Is the Stock Market a Glass Half Full?

The month of January was marked by negative returns for global stock markets. But, as the well-worn phrase, “Is your glass half full or half empty?” implies, our view of, or the way we feel about the state of markets as investors, may be more related to our personal dispositions than what the numbers indicate.

January 25, 2021 Financial Perspectives

Four years ago, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States and small company stocks went up over 20% in three months post-election. In the three months since Joe Biden was elected President of the United States, small company stocks are up over 30%. Do small company stock investors just like new Presidents?

June 7, 2021 Financial Perspectives

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.

Making the Best of It | Financial Perspectives

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.

May 29, 2020 Financial Perspectives

0:55 - This Week's News
2:39 - This Week's Financial Highlights
4:36 - Why Is the Stock Market Up When the Economy Is Down?
5:12 - Stock Prices Are Forward Looking
8:06 - Average Returns After Downturns Have Been Positive

Six Key Ideas for Navigating Markets for the Rest of 2022

Over the next few months, both leading up to and immediately following the election, the winners and losers are going to seem omnipresent on the news, social media, even in the “entertainment” industry. So, here are six key ideas to keep in mind as you navigate the remaining months of 2022.

Thinking About Stock Market Volatility

What caused the stock market to rise by over 20% in the second quarter of 2020 even as the COVID pandemic was out of control? How about the over 11% rise in the fourth quarter of 2021 as inflation ticked up and the Fed was warning of rate increases? It seems a little more obvious why the US stock market has fallen in the first 6 months of 2022, but should it have fallen more…or less?

Timing Isn’t Everything

Attempting to buy individual stocks or make tactical asset allocation changes at exactly the “right” time presents investors with substantial challenges.

What a Difference a Year Makes

On March 23, 2020, the S&P 500 tumbled another 3%, culminating a near 34% drop over that same month. The Dow Jones hovered around 19,000. Gains from the past few years were gone.