By Kyle Tetting
August ended the briefest bear market in history. An especially technical term with multiple methods of measurement, the end of a bear market is a sign that investors have begun to look ahead and move beyond the root causes of earlier market declines. Despite some optimism, though, there is plenty of uncertainty, which can both test investors’ resolve and offer opportunity.

By Kyle Tetting

At the halfway point, 2020 has been a disappointing year for investors. “Disappointing” might not be strong enough to describe the economy or many other measures of the year so far, but for investors, it’s fitting—with a little perspective.

By Kyle Tetting

How the stock market is supposed to work in the short run is traders weigh the positive and negative headlines and step on the gas or pump the brakes accordingly. As the divergence between positive and negative headlines narrows along with the range of our expectations for the future, the fits and starts of a recovery begin to smooth.

By Kyle Tetting
Ongoing fears about the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 have halted many of our favorite pastimes, but even as case counts continue to grow, we’re preparing for what comes next. By May 1, we saw an increasing number of states begin to outline plans to reopen. A small number had already removed restrictions.
The stock market had responded favorably to such developments, coupled with additional government support for small businesses and individuals. Of course, stocks are typically a poor representation of the current condition. And, with plenty of uncertainty about the future, it makes sense to put the latest rally in perspective.

By Kyle Tetting and Joel Dresang
It’s fair to say that March 2020 marked the end of the longest bull market in history, begun in March 2009. On March 12, the closing price on the S&P 500 fell more than 20% below its Feb. 19 peak, marking the beginning of the first bear market in 11 years. Technically, the beginnings and ends, depths and breadths of bear and bull markets vary by what precisely analysts measure. There’s devilish disagreement in the details. […]

By Bob Landaas
These are certainly trying times for investors. As the novel coronavirus spreads, significant sectors of the U.S. economy have either slowed or shut down. The plunge in stock prices has unnerved even seasoned, long-term investors. I am thankful for practicing a balanced approach to money management. Most clients have a significant portion of their investments in bonds. Bonds serve many roles but primarily function as a source of funds during a bear market.

Market volatility has continued to spike amid the ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease. Much remains unknown, and financial markets have reacted to the uncertainty with the S&P 500 reaching 10% correction territory in one week.
The decline should remind investors of key points:

By Kyle Tetting
The coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, is getting blamed for late January’s stock market volatility. A mysterious virulent disease is certainly cause for concern and offers a tidy cause-and-effect explanation for investor skittishness, but it hardly tells the whole story of the swing in stock prices. Several concerns predated the outbreak.

The highest price-earnings ratios in more than a decade have investors eyeing corporate earnings. […]

By Kyle Tetting
Tail winds for stock prices resulted in exceptional returns for 2019. Notably, though, the strong stock performance was not accompanied by strong earnings growth. Over time, stock prices are driven by earnings and interest rates but, as we saw in 2019, prices can deviate from earnings, at least temporarily. […]

By Joel Dresang
Even though a slower global economy should not alarm most U.S. investors, it’s worth monitoring. At the same time, it’s not worth trying to avoid overseas investments. Being part of the global market is essential to a balanced portfolio. […]

By Kyle Tetting
Investors have plenty to be thankful for as they consider portfolio returns entering the final weeks of 2019. Asset classes, virtually across the board, have added meaningfully to returns, with only a couple of periods of modest volatility. Despite the successes, though, 2019 hasn’t all been good news.