Insights Investments

As my colleague Ryan likes to always remind us, politics and investing don’t mix — it’s not about red or blue, it’s about green. Markets have gone up (and down) during Democratic and Republican administrations. Stocks have bull markets and bear markets under both parties. As Ryan wrote recently, many investors said they didn’t like …

Thanks for reading this week’s Charts of the Week This week’s set focuses on a market that’s pricing easier Fed policy while long rates stay stubbornly high, plus the uncomfortable reality that inflation progress is still sticky in services (and could even get a policy-driven nudge from tariffs/energy). We also hit the consumer angle: spending …

“An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest, unless acted upon by an external force.” Sir Issac Newton First off, happy Groundhog Day! And as Bill Murray taught us many years ago, don’t drive angry! Now, let’s get to it. An effect widely known …

2026 is off and running, with an action-packed January and a further reminder that the oldest trick in the investing book still applies. That “trick” is, of course, diversification, which proved resilient in 2025 as we reminded investors in our 2026 Market Outlook. Now is an ideal time to consider the makeup and risk profile …

The Fed left policy rates unchanged in the 3.50-3.75% range at their January meeting, as expected. This is the first pause in four meetings, as they cut 0.75%-points over their last three meetings in 2025. The official statement nodded to an improved labor market with lower downside risk to employment. That may seem like a …

The 10-year Treasury yield has been climbing since bottoming at 3.95% on October 22 last year. While it’s not currently at its peak since then, it’s not far off with a close of 4.22% as of yesterday. We said in our Outlook 2026: Riding the Wave that we don’t think that lower short-term rates will …

After a powerful run in metals, renewed inflation pressure, and a shifting Federal Reserve backdrop, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist, and Sonu Varghese, VP, Global Macro Strategist at Carson Group, step back to connect the dots between markets, policy, and positioning. Fresh off being named one of the Top 23 podcasts for financial advisors for …

“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” John Lenon Boy, it is cold out there! 🥶🧊 We are pretty much snowed in in Cincinnati on Monday, but at least we have power. I hope everyone is safe and warm this week! In today’s blog, I wanted to go over my busy …

Thanks for reading this week’s Charts of the Week Each week, we highlight a small set of charts we think best capture what’s happening beneath the market’s surface. This week’s charts focus on key trends across the economy, politics, gold, and markets that continue to shape the investment backdrop. We’ll keep publishing Charts of the …

By Blake Anderson, CFA®, Associate Portfolio Manager The first earnings season of 2026 is underway, and results from several S&P 500 heavyweights are offering a snapshot of the U.S. economy. From banks navigating interest-rate dynamics and robust capital markets to airlines riding soaring travel demand, the tone thus far has been constructive. Banks — Resilience …

By Michael Barczak, CFA®, VP, Investment Due Diligence 2025 was another extremely strong year for investors with markets posting above-average returns for US equities, international equities, and fixed income. As I look back on the year, three main trends really shine through for me. First, is that this was the year of the broadening. The …