Resources

Aftermath of a Debacle: Raising the Debt Ceiling

Since early this year, I predicted that Washington would get through the 2011 government funding crises–possible shut-downs and a borrowing limit increase–with band-aids, cutting spending but not addressing the real drivers of future deficits, namely, entitlement reform and taxes. I predicted the stalemate on meaningful deficit reduction efforts could lead to a downgrade in the U.S.’s credit rating, severe negative reaction from China, and a market swoon beginning in May (when federal stimulus ran out and spending cutbacks began). Six months later, all this has come to pass.

Market Insight Quarterly Chart Book

The Quarterly Market Insight Chart Book is intended to provide unbiased context to the markets and economy. The Chart Book provides a factual framework to discuss the issues most relevant to investing using simple to understand charts of key data. The Chart Book can be helpful in addressing key topics such as economic growth in the United States and abroad, job growth, stock market valuations, corporate profits, inflation, monetary policy, commodity prices, and bond yields. This data is intended to help investors understand performance, recognize risks, and identify opportunities.

Market Insight

Market Insight is a quarterly publication intended to inform and empower your investment decision making. The stock market ended the second quarter of 2011 where it started three months earlier, though the journey was certainly not a straight line. Volatility remained elevated but unlike the first quarter when investors embraced risk, the opposite was true in the second quarter as investors rotated to safe-haven assets in the stock and bond markets.

Mid-Year Outlook 2011, A Mix of Clouds and Sun: On Track

Our 2011 Outlook, published in November 2010, was entitled A Mix of Clouds and Sun. So far in 2011, we have not seen the dark storms of 2008 or the bright skies of 2009 and 2010. From an economic and market perspective, the year 2011 can be characterized instead as having experienced patches of clouds and sun with some ups and downs in the economy and markets. Overall, the investing climate of 2011 has been favorable. Two years after the green shoots of economic growth were first evident in mid-2009, they have blossomed and taken root.