Election year rhetoric and the economic power of women

Peek of the Week - Weekly Market Commentary for March 18, 2024

Stock market, Peek of the WeekLeif HagenMarch 18, 2024Achievement Financial

Peek of the Week - Weekly Market Commentary for January 29, 2024. The United States economy is not performing the way anyone thought it would. Instead of tipping into a recession last year, it crushed expectations. Our Peek of the Week discusses the US Economy, inflation, Health Savings Accounts and investments.

The cycle of economic activity

Peek of the Week - Weekly Market Commentary for December 4, 2023. Economic activity tends to move in the cycle of: contraction, trough, expansion and peak. At the end of the fourth quarter, the U.S. economy has been in the late cycle stage of expansion, yet this doesn't necessarily mean that we will reach a contraction entirely. Expansions occur when an economy produces more goods and services and our economy has been expanding since mid-year-2022. Expansions end when the economy experiences a shock of some kind. Shocks that cause recessions might include financial market disruptions, international disturbances, technology shocks, energy price shocks and actions taken by monetary policymakers to restrain inflation.

Bearish, bullish, and some pricing strategies

Peek of the Week - Weekly Market Commentary for November 27, 2023. Today's Peek of the Week lets us know that investors have been more optimistic this month. In early November, investors were "decidedly bearish" but as stock markets gained and the month continued, participants in the AAII survey started to become more bullish. Consumers have been considerably less optimistic overall, as we saw the fourth month of declining sentiment in a row. Stocks moved higher after many investors felt confident that the Fed is done raising rates.

Inflation slows and the market loses steam

Peek of the Week - Weekly Market Commentary for November 20, 2023. Today's Peek of the Week asks, "is it done yet?" and we aren't talking about the Thanksgiving turkey! Investors enthusiastically embraced the idea that the Fed could be done raising rates and might even begin to lower them. Inflation eased and the Consumer Price Index showed U.S. inflation running flat from September to October. Core inflation (which excludes volatile food and energy prices) is up, and we also saw gasoline and fuel oil prices dropping. While a slower pace of overall price increases is great news, inflation remains well above the Fed’s two percent target. Our PEEK also shares employment and hiring details, while noting that stocks moved higher last week.

A stock market without certainty

Peek of the Week - Weekly Market Commentary for November 6, 2023. Today's Peek of the Week asks “will there be a year-end rally in the stock market?” while also acknowledging that no one knows with any certainty what the future will bring. As investors try to predict market lows and highs, they remember that creating a well-allocated and diversified portfolio is the best way to combat any uncertainty in the markets.

Investor uncertainty and questions about a shutdown

Peek of the Week - Weekly Market Commentary for October 23, 2023. We share a recap of all the uncertainty cycling through the markets. According to a survey released by Investopedia last month, investors are currently most concerned about: inflation, the upcoming election, a recession, interest rates, U.S. tension with China, the war in Ukraine, the war in Israel, the U.S. credit rating and climate disasters. The ability to stay calm and consider the big picture becomes extremely important in the midst of uncertainty. We take a deeper look at the history of stock market performance and compare it to the tumultuous challenges of our current day.

A lot to process and the hope for peace

Peek of the Week - Weekly Market Commentary for October 16, 2023. Investors are currently considering geopolitics, the war in Israel, inflation, consumer sentiment, government shutdowns and volatility. In the last week, we've seen a war get declared with high death tolls and now the risk of it increasing in Israel's surrounding region has appeared. Americans are experiencing persistent inflation which has consumers feeling less optimistic. The good news is that banks did well in the third quarter.

A strong economy brings significant uncertainty

Peek of the Week - Weekly Market Commentary for October 9, 2023. Financial markets lost ground during the third quarter, but U.S. stocks rallied last week due to corporate earnings and falling inflation. New details on inflation numbers, the labor market, and U.S. employment data. Unemployment rates are nearing historically low levels and labor force participation increased.