Investment Commentary – June 10, 2015 Dow – 18,000.40 (6/10/15 close) S&P 500 – 2,105.20 (6/10/15 close) 10-year Treasury – 2.48% (6/10/15) The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened higher on Wednesday for the first time in five days and returned to positive territory for the year as a selloff in the equities market took [...]
Investment Commentary – 5/28/2015 Dow – 18,162.99 (5/27/15 close) S&P 500 – 2,123.48 (5/27/15 close) 10-year Treasury – 2.13% (5/27/15 close) As it becomes increasingly likely that the 2nd estimate of 1st Quarter 2015 GDP will be revised into negative territory this week, it is important to examine what may have been responsible for this [...]
Investment Commentary – May 20, 2015 Dow – 18,285.40 (5/20/15 close) S&P 500 – 2,125.85 (5/20/15 close) 10-year Treasury – 2.25% (5/20/15 close) U.S. equities advanced last week, with the S&P 500 Index notching new record closes on Thursday and Friday. A pullback in bond yields, more mergers-and-acquisitions (M&A) activity and a wave of companies [...]
Investment Commentary – May 13, 2015 Dow – 18,060.49 (5/13/15 close) S&P 500 – 2,098.48 (5/13/15 close) 10-year Treasury – 2.28% (5/13/15 close) Last week demonstrated how equities and bonds have been mired in a meaningful rise in volatility, a shift partly driven by the recent tick higher in bond yields. The yield on the [...]
Investment Commentary – May 6, 2015 Dow – 17,841.98 (5/6/15 close) (+0.11% YTD) S&P 500 – 2,080.15 (5/6/15 close) (+1.02% YTD) 10 year Treasury – 2.24% (5/6/15 close) (+3.23% YTD) A combination of higher interest rates and mixed company earnings kept U.S. stocks in general under pressure last week. The losses, however, were more severe [...]
Investment Commentary – April 29th, 2015 Dow – 18,035.53 (4/29/15 close) (+1.20% YTD) S&P 500 – 2,106.85 (4/29/15 close) (+2.33% YTD) 10-year Treasury – 2.04% (4/29/15 close) (-5.99% YTD) The Federal Reserve lowered its economic outlook today after a harsh winter chilled the U.S. economy’s growth, reducing the odds for an initial interest rate hike [...]
Investment Commentary – April 20, 2015 Dow – 17,826.30 (4/17/15 close) (+0.02% YTD) S&P 500 – 2,081.18 (4/17/15 close)(+1.07% YTD) 10-year Treasury – 1.85% (4/17/15 close) (-14.75% YTD) Stocks struggled last week amid more evidence that economic growth is not accelerating as expected. Renewed worries over the future of Greece also contributed to last week’s [...]
Investment Commentary – April 15, 2015 (Tax day) Dow – 18,036.70 (4/14/15 close) S&P 500 – 2,095.84 (4/14/15 close) NASDAQ -4,977.29 (4/14/15 close) 10-year Treasury – 1.90% (4/14/15 close) S&P 500 1st quarter earnings season kicked off last Wednesday. Estimates have been significantly revised down over the quarter due to continued U.S. dollar strength and [...]
Investment Commentary – April 8, 2015 Dow – 17,875.42 (4/7/15 close) (+0.29% YTD) S&P 500 – 2,076.33 (4/7/15 close) (+0.83% YTD) 10-year Treasury – 1.89% (4/7/15 close) (-12.9% YTD) The March jobs report last Friday was a disappointment. The number of jobs grew by a mere 126k, versus economists’ consensus expectation of almost twice that [...]
Investment Commentary – April 1, 2015 Dow – 17,776.12 (3/31/15 close) S&P 500 – 2,067.89 (3/31/15 close) 10-year Treasury – 1.93% (3/31/15 close) Stocks tumbled yesterday and gave back some of the gains from the previous 2 sessions as Wall Street closed out a volatile 1st quarter with mixed results. The volatile 1st quarter saw [...]