Research & News
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Germany: The Reluctant Superpower (February 27, 2017)
by Bill O’Grady Two recent articles caught our attention. First, the New York Times discussed growing worries in Germany about a post-American Europe,[1] given the potential withdrawal of the U.S. from the superpower role. Second, an op-ed in Der Spiegel went so far as to suggest that Germany should become the world leader of an anti-Trump coalition.[2]… Read More »
Daily Comment (February 27, 2017)
by Bill O’Grady, Kaisa Stucke, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM EST] Over the weekend, parts of President Trump’s budget plan were released to the public. According to the New York Times, the president plans to increase defense spending and scale back non-defense spending, most notably the EPA and the State Department. The increase in defense… Read More »
Daily Comment (February 24, 2017)
by Bill O’Grady, Kaisa Stucke, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM EST] During a panel discussion at the CPAC convention, White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus sought to quell rumors of a possible rift between the two. The discussion was mild-tempered, with both stating that they respect each… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (February 24, 2017)
by Asset Allocation Committee Emerging market equities have been the best performing asset class year to date among the 12 we use in our asset allocation program. Given that we currently have no exposure to emerging markets, it makes sense to review this market stance. The U.S. dollar is one of the key variables impacting the… Read More »
Daily Comment (February 23, 2017)
by Bill O’Grady, Kaisa Stucke, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM EST] Equity markets have remained relatively calm after the Fed minutes reaffirmed the outlook of most investors. In the minutes, the Federal Reserve voted unanimously to maintain current rates due to the PCE remaining below its 2% target as well as “heightened uncertainty” about changes… Read More »
Daily Comment (February 22, 2017)
by Bill O’Grady, Kaisa Stucke, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM EST] Donald Trump has released a pair of memos that lay out a plan to cut down on illegal immigration into the United States. The memo expanded the definition of criminal aliens from those who have committed serious crimes to those who have been convicted… Read More »
Daily Comment (February 21, 2017)
by Bill O’Grady, Kaisa Stucke, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM EST] Even with a three-day holiday weekend to work with, there isn’t a ton of news this morning. The president did appoint a new National Security Director and the pick is being well received. European and Asian PMI data (see below) generally came in above… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (February 17, 2017)
by Asset Allocation Committee A regular question we are asked by financial advisors and clients is, what is the impact of the Trump presidency on financial markets? The simple response is that we don’t know for sure, but a pattern is starting to emerge. And that pattern has to do with the perceptions of Trump’s two… Read More »
Daily Comment (February 17, 2017)
by Bill O’Grady, Kaisa Stucke, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM EST] Equity markets are lower this morning. We suspect two issues are weighing on sentiment. First, the two left-wing candidates in France, Socialist Benoit Hamon and hard-left Jean-Luc Melenchon, are holding talks that may lead one of these candidates to drop out of the race. … Read More »
Daily Comment (February 16, 2017)
by Bill O’Grady, Kaisa Stucke, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM EST] We are seeing a bit of weakness this morning in equities but this looks mostly like a normal market pause. The dollar is lower despite growing talk that the Fed is moving to raise rates. Not only did Chair Yellen signal that hikes are… Read More »