The theme of low volatility that headlined our investment commentaries over the past three years came to a sudden halt in the fourth quarter.
Some of the themes we witnessed in the second quarter continued into the third quarter. Inflation Hedges (Defensive Equities, REITs, and MLPs) extended the charge, resulting in its best quarter since Q1 2017.
S&P Dow Jones Indices and MSCI are making major changes to the Global Industry Classification Standards (GICS®) structure effective the close of business September 21. The Telecommunication Services sector will be expanded to include selected companies from the Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary sectors and will be renamed Communication Services.
What a difference a quarter makes. The results may have been relatively boring for the
second quarter, but the change in market leadership was eye catching.
The year 2018 has been marked as an important one for fixed income markets. So far it has been a year filled with speculation and uncertainty. One of the big-ticket items -- the number of rate hikes that the U.S. Federal Reserve will conduct throughout the year.
What an interesting quarter. January was a continuation of 2017 producing positive returns with relatively low volatility. U.S. and International Equities were up as much as 7% in January. The S&P 500 recorded only 6 down days, with only 1 day down slightly more than 1%.
The S&P 500® Information Technology Index has been on a significant bull run for quite some time now, especially since the beginning of 2017. It has outpaced the other S&P 500® sectors by a wide margin. It also has the largest weight within the S&P 500® Index, significantly contributing to the S&P...
Having started in the industry in 1984, you could say my timing was pretty good. Back then, US Treasury bond yields were at all-time highs and the S&P 500 was trading in the 160s. Putting new cash to work in the markets was a stress-free decision.
It’s been an incredible 9-year bull run in the financial markets. The recent spike in volatility is indeed unsettling to investors, causing many to wonder “Is this it? Is this the big one?”
Q1 2019 Investment Commentary