publishing Charts of the Week every Monday. To view this week’s Charts of the Week, click here: Charts of the Week: Oct. 12-16

Carson Research

October 19, 2026

Financial Heavyweights Kick Off Earnings Season

Consumer Strength JPMorgan and Bank of America spoke to the strength of consumer spending and high consumer credit quality in their respective earnings reports. As we’ve detailed, consumer finances have remained healthy with the current mix of low and stable unemployment amidst rising wages. These factors may allow spending to continue to grow at responsible …

Blake Anderson

October 19, 2026

It’s All One Big Trade Now: AI or Bust

It’s easy to think of stocks, Treasuries, corporate bonds, commodities, and private markets as separate investments. But within a portfolio, they should be looked at as part of a whole, since developments in one corner of the market can quickly affect prices and expected returns elsewhere. Looking at asset classes in isolation risks missing the …

Sonu Varghese

October 16, 2026

Why the Job Market Feels Broken for People My Age

Almost every friend of mine who has looked for a job this year has a similar story. They sent out dozens of applications, sometimes hundreds, and heard back from maybe two or three. The ones who landed something usually knew someone on the inside. For a long time, the advice was simple. Get good grades, …

Harry McDonald

October 15, 2026

Nine Charts on Midterm Elections

“If the opposite of pro is con, then the opposite of progress must be Congress.” Sam Stovall, Chief Investment Strategist at CFRA   Ready or not, midterm elections are coming. We’ve already discussed them in detail in Midterm Elections Don’t Matter a Whole Lot to Markets, but Here’s What Might, but I wanted to share …

Ryan Detrick

October 14, 2026

The Bull Market Turns Four (FvF Ep. 209)

In Episode 209 of Facts vs Feelings, Carson Group’s Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist, and Sonu Varghese, Chief Macro Strategist, celebrate the bull market turning four. With the S&P 500 up about 128% on a price basis and 131% including dividends since October 2022, the hosts note that no bull market in the last 50 …

Ryan Detrick

October 14, 2026