— Oil prices post weekly loss as market sees limited risk of wider war after Israel strike on Iran. — Retail sales surge 0.7% in March as Americans seem unfazed
Since the end of March, there has been a decided shift in market sentiment. LNW CIO Ron Albahary, CFA assesses what has changed and how we are keeping client portfolios on an
Over the weekend, the conflict in the Middle East reached a dangerously higher level. Iran launched an estimated 300 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles targeting Israel. Th
— U.S. consumer inflation ticked up in March to an annualized rate of 3.5% (3.8% excluding food and energy). The Fed is generally not expected to lower interest rates in
— The U.S. economy added a robust 303,000 new jobs in March and unemployment fell to 3.8%; job market strength makes it harder for Fed to lower interest rates. —
Assets that appear most attractive to us on a risk-adjusted basis are those that help diversify equity risk.
— The U.S. economy grew a strong 3.4% annualized in 4th quarter 2023 (per latest estimate); a slowdown to 2.1% is expected for 1st quarter 2024. – U.S. manufactu
“Inflation is still high. The ongoing progress in bringing it down is not assured and the path forward is unsure.” — Fed Chair Jerome Powell, March 20 Press
— Federal Reserve holds rates steady and maintains three cuts coming sometime this year. — February home sales spike 9.5%, the largest monthly gain in a year, as s