Current Trends & News
A weekly financial recap curated by SPC's team of wealth management and tax-integrated advisors.*
We monitor and explore the intricacies of the financial world and share insights into market developments.
Week of July 15th, 2024
In May, Pew Research asked Americans about the biggest problems facing our nation.
Week of July 8th, 2024
Enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI), optimism about inflation, and expectations that the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) will begin to lower rates this year have helped global and U.S. stock markets, overall, push higher in 2024.
Week of July 1st, 2024
Last week was a mixed bag as investors weighed positive economic news against concerns that stock prices for some chipmakers may not be too high.
Week of June 17th, 2024
Inflation is lower – and so are some retail prices.
Week of June 10th, 2024
The S&P 500 benefitted from reports that forecast a slowdown in hiring for May.
Week of June 3rd, 2024
Overall, May was a good month for investors.
Week of May 27th, 2024
The usually weak months of June and August tend to be quite strong in an election year, so be open to potential strength as we head into fall.
Week of May 20th, 2024
Policymakers, central bankers, economists, and investors look at leading economic indicators to forecast where the economy may be headed.
Week of May 13th, 2024
Last week, Federal Reserve officials spoke about keeping the federal funds rate higher until it becomes clear that inflation will reach the Fed’s two percent target rate.
Week of May 6th, 2024
What will the Federal Reserve do?
Week of May 22nd, 2023
While major U.S. stock indices are in positive territory year-to-date, market gains have been concentrated in just a few companies’ stocks.
Week of May 15th, 2023
The Consumer Sentiment Index fell to a six-month low in May, dropping 9.1 percent month-to-month.
Week of May 8th, 2023
Last week, the April employment report for the United States arrived. It showed that unemployment dropped to the lowest level in more than 50 years – 3.4 percent.
Week of May 1st, 2023
Despite more than a year of aggressive Federal Reserve rate increases, the United States economy is still growing, albeit more slowly.
Week of April 24th, 2023
It’s earnings season – the time when publicly traded companies report on how profitable they were during the first quarter of 2023.
Week of April 17th, 2023
Inflation eased, as expected, although it remained above the Federal Reserve (Fed)’s target rate. The Treasury yield curve remained inverted with three-month Treasury bills yielding more than 10-year Treasury notes.
Week of April 10th, 2023
Recent economic data and a possible credit crunch, resulting from upheaval in the banking sector, suggest growth is slowing. After viewing the data, some say we’re heading for a soft landing, and others say a recession is coming.
Week of April 3rd, 2023
So far this year, the direction of the economy and financial markets has been elusive.
Week of March 27th, 2023
Investors are willing to take on risk to achieve their long-term financial goals, but not everyone manages risk in the same way.
Week of March 20th, 2023
Financial markets were volatile last week as investors parsed the risks around bank closures, central banks offered additional protections for depositors, and regulators took a harder look at bank balance sheets.
Week of March 13th, 2023
Early last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told Congress the Fed remains committed to bringing inflation down to 2 percent.
Week of March 6th, 2023
Stocks and bonds are two of the better-known asset classes in the family of potential investments. Last week, they were in opposition.
Week of February 27th, 2023
Is it good news or bad news? The answer depends on your perspective. Last week, we learned that:
Week of February 20th, 2023
There were some unexpected surprises in last week’s economic data that caused markets to reassess expectations for 2023.