Market Insight

It seems hard to believe, but less than a year ago the words “social” and “distancing” were rarely seen together. Last January talks of the market being overvalued were had on crowded subways in New York City, and discussions of an inevitable rise in interest rates were being forecast by credit analysts on crowded Wall Street trading floors. Remember, entering 2020 the S&P 500 (an index of 500 stocks often used to measure “the market”) was in the midst of its longest run ever without a 20% fall. It was a run that lasted nearly 12 years and saw prices rise over 400% since March 2009. So, of course, while stocks have been up 80% of the time over the past 50 years, it was natural for most of Wall Street’s brightest minds to call for a breather after the past decade’s historic, nearly uninterrupted rise.

Recession and Impeachment. Today’s financial headlines seem to be fixated on both topics, yet if history is any guide, only one of the two is likely to have an influence on financial markets. Recessions are periods of economic decline which are identified when Gross Domestic Product (GDP) falls for two consecutive quarters.

Let’s play a guessing game. Don’t worry, it will be easy because the format will be multiple choice with some decisive clues that will be given in advance. After coming off the worst December for the stock market since the Great Depression, more bad news dominated the headlines in the first half of 2019.

Many agree that one of the best long-term investments one can make is in real estate. Maybe it’s the house they have lived in for the past 30 years, or a rental property acquired decades ago, either way people associate real estate with competitive rates of return. Interestingly, it could be that the behaviors...

It’s been a mostly cooperative year so far for investors. Driven by tax cuts, record corporate earnings and a strong yet steady economy, domestic markets are hovering near all-time highs. In fact, this summer marked the longest bull market ever for the S&P 500. Since March 2009 the market has marched mostly upward, recording over...

There are two words that the countless investment articles, text books, television interviews, and lectures all share: Long Term. It is said that to make money in the market you have to be “in it for the long term.” Warren Buffet, perhaps the world’s most famous investor, tells us to “only buy something that you’d...