The interest rate pendulum finally swung the other way. The Federal Reserve finally lowered interest rates at its September meeting. The was the first cut since 2020 – the Fed said the larger-than-expected cut was intended to show the Fed’s commitment to maintaining our economy’s strength in the face of a slowdown in the labor market. The Fed has a dual mandate: to keep inflation low and to support full employment. Since the last..
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Volatility has once again reared its head as the “Fear Index,” the VIX, briefly jumped above 65 on Monday. For most of 2024 it has floated around 13-16 and Monday’s move saw levels last seen during two tumultuous times: the Great Financial Crisis and the Great Covid Shutdown. The VIX eventually settled down at 38.6 and has continued to trend back downward to 25 the following day. So what drove investors to this tsunami of..
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The first half of the year unfolded much better than expected for U.S. equities. The U.S. economy stayed resilient in an environment where inflation and interest rates remained higher than expectations. Strong corporate earnings and the continued strength of the U.S. consumer propelled the market to record highs.
The S & P 500 was up nearly 4.5% in the 2nd quarter, reaching a new all-time high. The gains came with some volatility..
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