At the beginning of 2017, a common view among money managers and analysts was that the financial markets would not repeat their strong returns from 2016. Many cited the uncertain global economy, political turmoil in the US, implementation of Brexit, conflicts in the Middle East, North Korea’s weapons buildup, and other factors. However, equity markets…
DetailsIt’s hard to think all the way back to January 2016, but the year began with a bit of a shock when US stocks had their worst start in history. Then came the Brexit vote in June, when non-US Stocks dropped approximately 7% over a three week period. And then came the US Presidential election, when US stocks dropped approximately 5% in the weeks leading up to the election.
But by the end of the year, those investors who stayed the course saw positive returns across the board.
Now that the election is behind us, it is safe to say that Trump’s victory was unexpected. Just like the Brexit vote back in June, his victory raised more questions than it answered. It has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and markets typically respond to uncertainty with heighted volatility. So what does this mean for…
DetailsThe financial press had a field day with headlines in 2015. In the fourth quarter alone, we were greeted with news stories about plummeting oil prices, a sharp slowdown in China, and the first Fed interest rate hike in more than a decade. At one point during the year, the S&P 500 was down 12%…
DetailsThe quarter three numbers are in, and the S&P 500 index finished down just over 6%, while non-US markets finished down more than 10%. The end of August was particularly bumpy, when amidst of headlines of a Chinese stock market crash, looming Fed rate hikes, and fears of an earnings slowdown in the U.S. the…
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