by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Apr 12, 2021 | Financial Planning, Market Commentary, Market Performance
Major stock market indices are hitting all-time high prices. There are many reasons for this continued rise in prices; some of the primary ones include: Economic recovery following the COVID related slowdown in 2020.Low interest rates drive more money toward stocks,...
by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Apr 12, 2021 | Market Commentary, Market Performance
U.S. Versus International The S&P 500, an index of large U.S. companies, posted a total return of 8.1% for the First Quarter of 2021. U.S. stocks outperformed international for the quarter as measured by the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, a representation of international...
by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Jan 10, 2021 | Financial Planning, Market Commentary, Market Performance
Goodbye 2020! New Year’s Day ushered in a whole new year and outlook. But, we already know that not much has changed so far in 2021. COVID-19 deaths continue to set records, many businesses stay closed and U.S. political turmoil is at its highest in decades. Humanity...
by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Jan 10, 2021 | Financial Planning, Market Commentary
We are certainly living in interesting times. For some, it may increase concerns about investing. One of the primary lessons from 2020 is that we are all resilient. Adjusting to change isn’t easy, but somehow we all adapt. Evidence showsthat timing the market is a...
by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Jan 10, 2021 | Market Commentary, Market Performance
U.S. Versus International The S&P 500, an index of large U.S. companies, posted a total return of 11.7% for the Fourth Quarter of 2020, bringing performance to 15.4% year-to-date in 2020. U.S. stocks outperformed international for the quarter as measured by the...
by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Oct 12, 2020 | Market Commentary, Market Performance
U.S. Versus International The S&P 500, an index of large U.S. companies, posted a total return of 8.9% for the Third Quarter of 2020, bringing performance to 5.6% year-to-date in 2020. U.S. stocks outperformed international for the quarter as measured by the...
by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Oct 12, 2020 | Financial Planning, Market Commentary, Market Performance
John Maynard Keynes is a British economist credited with this quote in the 1930s. Over the years, I have written about evaluating investments through the quality of the business and the price we are willing to pay for it. Sometimes, as investors, we have to evaluate...
by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Oct 12, 2020 | Market Commentary, Market Performance
Last quarter we discussed how the largest stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index are dominating stock market returns, helping drive S&P 500 returns versus stocks in the rest of the index and other major indices. Apple and Amazon continued to outperform in...
by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Jul 9, 2020 | Financial Planning, Market Commentary, Market Performance
Have you ever ridden the Tornado-like amusement park ride where you stand against the wall and when the ride takes off it spins in circles so fast you defy gravity while your view appears to stay still in one central blur? It’s been well over 30 years since I’ve...
by J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA | Jul 9, 2020 | Market Commentary, Market Performance
Diversification is a key piece of a portfolio that is looking to control risk. Investopedia describes diversification as follows: “A diversified portfolio contains a mix of distinct asset types and investment vehicles in an attempt at limiting exposure to any single...
