Special Edition: Russia and Ukraine Escalations Rise November 20, 2024 1. Russia/Ukraine Escalation: Worry or Not to Worry? Tuesday morning, Ukraine fired U.S.-made ATACMS missiles toward Russian weapon arsenals, the first time such an attack has taken place since the beginning of the war on February 24, 2022. The attack comes two days after the Biden administration […]

W/ Stephanie Link We Are in the Soft Landing Week of November 18, 2024 1. Markets Realign after Trump Rally. Markets pulled back last week following the U.S. presidential election and the November Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting as investors focused on what the Trump Administration will look like for growth and inflation. The S&P 500 […]

With Stephanie Link Markets Climb, Volatility Falls   Week of November 11, 2024 1. The Most Anticipated Week of the Year. The markets typically do not like uncertainty. Last week there were three major events that provided more clarity for markets: the U.S. election outcome, the Federal Reserve monetary policy changes, and China’s level of detail on […]

with Stephanie Link Markets are Rationalizing Crosscurrents  Week of August 12, 2024 1. Unknowns Will Lead to Further Volatility. Markets digested a lot of information last week. On Monday, the S&P 500 had its largest single-day decline (-3%) since September 2022 and still finished the week flat. The VIX also had its largest ever intra-day jump on […]

Olympic Rotation – Week of July 29, 2024 1. More Market Rotation Equity markets underwent further re-allocation last week, out of mega-cap tech and into styles, sectors, and industries that have lagged this year. The Russell 2000 was up over 3% in the week with the S&P 500 declining about 1%. Since the July CPI report, the […]

Stephanie Link on CNBC July 19 – July 26, 2024 Hightower’s Chief Investment Strategist, Head of Investment Solutions and Equity Portfolio Manager Stephanie Link is a frequent CNBC contributor on The Halftime Report, Squawk Box, The Closing Bell and Power Lunch. Stay up to date each week as she shares her on , economy and […]

1. Powell Speaks at The Economic Club. Jerome Powell spoke this morning with David Rubenstein at the Economic Club of Washington D.C. Although coming with no market-moving comments, Powell shared insights into the Fed’s thinking regarding recent disinflation trends and U.S. economic activity, which we found insightful. Powell began the fireside chat by stating that the […]

1. Labor Momentum. Last week, September JOLTs (job openings) and weekly initial claims both reported better than expected. There are currently 1.5 jobs open for every unemployed person – meaning that the labor market remains tight. The job openings data continued to show strength, rebounding across many sectors, including manufacturing, business services, finance, and health and education […]

1. Higher for Longer Means Economic Strength. As credit yields steadily reflect a “higher for longer” monetary policy, economic data reflects low unemployment and consumer strength. The Atlanta Fed GDPNow Model is still projecting +4.9% q/q GDP acceleration. The latest initial unemployment claims reported 201,000 – a continuation downward and far from recessionary levels, and the 4-week […]