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April 26, 2021 Financial Perspectives

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Kent Kramer
04/26/2021
Markets have been reaching some all-time highs recently. US stock markets, foreign stock markets, even newer assets like bitcoin, SPACs, and NFTs have been soaring much of the past six months. At these relatively high values more than a few skeptics are predicting a fall. Some say correction – a temporary minor adjustment; some say crash – major problem ahead. Is there a reason to be acrophobic – fearful about markets at record heights?

June 7, 2021 Financial Perspectives

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Kent Kramer
06/07/2021
It’s summertime and we have two summer’s worth of movies to look forward to after 2020’s reduced calendar. AMC, a company that runs movie theaters has seen their stock value go way up in the past few weeks. Is this about great movies or something else? This week Kent Kramer talks about two different valuation theories: Firm Foundation Theory and Castle-in-the-air Theory.

Are You Afraid of (Market) Heights?

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Kent Kramer
07/26/2021

Investors have been experiencing some fear of heights recently. Many stocks and stock markets are at or near all-time highs. So, here’s the question investors need to ask themselves today, ”Do you think that stock markets 26 years from now will be higher or lower than they are currently, even if today is an all-time high?”

October 11, 2021 Financial Perspectives

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Kent Kramer
10/11/2021
Friction can slow can down any machine. What was humming along only minutes or weeks ago, can labor under the strain of too little oil, a little sand in the gears, you name it. The US economy and markets have been seeing an increase in perceived frictions over the past month. Can we get back to smoother operations?

Happy New Year? | Financial Perspectives

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Kent Kramer
01/25/2022
Market returns for the first three weeks of 2022 have not been full of happy reports. US stocks, especially some of the biggest names and winners of 2020 and 2021 have fallen into what is called “correction” territory. Is inflation and the concern with rising interest rates the whole story?

Meta Does Not Equal Value | Financial Perspectives

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Kent Kramer
02/07/2022
The headlines last week included “Faceplant”, and “Metaflop” following Meta’s disappointing earnings and new users numbers. As interesting as the metaverse may be, it turns out investors still want real world results when it comes to their investments.

Q1 Wrap Up: Ukraine, Inflation, Interest Rates | Financial Perspectives

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Kent Kramer
04/11/2022
The first quarter of 2022 is in the books and once again, surprising events dominated the news. Russia invading Ukraine and the continued climb in inflation were the focus of attention and for good reason. In this week's Financial Perspectives, we'll take a look at what is happening in markets and the global economy and what investors may want to know.

Chart of the Month – Oct 2023

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Ryan Lamoureux
10/10/2023

Have you ever said to yourself “If I would have just bought that stock, I would be set!” Or “How did I not see this coming? I was watching this stock years ago!” Or maybe “I should have never sold that stock!”

The Gift of Fandom—and Financial Wisdom

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Jim Laursen
05/27/2025

What do investing and being a loyal sports fan have in common? More than you might think. Read on to discover how the ups and downs of fandom can mirror the journey of long-term investing—and why both are worth the ride.

Making the Best of It | Financial Perspectives

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Matt Moklestad
05/23/2022
It continues to be a volatile period for investors in stock and bond markets around the world. And while the news, like the weather, has seemed a little gloomy this spring, summer is around the corner and maybe it’s time to make the best of it! In today’s edition, Matt Moklestad, Lead Advisor – Institutional, discusses tax loss harvesting.

Investors Must Be Present to Win

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Walt Mozdzer
05/04/2022

For weeks, the major indices had been declining but in mid-March, we saw a very abrupt reversal. I’m often reminded of the familiar saying “Investors must be present to win.” In other words, the price (or cost) of admission to the investment experience is market volatility.

While You Were Sleeping

Category: Investing » Equity / Stocks
By Ryne Oller
01/26/2021

Imagine that you fell asleep at the beginning of the year and woke up at the end of 2020. When you wake up, there are some things that would immediately feel different.