The economy is off to a strong start in 2024, with a strong employment picture and the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossing 40,000 for the first time. But even with those tailwinds, questions about the economy and the markets remain as we head into the second half of 2024.
President Joe Biden, as you’ve no doubt heard, has had a rough few weeks. Yet on Tuesday, he signed a bill into law that could well prove transformative for America’s energy future. Here’s hoping — whatever happens in November’s election — that more progress lies ahead.
Thursday’s wildly encouraging consumer price index report shows that the Federal Reserve should be cutting policy rates at its meeting later this month. Unfortunately, they’ll probably keep us waiting until September.
The boom in portfolio trading is starting to creep into the market for state and local government debt.
AI worked well in equity markets in the first half and could deliver for investors over the next six months.
For the 12 months ending July 3, the average return posted by the widely followed Russell 2000 and S&P SmallCap 600 indexes was 8.3%.
Join the experts at Goldman Sachs Asset Management for a free educational webcast on ActiveBeta – a factor based approach to investing.
As Pete Stavros addressed the private equity industry’s yearly shindig in Berlin last month, the KKR & Co. executive’s words were slightly less headline grabbing than those of Apollo Global Management’s co-president Scott Kleinman. But they were just as troubling.
VettaFi’s Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth discussed the Franklin FTSE United Kingdom ETF (FLGB) on this week’s “ETF of the Week” podcast with Chuck Jaffe of “Money Life.”
Bond investors who’ve been positioning for a rally in the Treasury market are now looking for an endorsement from Thursday’s US inflation data.
Investors are growing increasingly concerned that US technology megacaps are spending too much on artificial intelligence, according Goldman Sachs Group Inc. strategists.
Bain Capital and Reverence Capital Partners have agreed a deal to take Envestnet Inc., a provider of wealth-management software, private.
One after another, the money-making trading formulas for China’s quantitative hedge funds are disappearing.
European stocks edged higher, extending gains into a second day, ahead of a key US inflation print that’s expected to show price pressures continuing to ease.
By some metrics, the US financial system is in great shape. All 31 banks that underwent the Federal Reserve’s stress tests this year maintained adequate capital even in a “severe” economic scenario.
No investor wants to miss the wave of a massive, transformational technology. Spot these big shifts early, and you have a chance at Nvidia-like returns.
The outlook for the Federal Reserve (Fed) through the first six months of 2024 has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride to say the least. While one could argue the overarching premise has been for rate cuts, it has certainly not been a smooth ride.
It’s an election year, which means you can expect to hear presidential candidates being asked about their plan for preventing Social Security from going bankrupt.
A strategic alignment within the workplace is an opportunity for financial advisors, employers and retirement savers seeking financial planning advice. See Kevin Murphy’s views on emerging trends in workplace savings.
Explore the complexities of the high-yield market through comprehensive insights from our experts.
An increasing number of investors believe that value investing might never again be successful. We think that is a strange conclusion because valuation is critical to every transaction in the economy. An economy cannot function properly without thoughtful value assessments. In our latest insight, we analyze the differences between value and growth investing over time and outline the generational opportunities that investors may be overlooking.
With so much uncertainty in the political landscape, investors may be nervous — and they may be reluctant to remain in the market. This is why an advisor's role as a behavioral coach is so important.
Municipal bonds posted their strongest June performance since 2019. The asset class outperformed amid improving seasonal supply-and-demand dynamics. Looking ahead, July has historically been the strongest performing month of the year.
The expectation of rate cuts is not only fueling news-sensitive trades in emerging markets equities, but also in bonds.
Investors continue to pile into bond funds, looking to add yield now before the Federal Reserve starts instituting rate cuts.
Every week I post an update on new unemployment claims shortly after the BLS report is made available. Our focus is the four-week moving average of this rather volatile indicator. The financial press generally takes a fairly simplistic view of the latest number, and the market often reacts, for a few minutes or a few hours, to the initial estimate, which is always revised the following week.
Investors attach a $2.3 trillion valuation to Alphabet Inc. for its status as an internet search behemoth and AI innovator. Yet even that massive figure underplays YouTube’s true worth, according to analysts at Needham & Co.
Life has been getting busier for investment bankers, but dealmakers aren’t cashing any checks yet. A stream of big-ticket merger and acquisition announcements this year bodes well for future revenue and bonuses, but no one gets paid until deals are completed. And that might not happen until late 2024 or even next year.
