Why Do Stocks Keep Rising and What Should You Be Concerned With Right Now?
By John Lau, CPA, CFP® June 1, 2026 – I get this question almost every week now. The market has had a tremendous run, yet if you turn on the news, you’d think investors should be worried about inflation, interest rates, government deficits, tariffs, wars, or the next economic slowdown. With all that uncertainty, many […]
May 2026 Recap
Economic Commentary The U.S. economy continues along a path of steady expansion, with second-quarter growth estimates of around 2%. While a downward revision to first-quarter GDP (to 1.6%) caught headlines, high-frequency indicators—including steady jobless claims and stable ISM business surveys—confirm there is no meaningful evidence of a recession. Furthermore, a narrowing April trade deficit is […]
Five Charts for the Week That Was: May 22, 2026
Chief Economist Jeanette Garretty provides 5 economic charts covering topics including bond yields, CPI, mortgage rates, and housing sales.
Beyond the Noise Podcast – Episode 2
Listen to Chief Economist Jeanette Garretty and Chief Investment Officer Stuart Katz as they analyze the economy and markets amidst current geopolitical tensions.
Market Note: Hello Chairman Warsh, Welcome to Post 2% Inflation
May 15, 2026 – Incoming Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is inheriting a very different world from the one Jerome Powell took over eight years ago. One sign of that difference is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading that was coincidentally released on the day of his confirmation. It came in at 3.8%, the highest […]
Five Charts for the Week That Was: May 8, 2026
Chief Economist Jeanette Garretty provides 5 economic charts covering topics including US GDP, Federal Debt, US Consumer Credit Change, American net wealth, and labor force participation.
April 2026 Recap
Strategic Outlook: Resilience Amidst Geopolitical Volatility The current investment landscape is defined by a paradox: heightened friction in the Middle East contrasted with remarkable domestic economic strength. The primary takeaway from recent market activity is the overall stability of the United States. The Real Economy: A Structural Shift in Energy Dynamics The global narrative remains […]
FOMC Commentary – April 29, 2026
If a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interest rate statement can be judged to be terse, it would be the one issued today (April 29) at the conclusion of meetings that were expected to be both highly interesting and boringly uneventful.
Five Charts for the Week That Was: April 24, 2026
Chief Economist Jeanette Garretty provides 5 economic charts covering topics including consumer sentiment, gas prices, retail sales, and real wage growth.
Live Market Update – April 17, 2026
The following content is intended only for qualified investors to whom Robertson Stephens has explicitly granted access.
Market Volatility: The Best Days and Worst Days Travel Together
The stock market’s best and worst days tend to arrive together, and the early months of 2026 offered a timely reminder. The S&P 500 fell nearly -10% from its late-January high through the end of March as the U.S.-Iran conflict sent oil prices surging more than +60%. Headlines about the Strait of Hormuz closure, rising […]
2026 Q1 Market Letter: To Live in a Revisionist World
April 14, 2026 – The term “revisionist power” describes states dissatisfied with the existing world order and seeking to reshape the norms and institutions that govern it. These powers stand in contrast to the “status quo” powers — those seeking to maintain the existing world order. Since the end of the Cold War, the lines […]