Resiliency
February 18, 2025 Good morning, In the face of higher-than-expected inflation data and daily tariff talk, the market marched higher, with the S&P 500 Index gaining +1.47% last week. International Indices were slightly higher than that. Hat tip to this market’s resiliency. And, who had Europe as the big winner in the early stages of […]
Investment Commentary – February 18, 2025
Executive Summary The S&P 500 hovered near its all-time highs, while the bond market ended the week with gains (price up / Yield down) as weaker-than-expected retail sales rekindled hopes for Federal Reserve rate cuts. A rally in Treasuries drove the 10-Year Yield below 4.5%, marking its fifth consecutive week of gains—the longest streak since […]
Economic Commentary – February 18, 2025
It is more than a bit unusual, in an economy growing almost 3% and an unemployment rate at 4%, to suddenly see so many Google (and ChatGPT) searches on the subject of US Unemployment Benefits. Normally, questions about unemployment benefits materialize when an economy is weakening, the unemployment rate is rising and in the context […]
Navigating Inflation: What a 3% CPI Means for Your Financial Plan
Navigating Inflation Inflation remains a concern, holding steady at 3% (U.S. Consumer Price Index, February 2025). Given this persistence, the Federal Reserve is unlikely to lower rates aggressively. While this may feel unsettling, it is important to put the numbers in perspective. The 50-year average inflation rate before 2022 hovered around 2.3%, but now it […]