Piper Sandler & Co. is eliminating its price target for the S&P 500 Index. Its Wall Street counterparts should follow suit.
Tracking down those in the technology industry cautious about artificial intelligence is much like looking for Republicans in San Francisco: There’s plenty of them out there, if you’d care to ask. And lately, they seem to be growing in number.
Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. dropped plans to take board roles at OpenAI in a surprise decision that underscores growing regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech’s influence over artificial intelligence.
Trust is a precious commodity and the importance of authenticity cannot be overstated. Whether in healthcare, education, or business, being genuine and transparent is essential for building strong, lasting relationships. However, nowhere is this truer than in the financial advisory industry.
I love questions like this one – the chance to think creatively and brainstorm “what could be” without the stress of having to do something right now. I have some suggestions to start thinking about what you could do when you have more latitude and less financial responsibility.
AI and automation will revolutionize the financial advisory industry. These technologies enhance efficiency, improve client communication, and enable data-driven decision-making. By 2035, AI will be integral to most advisory firms.
Almost every industry could ultimately incorporate AI, leaving a puzzle for investors seeking exposure. Using the internet as an example may provide some breadcrumbs.
The world could be undergoing a transformation akin to past technological revolutions. But the speed, size and impact of that investment is highly uncertain. We think leaning into the transformation and adapting as the outlook changes will be key.
The global population has surpassed 8 billion and according to the United Nations, it is projected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050.¹ However, the rate of population growth is slowing and is expected to continue to decline. Seems counterintuitive, no?
Over the last four years, we have maintained that the U.S. middle-class consumer is on firmer ground than many believe. The first wave of inflation that seems to be receding is just that—the first wave of a set—and oil and gas companies are fundamentally well-positioned for the next decade.
While the temperatures were rising, the U.S. stock market continued its climb higher as well. The S&P 500 returned 3.5% and Emerging Market stocks delivered an impressive 3.9%. Bonds also returned positively in June.
Morgan Stanley recently discussed the outsized impact of fiscal policy as well as the U.S. dollar looking ahead.
Many investors hold a concentrated stock position that represents a large percentage—typically 10% to 20%—of their overall portfolio value. Let’s review the risks of concentrated positions and then survey some of the possible solutions.
What should equity investors look for to find companies with strong economic profits, backed by clear business advantages?
The China trade shock of the 1990s and 2000s is widely blamed for hollowing out the US manufacturing sector. But anyone who thinks that unwinding trade with China will not result in price increases and significant political backlash is in for a rude awakening.
Earnings season is just around the corner. It could prove critical to justifying the record rally we’ve seen thus far in 2024.
As RIAs and broker-dealers consider how to allocate future spending, they would be wise to recognize how technology designed to support fee-for-service financial planning can help them meet their most immediate goals while also allowing them to grow and nurture next-generation wealth management clients.
Implementing the net wealth mindset in practice involves developing detailed financial plans that align with each client's needs and priorities, and crafting a client-centered service model.
On July 1st, Innovator is expanding the world’s first and largest suite of 100% Buffer ETFs with the launch of three new ETFs providing upside to U.S. equities with built-in 100% downside protection over 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year outcome periods.
With markets at all-time highs, Innovator’s 100% Buffer ETF suite could be the ideal solution for investors to move sidelined cash into U.S. equities with 100% downside protection and tax alpha over bonds and cash.
Additionally, short-term yields continue to hover near their highest levels since 2007, which continue to generate the highest caps we’ve seen since then. Now may be the time to take advantage of these historically high caps before they disappear.
In this product spotlight happening on July 9th at 12:30 pm ET, Innovator’s Chief Investment Officer Graham Day, CFA will unpack the industry’s first and largest suite of 100% Buffer ETFs.
Dimensional’s Kaitlin Hendrix explains the firm’s new unified managed account platform, which enables financial advisors to scale with Dimensional or non-Dimensional ETF model management and customize with Dimensional SMAs. VettaFi’s Cinthia Murphy highlights the top 20 active ETFs by inflows in 2024.
Traditional selling has always been about persuasion and creating forward momentum in the sales conversation. Ironically, although your prospects have specific agendas, they won’t allow you into their world if they sense you’re operating with one.
We think all signs point to the labor market as the oracle – personal consumption supports earnings upside.
