April Monthly Commentary

International equities surged in April, with the MSCI EAFE Index gaining 4.1%, as monetary easing policies in Europe and Japan emboldened investors. Emerging market stocks also rallied as investors embraced the likelihood that the Fed would delay raising rates in … Continued

March Monthly Commentary

Stocks reversed course in March amid subdued economic data, expectations of lower US earnings growth, and ongoing geopolitical tensions. The S&P 500 finished the month down 1.6% amid weaker than expected GDP growth of 2.2% in the fourth quarter and … Continued

February Monthly Commentary

Financial markets reversed course in February as global equities rallied. The MSCI EAFE Index returned 6.0% amid investor anticipation of the European Central Bank’s quantitative easing program, which kicks off this month. The gains were also driven by strong returns … Continued

January Monthly Commentary

Global equities were a mixed bag in January as investors responded to diverging monetary policies and the resulting potential for an uptick in volatility.  The S&P 500 fell 3.0% on the month while emerging markets were modestly positive as the … Continued

December Monthly Commentary

US equities scaled new highs in December amid optimism around the economy. To this end, the S&P 500 returned 13.7% for the year and the Russell 2000 gained 4.9%. These advances came amid a slump in the rest of the … Continued

November Monthly Commentary

After a spike in volatility in October and a subsequent recovery, it was back to more of the same for US markets in November as many domestic equity indices scaled new highs.  Conversely, 10-year government bond yields in many countries—Germany, … Continued

October Monthly Commentary

Markets experienced a turbulent ride in October but wound up in a familiar place by month end with domestic equities positive and Treasury yields lower. A wave of volatility spurred by global growth concerns permeated through markets – first felt … Continued

September Monthly Commentary

Over the course of this year we have noted that divergent global central banking policies will likely have a dramatic effect on the near term investment landscape.  This notion was on display in September as the Federal Reserve appeared steadfast … Continued

August Monthly Commentary

Major asset classes mostly gained in August as volatility that crept into the marketplace in late July receded amid light late-summer trading.  Global bond yields inched lower on the month, highlighted by German Bund 10-year yields hitting record lows at … Continued