Market Commentary

The S&P 500 wrapped up a surprising year with another strong week. The index of large-cap stocks, including dividends, climbed 1.5% and finished 18.4% higher for the year. Figure 1 shows the performance of the S&P 500, ex-dividends, in 2020 and just how far stocks have roared back f …

The new stimulus package approved by the House and Senate was signed by President Trump Sunday night. The president had proposed upping the aid to individuals to $2,000 after the bipartisan agreement had been reached. Garnering support for that proposal would likely have proven difficult an …

The economic slowdown continues. Initial jobless claims climbed 885,000 last week. In the face of additional restrictions and heightened health risks, consumers have scaled back activity. Retail and food service sales dipped 1.1% last month (Figure 1).

Initial jobless claims reached an 11-week high based on data reported last week. More than 850,000 workers filed initial unemployment claims (Figure 1). While processing delays around the Thanksgiving holiday affected the data, even after adjusting for the break it appears the economic lull …

November turned out to be a month full of news. A surge of COVID-19 cases, the presidential election, vaccine announcements, and slowing economic growth all moved markets. The November employment report provided additional evidence economic growth is decelerating. The economy generated 245, …

The economy seems poised to decelerate in coming weeks as data showed slowing economic improvement or outright reversals of the recovery. Income data was mixed. Disposable income fell 0.8% in October as government programs expired. Gains in employment pushed employee compensation up 0.7% as …