Market Commentary

The death of repeal and replace, the Trump agenda, and stocks

There was no shortage of angst in the investment community that a Donald Trump victory in last year’s election would send shares down sharply, at least in the immediate aftermath of a Trump win.

In reality, just the opposite happened, with stocks surging in the wake of his surprise victory.

The pre-election-day conventional wisdom didn’t pan out.

Instead, investors quickly warmed to the idea that a Republican President and a Republican Congress would quickly enact a pro-business agenda that would fuel economic growth, and by extension, corporate profit growth.

It was an ambitious agenda that included a steep cut in corporate taxes, individual tax cuts, and tax reform, regulatory reform, and new outlays for infrastructure and national defense. (more…)

January 2017 Market Commentary

The year in review and what might be ahead

2016 has come and gone. It started out in a very rocky fashion, with comparisons to 2008 that were too numerous to count.

Let’s be clear. As I’ve emphasized in past commentaries, markets don’t always trade in a quiet and orderly fashion. But, just because we run into turbulence doesn’t mean it’s time to retreat into cash. Volatility has been and always will be part of the investment landscape. It’s how we manage and mitigate risk that is critical.

I’ve talked about the hazards of timing the market in the past. So here is another way to look at it. In order to successfully time the market, you have to be right twice–getting out near the top and getting back in somewhere near the bottom.

There isn’t anyone who can accomplish such a feat and do it consistently. (more…)