As of June 26th, all the major indices were up for the year-to-date (YTD), but while Q1 was overwhelmingly positive for all the asset classes, volatility and uncertainty have returned in May and thus far in June. In fact, the only consistent upward trajectory, in terms of price, has been experienced by the two bond indices, U.S. and Global. The stock market had a strong reaction in May to: Brexit – Theresa May indicated at the end of May that…
What a rollercoaster ride! After dropping nearly 20% from early October to Christmas Eve, the S&P 500 stock market average has dramatically rebounded in the roughly two months since. That leaves the US stock market within about 5% of its all-time high achieved last year and close to its level of a year ago. While the market is not exactly a bargain at this level there are sectors that have become more attractive and better values found in some overseas…
By Irina Pack On a particularly stormy morning (Tuesday, Dec. 18th to be exact) here in Eugene, as the rain poured heavily and the strong wind whipped everything from side to side, I clung to my umbrella with both hands. Despite the fact that I managed to hold on to my umbrella and keep my head and upper body dry, my lower body was covered with rain drops. It occurred to me, as I stepped into the office, that this…
Navigating the Rapids Our goal with investing for our clients is to help them arrive safely at their destinations in life. It’s a bit like taking a raft trip down a river. You have to read the river and make judgements along the way to minimize dangers. There are tricky rapids to negotiate, boulders to avoid, and placid stretches to be enjoyed. In reading the river today we can see that: We’ve had a relatively smooth ride for almost a…
Year to date, US stocks (S & P 500) are up a little under 7%, Real Estate Investment Trusts are up 1%, while US bonds and international stocks are down .84% and 4.52% respectively. YTD The American economy seems to be holding up well as evidenced by much higher corporate profits and lower unemployment. However, the price of many stocks is still elevated and have gotten ahead of earnings. What is more, there are a number of potential concerns lurking…
Unlike the calm market conditions of 2017, 2018 has so far presented a tough, volatile market landscape. The volatility index (VIX), surged about 80% during the first quarter. Headlines, like “U.S. Stocks End Worst Week in Years”, “The Unseen Forces Behind the Market’s Plunge”, and “Volatility Roars Back With Biggest Quarterly Rise Ever”, started to appear on front pages of major news providers. And this has been a challenging year so far not just for U.S. stocks, but for global…
The U.S. stock market reached new highs to close out 2017. The S&P 500 stock index was up over 21% last year and already another 6% in January before experiencing some decline in February. Given that the long term average return for the stock market is around 10%, future price appreciation is likely to be much lower. Not to mention that the market has not had a significant drop in almost a year and a half – far from the…
In investment circles it is often said that “You make your money when you buy.” The basic notion is that the investor buys the stock of a good company that is temporarily selling at a low price and holds onto it until it can be sold at a much higher price. So, to have a good chance to make a profit one needs low prices as a starting point.The problem is that seldom has there been such an absence of…