The S&P 500 Total Return Index gained 6.2% for the quarter while the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index declined 1.6% during this period. The stock market’s strength during the quarter was driven by more hopeful expectations for the economy in 2021. Over the...
Last Week: The U.S. economic data and corporate earnings reports clearly indicated a strengthening recovery, along with new signs of mounting inflationary pressures. Retail sales surged 9.8% in March compared to the prior month, its steepest increase since May last...
Last Week: Investors continued getting what they want, as well as what they need, despite some storm clouds forming on the horizon. Stocks rallied to close once again at record levels Friday, with the S&P 500 topping 4,100, as investors ignored concerns about...
Last Week: The S&P 500 crossed over the 4,000 threshold on April Fools’ Day to set another record, finishing up +1.14%. Small caps were not joking around, with the Russell 2000 gaining +1.46%, and the Tech sector pranked its detractors by bouncing +3.15%. Trading...
The S&P 500 Total Return Index gained 6.2% for the quarter while the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index declined 1.6% during this period. The stock market’s strength during the quarter was driven by more hopeful expectations for the economy in 2021. Small stocks,...
Last Week: The economic data was fairly consistent with expectations, as the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimate of fourth-quarter GDP increased to 4.3% from the last estimate in February of 4.1%. Personal Income declined 7.1% month over month, after jumping 10% in...
Last Week: The Big Bad Bond Market once again bared its jagged teeth, as the yield on the Ten-Year Treasury climbed another 10 basis points to breach the 1.75% level for the first time in 14 months. The stock market showed signs of fear as the Dow and S&P fell...
Last Week: The economic outlook continued to brighten, with the pandemic subsiding and the potent combination of monetary and fiscal policies priming the growth pump. The Big Bad Bond market growled as the 10-year Treasury yield jumped 8 basis points to 1.64%, hitting...
Last Week: On Monday all 11 sectors rallied and the S&P posted its biggest daily gain since June, as the combination over the previous weekend of the positive vaccine news from Johnson & Johnson, the approval of the stimulus plan by the House, and a decline of...
Last Week: We were often reminded during the recent challenging economic period that the market climbs the wall of worry. The inverse proposition might caution that the market can slide down the chute of good cheer. Following up on our most recent commentary, the...
Last Week: Where are we and where do we go from here? Reflecting on the current status of the economy and markets, I find myself swaying back and forth on the optimism/pessimism pendulum. Although on balance trending more towards the arc of optimism. Certain data...
Last Week: In the Kuby’s Commentary version of “Rally, Rinse, Repeat,” we once again report that the market set new record highs, the economic data was mixed, the battle with COVID-19 raged on, and the politicians were mired in debate over the size and scope of...
Last Week: The Bulls are back, and I am not talking about the Chicago Bulls. The stock market rebounded from its brief slump to post its best weekly gains since November, with the S&P 500 bouncing 4.65%. Small cap stocks continued their recent surge, as the...
Last Week: Trading was extremely volatile with the VIX surging over 50% to 33.09 and the S&P 500 shedding 3.31%. It seems worth noting that these spikes in volatility and sell-offs in equities occur regularly and should not be alarming. What is alarming is the...
If anyone thought the economic review was mundane, then 2020 should make you reevaluate that point of view. The fourth quarter of 2020 was perhaps THE most interesting quarter in the economy in modern history. It is quite challenging to develop an economic outlook for...
Last Week: The stock market reached a new record high on Thursday, fueled by optimism over the Biden administration’s priorities of coordinating a national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing payments to struggling individuals and businesses, and continuing...
Last Week: It was a mixed bag of tricks and treats for stocks, with the S&P 500 suffering its worst decline since Halloween at -1.5%, while the Russell 2000 gained 1.5%, and 1827 advancing issues outnumbered 1402 decliners. The dollar, gold, and interest rates...
Last Week: Cheers! The Wall Street party raged on as the S&P 500 rose 1.8%, to 3824.68, Nasdaq Composite gained 2.4%, and the Russell 2000 surged 5.9%. It was the best start to a year for small caps since 1987 (causing a party on North Star Street). On the other...
Last Week: If a ball drops in Time’s Square but the public is not invited, then is it still New Year’s Eve? In any event, the party on Wall Street raged on, with the S&P 500 gaining 1.43% to finish at a new record high. Profit-taking hit the small caps, as the...
The S&P 500 Total Return Index gained 12.1% for the quarter and finished up 18.3% for the year. The Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index gained 0.4% for the quarter and ended up 5.6% for the year. 2020 was one of the most eventful years in recent memory. Pandemic...
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