Market Insights
With a full-time dedicated analyst in-house, Head Investment Partners isn’t just reliant upon sharing the opinion of a New York analyst with our clients. We parse through the opinions of our trusted resources on an ongoing basis to both help direct our investments and provide timely communication to our clients. By providing timely insights and a targeted message, we believe we can not only foster better long-term performance, but better investors as well.
Q1: Better than Anticipated?!
Had we told you that we would see two of the largest banking failures in US history in the first quarter, few would have expected the outcome we garnered. Yet another tumultuous ride concluded far from how many would have projected it to play out…at least so far.
A Market of Stocks
Not a day goes by without investors referencing “the stock market.” On a recent webinar, we were reminded by JPMorgan’s Global Market Strategist, Gabriela Santos, of a simple, subtle, and often forgotten truth of investing. Rather than a stock market, we should more precisely focus on a market of stocks.
2022 Market and Economic Recap
Calendar Year 2022 has served investors many slices of humble pie. It didn’t just seem unusual…it was!
Insurance is Full of Characters
The commercials have been among the most iconic in television history. Talking geckos, a deranged, villainous character, an average guy in khakis, and everyone’s all-too-talkative friend have helped permanently cement their companies in the minds of audiences. Each has also helped their companies sell lots of insurance to lots of impressionable customers.
The Economy is STILL not the Market
Just a couple of months after COVID-19 reached American shores in 2020, we published a similarly titled and timely piece. It is reprinted at the end of this update for easy reference. We felt a refreshed version appropriately addressed many of the most common questions we field from clients today.
A Challenging First Half
The word “historic” has been thrown around a lot in the last 2.5 years, nevertheless it still seems like the appropriate term to describe the first stanza of 2022. So far, 2022 stands as a year marked by the highest inflation in 40 years, lowest consumer confidence in 50 years, lowest unemployment in decades and the first major invasion in Europe since WWII.
Shock and Awe Lead Markets Lower
Had we told investors that Russia would invade the Ukraine, China would shut down several major cities because of their Zero-Covid policy, and the Federal Reserve would make one of the most hawkish pivots in recent memory, investor expectations for returns would have been low.
Deja Vu All Over Again
Just a month ago the Olympics were limping along to low television ratings in the US and Americans were staring to breathe a small sigh of relief on optimism that the Omicron wave of Covid-19 was finally drawing to a close. Today, gas prices sit more than $1/gallon higher YTD and Russia has embarked upon one of the most troubling aggressions of our times. Sound familiar?
A Picture Says It All
Have you ever read an article or blog that’s chocked full of way too may unnecessary words or flowery descriptions? It can leave you head swimming with confusion. For that reason, this month’s update is largely a collection of charts and graphs that we believe help communicate the message more clearly and effectively.
2021: The March Higher
Undeterred and unrelenting, global equity markets pushed higher in 2021. The rise, however, was not without its share of volatility and doubters.
Bad Bulb or Blown Fuse
In 2021, nearly all artificial trees now come pre-lit, but it wasn’t too long ago when wrestling with a few strands of light could age a man or woman a few years. Lights were often passed down from prior generations and could be as “finicky” as an eight-year-old at a Chinese buffet for the first time. Determining the cause of a strand not working involved patience and could take hours. Was it a bad bulb or a blown fuse?
Climbing the Wall of Worry
For those unfamiliar with the terminology, the “wall of worry” is a phrase originated in the 1950’s that refers to the impending headwinds facing investors. It can refer to political, economic, or technical factors. According to Investopedia, “the wall of worry is generally used in connection with the stock markets, referring to their resilience when running into a temporary stumbling block, rather than a permanent impediment to a market advance.”
