I spent the better part of the past weekend deciding what to write for this update. Originally, it was going to focus on how the markets have been ignoring bad news and delivering good results for the year. I was also going to make this update as brief as possible. I know there are many […]
The Beat Goes On – 2017 Mid-Year Financial Markets Review
Financial Market Update“The beat goes on, the beat goes on. Drums keep pounding rhythm to the brain. La de da de de, la de da de da.” Those lyrics were written by Sonny Bono and sung by Sonny and Cher in 1967. I was only five years old then; my young parents were only 26. This record […]
Like Watching a NASCAR Race? — 3rd Quarter Financial Market Update
Financial Market Update, In the NewsNASCAR is America’s biggest spectator sport in terms of attendance. For those unfamiliar with the sport, it is a form of auto racing. Its roots come from the rural south where moonshiners needed fast cars and fast drivers to transport their illegal cargo; maybe even to outrun the law on occasion. Today’s NASCAR is now […]
Xanax in the Financial Markets?
In the NewsXanax is a prescription drug that helps with anxiety and depression. It can help calm someone who is anxious or worried. I suspect the US financial markets have been taking big doses of this drug since the Brexit vote in England back in June. Per a news story in Barron’s, the S&P 500 has gone […]
Election Update—Keep Calm and Carry On
In the NewsNever in my thirty years as an investment manager have I sensed as much anguish over a presidential election as this year. I have heard from many of you very strong opinions of dire economic results, regardless of who wins. My hope with writing this update is to calm some of those fears and give […]
What affect would negative interest rates in the U.S. have on investors?
In the NewsAs published in “Financial Focus – Down The Rabbit Hole” in the summer 2016 issue of Pittsburgh Quarterly magazine. What affect would negative interest rates in the U.S. have on investors? Potential Impact of Negative Interest Rates An often-misattributed quote is, “compound interest is the greatest invention of mankind.” Whoever deserves credit for the quote […]
1st Quarter Update 2016 – Correction Over?
In the NewsIf, by chance, you ignored any business media for the past ninety days, you would probably be bored by the news that the S&P 500 Index was up less than one percent in price appreciation (excluding dividends) for the first quarter of 2016. However, you would have missed one heck of a ride during the […]
2015 in Review and a Look Ahead to 2016
Financial Market Update, Market UpdateLike Treading Water Last year, the returns for most financial investment categories were flat to mildly negative. For a well-diversified portfolio of investments, the lack of progress for 2015 felt like treading water; basically going nowhere. I am sure most of you know how to swim and to tread water. Treading water takes a lot […]
Quarterly Update: Now is the Time to Ask Why
Market UpdateOctober 6, 2015 Mike Kauffelt, Chief Investment Officer As I am sure most of you have noticed, over the past six weeks, the stock markets have had a difficult time. In the third quarter of this year, every major stock index in the US and internationally had a negative return. This pullback in stock performance has […]
Here We Go Again?
In the NewsThe title above does not refer to me taking my fifth daughter, Becca, off to her freshman year of college two weeks ago. It refers to the stock market correction that may have started at approximately the same time. However, upon reflection, the two events have more in common than you might first suspect. Each […]
