FIRESIDE CHARTS
The Upcoming Holiday Season Will Test Consumers, Retailers Are Reluctant to Raise Prices, Dividends Are in Demand
The economy is still growing, but it seems clear that it’s no longer overheating. Consumers are continuing to spend into the holiday season. Views on the labor market are souring. Retail pricing power…
Powell Put a Damper on Markets, Inflation Remains in Focus, Investing for the Long-Term
The economy can handle higher rates, but not a Federal Reserve asleep at the wheel. Powell denied any imminent pivot and spooked the markets with hawkish rhetoric surrounding further rate hikes…
GDP Is Growing Again, Rents Are Falling, Investors Are Eschewing Stock in Favor of Bonds
U.S. GDP is growing again, but the story is a little more complicated below the surface. Preliminary data is showing a decline in U.S. rents during October. The Federal Reserve has now overseen the…
Consumers Hold Onto Their Savings, Much Needed Relief for Seniors, What Clients Look For in a Financial Advisor
Consumer savings, which increased substantially during the pandemic, has remained near record levels. Social security payments are set to rise 8.7% providing much-needed relief to seniors. Key drivers…
BCM 3Q22 Market Commentary: Federal Reserve Has Markets Positioned for the Worst
What started as a summer of optimism in markets ended with a fall of fear. Tough talk from the Federal Reserve and August’s inflation print brought equity and fixed income markets broadly towards new lows…
Manufacturing Slowdown Gives Supply Chains Time to Catch Up, Consumers Continue to Spend, Markets Are Back to Normal
The Federal Reserve is getting its wish, manufacturing growth has decelerated markedly and is now barely positive. On the positive side, the slowdown has allowed supply chains to catch up which bodes…
Federal Reserve Threatens a Recession, Commodity and Housing Prices Fall, Millennials Leave the Markets
The Federal Reserve is threatening to push the economy into a recession to stamp out inflation if necessary, and the market is taking them seriously. Market prices on commodities and other industrial…
Fed Narratives Continue to Spook Markets
Jerome Powell’s tone during Wednesday’s press conference has market participants considered the Fed is determined to break the economy in order to get inflation under control. However, many forward leading inflation indicators…
Staggering Losses at Early-Stage Companies Exemplify Recent Sentiment Shift in Markets
Whether it be the explosion of cryptocurrencies, a renewed fervor for Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) , Electric Vehicle companies (many of which sought SPAC IPOs), or the dawn of the…
Inflation report roils markets, housing activity continues to be weak, Norway offers a glimpse into the EV future.
Last Tuesday’s CPI reading of +.1% month over month sent shockwaves through the market as forecasters hoped for a -.1% decrease month over month buoyed by big declines in oil prices.