September Monthly Commentary

U.S. equities snapped their winning streak in September, upending five straight months of gains as technology heavyweights came under pressure and the pandemic continued to roil the economy; the S&P 500 Index fell 3.8% last month but ended the third … Continued

August Monthly Commentary

Equities continued their winning streak in August—marking the fifth straight month of gains—amid improving investor sentiment bolstered by ongoing stimulus, better than expected quarterly earnings, and optimism around a vaccine. In the US, the S&P 500 Index returned 7.2%, gaining … Continued

July Monthly Commentary

The S&P 500 Index was up for the fourth straight month, increasing 5.6% in July; the gains pushed the index into positive territory with a year-to-date returns of 2.4%. This confidence comes despite a record spike in infection rates in … Continued

June Monthly Commentary

Risk assets added to recent gains as economies around the world relaxed restrictions and central banks and governments continued to provide extraordinary stimulus to offset the weak economic backdrop. Despite a pandemic and a recession, investors embraced risk in their … Continued

May Monthly Commentary

Risk assets pushed higher this month as economies around the world began reopening and relaxing restrictions. While COVID-19 remains a dominant headline, news of progress in developing a vaccine and signs of a rebound in economic activity bolstered market sentiment. … Continued

April Monthly Commentary

Following a disappointing first quarter, risk assets moved higher in April as central banks and governments stepped in with monetary and fiscal stimuli to stem the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. While the virus continued to spread, new data indicated … Continued

March Monthly Commentary

Volatility roiled markets in the first quarter as investors grappled with the potential economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Economies across the world screeched to an abrupt halt in the face of travel restrictions and containment efforts, sending the CBOE … Continued

February Monthly Commentary

February marked a particularly volatile month for capital markets with fears intensifying over the new coronavirus (COVID-19) turning into a pandemic as the number of new cases appearing outside of China outpaced those within China. In response, the CBOE Volatility … Continued

January Monthly Commentary

After turning in a stellar performance in 2019, equities initially started the new decade on a high note, bolstered by a trade pact between the United States and China. However, optimism quickly gave way to fear amid the outbreak of … Continued

December Monthly Commentary

Global equities went out with a bang, building on their already robust returns for the year, with the MSCI ACWI Index up 26.5% in 2019. US stocks led the charge with the S&P 500 Index returning 31.5% for the 12 … Continued