Research demonstrates that over the past 50 years, every U.S. recession may have been predicted ahead of time by using one simple indicator--the spread between short and long-term government bonds. Usually, long-term bonds offer higher yields than short-term bonds due to the additional risk that an investor assumes when buying bonds with longer maturities. However, every once in a while the dynamic flips, where short-term government bonds offer higher yields than long-term government bonds. This ... [Continue Reading]
Market Conditions
Articles and resources related to Market Conditions.
Looking Back at Ten Years Since the Market Bottom of March 9, 2009
The S&P 500, an index that tracks the performance of large U.S. company stocks, has delivered 9.99% average annual returns since 1926 1 . We know that this terrific performance is compensation to investors for taking on risk, and that returns weren’t achieved in a slow and steady manner. Investors don’t have to look too far back in time to remember the poor performance of the tech bubble in the early 2000s or the financial crisis of 2008. In fact, the 10-year annual return of the S&P ... [Continue Reading]
Investment Insight: The Evidence-Based Value of Owning a Globally Diversified Portfolio
As we all observed and experienced, the close of 2018 brought an unsettling time in the equity markets. Markets historically don’t respond favorably to uncertainty, be it financial, political or social, and recent volatility appears to be tied to a host of uncertainties. Many individual investors react to uncertainty based on emotion, even though we’ve seen throughout the history of the market how important it is that investors don’t allow emotion to influence decisions. Throughout recent market ... [Continue Reading]
Investment Insight: Sticking with What Works–The World Cup, Brexit, and Investing
Although it may not be immediately apparent depending on where you’re reading this, much of the world is currently engrossed in the World Cup. The 2018 FIFA World Cup (including 64 total matches) is being hosted in cities throughout Russia, with the championship match to be played on July 15th. The largest tournament of the world’s most popular sport often takes over the lives of its fans – typically ranking as the most watched global event every four years. As a frame of reference, while the ... [Continue Reading]
What the U.S. Open and Mutual Fund Investing Have in Common
The 118th U.S. Open Championship will be held this month at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, located in New York. The second major tournament of the year is known for pairing an intensely competitive group of players with an extremely difficult golf course. Unlike most tour events, it’s not uncommon for the champion to be above par for the entire tournament. Although the world’s best golfers are attracted to the tournament for its storied tradition and the prestige of winning one of golf’s four ... [Continue Reading]