April 1st, 2011 – Keeping a long-term focus
Looking at the S&P levels for the month of March might suggest there wasn’t much that happened in the way of meaningful events. The broad market index closed at 1,327 at the end of February and is looking to close right around that same level this month. That analysis would fail to recognize the tremendous […]
March 15th, 2011 – Investment advice
Before talking about the markets, our hearts go out to the people of Japan. We can not fathom what they are going through. Even though Japan’s infrastructure was designed to withstand earthquakes, the magnitude of this quake and subsequent tsunami was an incredible reminder that no matter how well humans try to contain our environment, […]
February 17, 2011 – Let the games begin
Let the Games Begin!!! The political games on the Federal budget have begun. Over the next few weeks, there will be a lot of political posturing on both sides. Republicans are complaining that the budget proposed by President Obama (adding $7.2 trillion to the deficit over the next ten years) doesn’t even scratch the surface. Democrats are complaining […]
Market Update – February 1, 2011
Egypt – WHAT NEXT? The unrest in Egypt is causing jitters around the world as investors ask – what next? First, we have to look at the main reason for the uprising in both Tunisia and Egypt. Both of these governments have been authoritative for years with repressive governments and high unemployment. So the question […]
Market Update – Janurary 17, 2011
Time for a market breather? Since the market’s rebound from the choppiness of last summer, the stock market is up about +25%! That’s great news for all of us. However, the question we now hear many of our clients inquiring about is “Where does the market go from here?” As in the case with most […]
Market Update – our thoughts on 2011
Our Thoughts on 2011 We want first to wish all of you and your families our very best wishes for the New Year. Second, as is the case for any new year, many people, clients and non-clients alike, have asked for our opinion on the upcoming year. Of course, any opinion is just that, an […]
Market Update – December 15, 2010
Should the government be cutting taxes now? When listening to the news regarding the extension of the Bush tax cuts, we continually hear the mantra that these “tax cuts” will be stimulative. In truth, it is not a tax cut at all and therefore we should not expect this bill to be as stimulative as […]
Our Thoughts on Quantitative Easing – Part 2
Many clients have asked for our thoughts on Quantitative Easing Part 2 – QE2, not Queen Elizabeth II. What is QE2, you ask? QE2 is the Federal Reserve’s plan to inject $600 billion dollars into the financial system by purchasing Treasury Notes. The Federal Reserve is buying notes issued by the Government in an […]
The Markets after the Election – November 2, 2010
Many clients have asked for our thoughts about the upcoming election and how it might impact the stock market. The current trends show that there is a strong chance the legislative and executive branches of the government will be divided next year. The attached chart shows that the stock market performs better when the two […]
Market Update – October 18, 2010
Why is such a precious commodity falling in value Yes, we did say fall. With all the commodity headlines centered on gold, oil and silver spiking in price over the past few months, natural gas has received little attention. Natural gas prices have fallen 24% in the last three months and more than 47% over […]