Market Insights – Second Quarter 2024
Watch this video of Sandip Bhagat, our Chief Investment Officer, discussing the latest market insights. Relative Value… Opportunities or Mirages? The dramatic melt-up in stock prices during the fourth quarter of 2023 continued into early 2024. Fears of an impending recession continued to recede and economic activity exceeded expectations. Job growth is now down to […]
Want a Tax-Efficient Portfolio? Focus on These 3 Areas
Deploying tax-efficient strategies within an investment portfolio is one of the most critical roles of a financial advisor, especially because many investment managers focus on pretax investment returns. By emphasizing after-tax returns, advisors may better meet the needs of their high-net-worth clients—particularly in high-tax states. Here are three key areas to focus on to improve after-tax returns: […]
Are AI and Wealth Management Compatible?
There’s no denying that artificial intelligence is developing quickly—at warp speed, even. In fact, in March 2023, some of the biggest names in technology—including Elon Musk and other professors, researchers, and business leaders—signed a letter asking for a pause for artificial intelligence labs training AI systems out of concern for the dangers such technology may present. Additionally, the […]
The Magnificent 7 and the Imperfect Index
Despite domestic and geopolitical uncertainty, equity portfolios performed quite well in 2023 as measured by the S&P 500 Index. The market return was largely driven by the seven largest constituents of the S&P 500, also known as the Magnificent Seven. The Magnificent Seven includes: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Tesla. These companies […]
Market Insights – First Quarter 2024
Watch this video of Sandip Bhagat, our Chief Investment Officer, discussing the latest market insights. Slow… But Steady The last four years have felt like one endless blur of unprecedented events … all unfolding in rapid succession. And 2023 was no different; it was perhaps even more extraordinary than the previous three years. The surprises […]
Market Insights – Fourth Quarter 2023
Rising Interest Rates The speed and magnitude of economic developments in recent years have been nothing short of remarkable. The last four years have felt like one endless sequence of unprecedented events in rapid succession. 2023 has been almost as extraordinary as the previous three years. Much like the spectacular spike in inflation, the pace […]
It’s a Great Time to Be a Liquidity Provider
If you have cash on hand to invest, now is the time to capitalize On the surface, it might look like a less-than-ideal time to invest. Equity markets have been on the rise and no one—especially savvy investors—wants to overpay for an investment. Even though more traditional assets may seem expensive, there is cause for […]
5 Consumer Trends to Keep an Eye on for the Long Term
Teague Sanders, Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager It’s an interesting time to be an investor. Artificial intelligence is making its mark on the world in continuously more profound ways. The Federal Reserve has increased interest rates from virtually zero to over 5% with a goal of tamping down inflation. As growth in the U.S. […]
Whittier Trust Presents: Our Investment & Economic Outlook
A considerable amount of market uncertainty has dissipated in recent weeks along the lines of our projected investment theses. Disinflation has unfolded at a faster pace than many had expected. At the same time, economic growth has also exceeded expectations. The odds of a recession have receded for many investors, while others believe that the […]
Market Insights – Third Quarter 2023
De-Dollarization Financial markets defied expectations as fears of a sharp and imminent recession failed to materialize. The S&P 500 index gained 16.9% in the first half of 2023. The Nasdaq 100 index soared 39.4% to lead the stock market rally. And even the lagging Russell 2000 index of small company stocks showed belated signs of […]