The articles below offer general information, opinions, and forecasts and should not be considered advice.
Market Minute
September 2021 – By Bob Veres
There is absolutely no question that, from a historical standpoint, yields on U.S. government bonds are terrible. 10-year Treasuries that were issued at 1.25% a year are now yielding 1.297%, which is not terrific when the inflation rate is somewhere between 6% and 7%. If you go shorter term, 5-year Treasuries are trading at a yield of 0.788% a year, and 2-year Treasuries are offering a somewhat less-than-generous yield of 0.215%.
Continue readingAugust 2021 – by Bob Veres
Despite the alarmist articles you might be reading in the press, most people won’t be affected very much, if at all, from the tax proposals that are percolating through Congress. If the bills pass in their current form, then individuals who make less than $400,000 a year won’t see any increase in their ordinary income or capital gains rates, and husband and wife taxpayers with less than $7 million—or maybe $10 million—in net worth still won’t have to worry about paying federal estate taxes.
Continue readingAugust 23, 2021 – Daniel Zalipski, CFA®
Stock prices are influenced by several factors, both technical and fundamental. Technical factors are commonly thought of as external factors that influence a stock’s price, such as liquidity or regulatory action. Fundamental factors tend to focus on a company’s earnings and their valuation; the price investors are willing to pay for their claim of future earnings. As we pass the mid-point of the quarter, it is time to check in on earnings and valuations within the broader market.
Continue readingAugust 10, 2021 – Scott Rosenquist, CFA®
July’s employment data released by the Labor Department last Friday beat expectations while the unemployment rate fell to 5.4% from 5.9%. Payrolls increased by 943,000 compared to 845,000 expected by economists. The previous two months were also revised higher by a combined 119,000. Job gains continue to be concentrated in the leisure and hospitality sector (+380K) as the economy reopens. Next month’s report will be closely monitored for any impacts of the delta variant that may not have been captured in July.
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