Kuby’s Commentary

Last Week A ceasefire between Israel and Iran, combined with the finalization of a trade agreement between the U.S. and China, sent stocks to a new record close. The ceasefire eased concerns about a widespread war in the Middle East and brought oil prices down...

Last Week All was quiet on the Wall Street front, as stocks ended largely unchanged for the holiday-shortened week. There were no surprises from the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision, and the uncertainty from the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran...

Last Week Thanks to positive trade developments and tame inflation data, the markets were trending higher through Thursday. Unfortunately, those gains were erased on Friday following a sharp escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran, with both countries...

Last Week A better cadence to the Tariff Tango and a solid jobs report combined to send stocks higher, with the S&P 500 reaching its highest level since late February. Trading got off to a “he said, Xi said” start following Trump's accusation that China had...

Last Week It was a week of delicate footwork in the markets, as investors danced through a tariff tango of delayed duties, legal reversals, and geopolitical jabs. Following the long weekend, stocks got off to a spirited start on Tuesday after President Trump postponed...

Last Week The markets in 2025 are unfolding to be a series of Trump bumps and slumps. Unfortunately, the combination of the “Big, Beautiful, Bill” and a Testy Tariff Tweet sent the markets into another tailspin. Following Moody’s downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt on...

Last Week Global equities traded higher last Monday morning following the weekend summit in Switzerland between U.S. and China officials, which both parties characterized as being productive. Specifically, both nations agreed to reduce tariffs for 90 days...

Last Week The lyrics of the Four Tops were the same old song, with Trump and Powell setting the beat. This latest verse was a slightly hawkish interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve, offset by some positive sentiment on trade after U.S. President Donald Trump...

Last Week On the cover of the most recent Barron’s is a picture of a lone bull in a grassy field with the caption “Where Did the Bulls Go?" (Bob Dylan might answer that question if he wrote a song about the stock market.) The cover story highlights that the percentage...

Last Week Stock market trading got off to a grim start on Monday, with no tariff agreements reached over the weekend and President Trump intensifying his pressure on Fed Chair Jerome Powell to lower rates or face termination. North Star Chief Investment Officer Eric...