Market Summary While the Iran war stagnated last month, the markets took the opportunity to ignore interest rate risk, oil prices, an increasingly hawkish Federal Reserve, and rising inflation to instead focus on the AI narrative once again with the tech and semiconductor sectors outperforming the rest of the market. Bonds continued their selloff almost across the board, dragging total returns for traditional portfolio allocations on fears that rising interest rates due to in

Market Summary We concluded in last month’s newsletter hours before President Trump’s deadline that threatened to bomb Iran’s civil infrastructure. The stock market reaction was going to be binary – more volatility if those threats were realized, or a fast and furious rally to the upside if Trump backed down. The answer was the latter with the S&P 500 gaining 10.43%, the Nasdaq 100 rallying 15.63%, and the Russell 2000 rising 12.18%. The bond market as a whole struggled last

Market Summary March brought heightened volatility to financial markets as investors reacted to a combination of weaker labor data, persistent inflation concerns, and ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Equity markets experienced uneven performance throughout the month, with early declines followed by partial recoveries as investors reassessed the path of monetary policy. For the month, the S&P 500 lost -5.13%, the Nasdaq 100 pulled back -5.01%, and the Russell

Market Summary February brought another month of volatility within roughly the same trading ranges as investors balanced moderating inflation data with rising geopolitical risks and growing concerns about the labor market. Equity markets moved unevenly during the month, with technology stocks facing periodic selling pressure while energy shares rallied alongside rising oil prices. Markets were also influenced by a combination of economic releases and Federal Reserve commentar

Market Summary January saw U.S. equities rebound modestly despite bouts of volatility tied to economic data delays, policy expectations, and geopolitical headlines. Markets were choppy mid-month after tariff-related headlines triggered selling in technology stocks, but sentiment recovered late as rate expectations stabilized. On a full-month basis, the S&P 500 gained 1.34%, the Nasdaq 1.19%, and the Russell 200 5.36%. Investors rotated away from mega-cap tech and toward cycli

Market Summary December closed out a volatile finish to 2025, with U.S. equities digesting mixed macro data, shifting Federal Reserve policy expectations, and geopolitical and political headlines. Investors wrestled with late-cycle growth signals, AI sector leadership pressures, and renewed rate-cut speculation into year-end. For the month, the S&P 500 ended up closing nearly flat with a small loss of -0.05%, the Nasdaq 100 closed lower at -0.73%, and the Russell 2000 lagged

Market Summary November began with broad, yet relatively modest market declines and delivered mixed signals with new private payroll data showed an unexpected drop, manufacturing activity remained in contraction, and tariff-related cost pressures continued to weigh on business sentiment. By the end of the month, the major US market averages had mixed results with the S&P 500 rebounding to add 0.13%, the Nasdaq 100 remaining in the red with a -1.64% decline, and the small-cap

Market Summary Last month saw more tariff threats which were eventually back-pedaled, a Fed announcement with lowering interest rates and a cautionary outlook, and official data flows interrupted by a federal funding impasse, which leaves the outlook for the U.S. economy clouded. Aside from some positive earnings reports from the largest US tech companies, many other earnings reports raised yellow flags. Despite all of this, the major market averages gained spurring more valu

Market Summary In spite of economic warning signs, a government shutdown, new tariffs being implemented, and stock valuations approaching highs not seen since just before the Dot-Com bust 25 years ago, the market shrugged off all of these concerns and moved high last month. The S&P 500 gained 3.49%, the Nasdaq 100 added 5.37%, and the Russell 2000 rose 2.99%. (1) Labor Market The looming federal government shutdown in late September forced suspension or delay of key economic