Financial Professionals

It may feel strange reading this, but it’s been nearly a decade since the United States has endured a recession.(1) Economic growth rates have notably been modest throughout this expansion, and corporate earnings endured a whole year (2015) of negative growth.(2) But overall, millions of jobs were added, personal wealth has risen, the economy has […]

Watchful investors may have noticed a trend that has taken shape over the last year and a half or so, as it relates to growth vs. value stocks. Namely, that growth stocks have been stoutly outperforming value stocks since the beginning of last year: Growth Stocks (Red Line) Have Recently Outperformed Value Stocks (Blue Line) […]

On June 23, 2016, voters in the United Kingdom took the bold step of opting to leave the European Union. Yet here we are, over two years later, and there is still no deal for how ‘Brexit’ will actually occur – in fact, the two sides aren’t even close.1 The drama reached new heights this […]

For the better part of a century, economists have been wrangling over the most effective and accurate way to measure the U.S. economy’s size and growth. Spoiler alert: they haven’t found it yet.1 To be fair, the task before them is monumental – measuring an economy as diverse, massive, and ever-changing as the U.S. economy […]

You may have heard the phrase “Retail Apocalypse” recently, in reference to the wave of store closures and bankruptcies hitting the U.S. retail sector. The names on this hitlist are familiar ones: Macy’s shuttering 100 stores and laying off 5,000 workers1; Abercrombie and Fitch shuttering 40 stores in 2017; American Apparel filing for bankruptcy and […]

One could argue that the phrase “political turmoil in Europe” has been applicable in nearly every year of the last decade. For many countries in the region, it has been a constant struggle for unity and political stability in the aftermath of the 2008 Financial Crisis, culminating in Brexit and the populist wave currently engulfing […]

You are most likely familiar with the old adage “sell in May and go away” warning investors to sell their stock holdings in May in order to avoid a seasonal decline in equity markets. I do not necessarily advise investors to follow this approach. But as June is underway, I believe this time of year […]

Being a successful long-term investor requires research, patience, discipline, smart decision-making, and maybe a little bit of luck along the way. Honing those traits and applying them to portfolio management is a solid formula for generating competitive results over time, in my view. But there’s another key trait that investors need in steady supply in […]