Publications, Insights, & News

Every January, it’s customary to look back at the year that was. What were the highlights? What were the “lowlights”? What were the events we’ll always remember? Most importantly, what did we learn?

It’s been a rough fourth quarter for the markets. It seems like week after week, the major indexes – like the Dow and S&P 500 – get hammered by volatility. These days, just about every news website you can find is packed with breathless headlines about plummeting stocks, photos of nervous-looking traders, and editorials about a possible bear market in 2019. . .

For about a week after Thanksgiving, market volatility was like the rest of us – sleepy and stuffed with turkey. The markets themselves took advantage, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow all posting their biggest weekly gains in years.1 And on Monday, after President Trump announced a tariff “ceasefire” between the U.S. and China, the Dow rose 288 points...

Thanksgiving has always been about being thankful for what you have. Even before it was set as an official holiday, it was a centuries-old tradition to have a feast celebrating a good harvest, victory in battle, or some other momentous occasion.

The U.S.-China trade dispute has carried on for about eight months, with no agreement in sight. To date, the U.S. has imposed tariffs on about $250 billion in Chinese goods, representing about half of what the U.S. imported from China last year. In turn, China has retaliated with its own tariffs on $100 billion in imported U.S. goods. So far, the global economy has avoided a trade breakdown, as exports and imports are growing steadily for both the U.S. and China. However, small cracks are forming in the global economy due to the indirect impact of trade tensions, and leading trends show a prolonged dispute or more severe tariffs could exacerbate these effects.

Every year on Veterans Day, we take time to think about the sacrifices made by those in uniform. We say, “Thank you for your service,” to any veterans we know. Perhaps we attend a local parade or event that celebrates veterans.