Macro & Markets Update: Dec 2019

I haven’t posted anything in a while because every time I’m about to write an update, a new piece of pretty big news develops that potentially shifts the picture.  So here’s a high level overview of my thoughts from the past month.   There’s a debate going on right now if the current slowdown will…

Approaching a Critical Juncture

I continue to see classic signs of late cycle behavior.  Late cycle doesn’t mean that it’s over today, and I still haven’t seen the deterioration in credit or stock markets to turn me bearish yet, but it does suggest caution and not being overexposed to risk.   Danielle DiMartino Booth, a former advisor within the…

Things That Have Caught My Eye Lately – Sept, 2019

This post will be an all encompassing update of things that have caught my eye over the past month.   The ECB, the IMF & Christine Lagarde Christine Lagarde, the head of the IMF, was selected to be the next president of the European Central Bank (ECB) and secured the backing of the European Parliament…

Markets & Macro Update – Aug 6th, 2019

Last week the Fed cuts interest rates for the first time since the GFC a decade ago and the market’s response was pretty interesting.  After referencing the 1995/96 one-and-done cut that prolonged the 90’s expansion all summer, I think they were hoping that they could get away with one cut as “insurance” that would ease…

Macro Update: Stocks, Bonds, and the Dollar – One is Wrong

For most of this spring, I’ve been telling clients that I’ve been in “wait and see” mode.  The US dollar, bonds and stocks have all been rallying this year, and while that can happen in the short-term, the dynamics of the market say that can’t last in the long run.  Basically, 1 of the 3…