Capital markets perspective: Fearing the best, hoping for the worst So far, third-quarter earnings season has fallen somewhere between ‘okay’ and ‘almost weak enough to take notice.’
Are dupes the new quiet luxury? As American shoppers have become more price-conscious – more than a quarter (27%) have hit a pricing limit, according to Empower research – some are turning to less-expensive duplicate versions of premium products, known as “dupes.”
Capital markets perspective: Round trip While there’s still ambiguity about whether the economy is contracting or expanding, ten-year treasury yields edged back above 4.2% this week.
Capital markets perspective: Buying only what you need There was almost no hint of a spending slowdown in Thursday's retail sales report, though spending for things that people “want” is arguably growing far more slowly than things they “need”.
Capital markets perspective: Just for show This week’s economic release had lots of potential splash but not enough substance to move the needle. Prices at the consumer level rose 0.2% last month, a little hotter than expected.
September market recap: The cut After months of seemingly endless speculation, in late September the Fed finally delivered its first rate cut since the early days of the pandemic.
Capital markets perspective: Inflection points The economy is rife with inflection points, from labor markets to oil and artificial intelligence to services and manufacturing.
Capital markets perspective: Lone wolf Markets are now comfortable pricing in as much as 0.75% or 1.00% of rate cuts from now to Christmas, more aggressive than the most recent dot-plot by the Fed.
Main character energy: The business of celebrity brands What comes first, the fame or the fortune? Many celebrities have rolled their fame into thriving businesses.
Capital markets perspective: Super-sized Last week, markets took the Fed’s super-sized cut mostly in stride, leaving stocks modestly higher (and, unsurprisingly, short-term rates sharply lower).
What is the average net worth by state? Tracking your net worth is a common way to gauge your financial health. Here's a look at the average net worth by state.
Capital markets perspective: Think before you speak Last week’s inflation numbers did little to change the conclusion that price growth has finally been (mostly) brought under control by the Fed’s aggressive tightening.