The European debt crisis, Washington political gridlock, and slow "new normal" economic growth; as investors we all lived through these market events and realities in 2011. Unfortunately, none of these conditions are likely go to away any time soon. Throw…
Virtually all of the S&P 500 companies have finished reporting 1st quarter earnings. The results were impressive, earnings grew 18% year-over-year, far exceeding analyst’s intial estimates. The rate of growth is moderating from the sharp rebounds we saw just coming…
Record home foreclosures, high unemployment, massive municipal defaults, unrest in Egypt, record federal budget deficits, European debt concerns, higher interest rates, and rising inflation in China and emerging markets. Is there enough for investors to worry about? Yes-and then some! There…
The recent correction of 10-15% in major stock market indexes was ignited by concerns over sovereign debt markets in Europe, but it is also a reflection of moderating growth rate in our economy. The rapid rebound from our recession lows…
Last week the S&P 500 lost over 4% and is now down 12% from its April high. The sell-off has been focused on troubles in Europe, particularly in Greece, and Spain, as well as some of the structural and demographic…
Gold is often touted as an investment by ads on the television or radio, usually by companies that do little else but sell gold! Gold and other precious metals do have some value as a store of investment value and…
Paul McCulley, a managing director at PIMCO, coined the economic slogan "New Normal". This term signifies a "changing of the guard" for consumers and businesses alike. From 1982 to 2007, the U.S. economy grew at an impressive 6-7% annual clip.…
Consumer expectations for inflation have risen in June, causing some investors and policymakers to begin worrying about inflation again. Inflation expectations have risen to 3.1%, the highest level since last fall. We continue to think these inflation concerns are premature while…
The high levels of recent government spending and resulting huge budget deficits have stirred the inflation hawks in recent months. The "talking head" investment advice on television has been touting inflation protection in the form of traditional inflation protecting investments…