PLAN FOR A BETTER TOMORROW

A partner in life guided by a commitment to protect your interest, grow your wealth and help you achieve financial peace of mind.

U.S. Markets Stocks notched solid gains in the first quarter as enthusiasm about artificial intelligence, signs of a soft landing, and dovish talk from the Fed buoyed investor confidence. For the quarter, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 5.62 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 10.16 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite picked up 9.11 percent.1 Rocky Start in Q1 Stocks saw modest gains in January as positive economic data (retail sales, gross domestic product [GDP] report) an
Read Full Article
U.S. Markets Stocks notched solid gains last month as upbeat corporate reports and investor enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence overshadowed the Fed’s next move with interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced by 2.22 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 5.17 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led, picking up by 6.12 percent.1 No Hurry Early in the month, Federal Chairman Powell stated that there was no hurry to change the Fed’s interest rate policy. In
Read Full Article
U.S. Markets Stocks saw modest gains last month as positive economic data and upbeat Q4 corporate reports helped support prices.1 The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.22 percent, while the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index gained 1.59 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, which led throughout 2023, rose 1.02 percent. Bumpy Start It was not a straight line for stocks in January. As the month began, investors took a breath during the end-of-year rally to question the Federal Reserve’s next mo
Read Full Article
U.S. Markets Stocks moved higher in the final three months of the year as bond yields trended lower in growing anticipation of a potential Fed easing. For the three months ending on December 31, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 12.5 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index picked up more than 11 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, which led throughout 2023, led again, tacking on nearly 14 percent.1 A Shaky Start As satisfying as the fourth quarter’s results were, the quarter began i
Read Full Article
U.S. Markets Stock prices surged last month as positive inflation data and falling bond yields emboldened investors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 8.77 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 8.92 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, which has led all year, picked up 10.70 percent.1 Inflation Eases, Bond Yields Fall The fears that have dragged on the stock market since August evaporated in November, as fresh inflation data reaffirmed continuing progress in the fight aga
Read Full Article
U.S. Markets Rising bond yields, geopolitical tensions, sticky inflation, and mixed earnings reports combined to push stocks lower last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.36 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index surrendered 2.20 percent. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.78 percent.1 Rising Bond Yields Of the multiple headwinds that stocks battled last month, no two were stronger than rising bond yields and a fear of higher yields to come. Strong economic data throughout th
Read Full Article