Insights

I. Fourth Quarter 2023: Keeping up with the Russells Ok, let’s get this out of the way right away – we did not keep up. SMCO did end the year on a strong note, generating a +10.5% gross/+10.3% net return in the fourth quarter, but Mr. Market embraced the softening inflation and positive economic dat...

As we bid farewell to 2023, we reflect on a year that presented an array of challenges and unexpected turns for the U.S. economy and financial markets. The past 12 months unfolded as a tumultuous journey, marked by a convergence of complex factors that tested the resilience of economic foundations.

In today's rapidly evolving economic landscape, understanding financial conditions is essential for investors, policymakers, businesses, and others focused on the health of the economy. Financial conditions refer to a complex mix of financial factors (expressed in indices) that collectively paint a ...

The debate over whether the economy will eventually experience a “hard” or “soft” landing continues to dominate market attention. The extended supply chain dislocations, crippling inflation, and 16 months of Fed (Federal Open Market Committee) policy tightening have all contributed to an atmosphere ...

With the continuing rise in interest rates, yield instruments have increasingly captured the attention of hungry investors. However, “yield” can have a range of meanings and calculations within the market ecosystem. Understandably, determining which yield to use for which investment can get confusin...

“Meaningful downward pressure.” These were Federal Open Market Committee (Fed) Chairman Powell’s words last week explaining a third consecutive rate hike of 0.75% in the fight against a defiantly steep U.S. inflation rate.