Top Funds Report – September 2018
In August, the equity markets were mixed as U.S. equities trended higher, while global markets were mostly lower. What makes this particularly interesting according to some analysts is that the big U.S. equity benchmarks scaled uncharted new heights in August, making this the longest bull market in history. Others dispute this claim, arguing that some previous bull market cycles were longer.
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On balance, July offered up a solid start to the third quarter. Global economic growth numbers continue to point to continued expansion despite the potential fallout from a trade war instigated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Offsetting the trade tensions that have been dominating the business news in the past few months were second-quarter corporate earnings, particularly in the U.S., which were stronger than the consensus had expected, thanks largely to the tax cuts introduced by President Trump back in December.
Read MoreTop Funds Report – July 2018
Tensions remained high in June as the world remained teetering on the brink of an all-out trade war, instigated by U.S. President Donald Trump. Investors remained unsettled through June, resulting in another month of choppy market performance.
Read MoreTop Funds Report – June 2018
Download a PDF Copy of this report Markets gain in the merry month of May But equity indices likely to remain rangebound as volatility becomes the new normal … May started out nicely for equity investors as markets rallied higher on stronger corporate earnings and rising oil prices. Over the course of the month, the volatility that we had seen in February, March, and April...
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Download a PDF Copy of this report Stocks positive but yield concerns loom Rising inflation rates and geopolitical tensions could create headwinds… The stock market volatility that characterized trading in February and March continued through most of April. Geopolitical headlines dominated the news, with the growing prospect of a trade war between the U.S. and China, as well...
Read MoreTop Funds Report – April 2018
The wild ride that started in February continued in March, sending investors on a roller coaster ride. While the market attempted a comeback of sorts later in February, March came in like a lion and again clawed back any gains, as the major stock indices posted losses for the month.
We can cite many reasons for the renewed volatility, including fears over the number of times the Fed will raise rates in the year, worries over Trump’s trade wars, and the selloff in the so-called FANG tech giants (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google-parent Alphabet), which in turn was triggered by news that Facebook users’ data had been harvested without their knowledge or consent.
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