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Weekly Market Commentary | Week of December 22, 2014
10 Stock Market Questions for 2015 With 2015 almost here, this week we pose and respond to 10 key stock market questions for 2015. Look for more on these and other topics throughout the year. We bring 2014 to a close with this Weekly Market Commentary. Look for our next edition on January 5, 2015.…
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Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of December 22, 2014
Highlights The impact of falling oil and energy prices on inflation, inflation expectations, the U.S. and global economies, and the global financial system received a great deal of attention at the eighth and final FOMC meeting of 2014. Fed Chair Yellen’s comments during the post-FOMC press conference seemed to have calmed fears regarding the negative…
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Portfolio Compass | Week of December 15, 2014
Navigating the Markets Compass Changes Downgrading energy commodities to neutral from neutral/positive. Takeaways We continue to favor U.S. stocks based on our just released Outlook 2015: In Transit, where we forecast high-single-digit S&P 500 returns in 2015, supported by estimated 5-10% earnings growth and stable price-to-earnings (PE) ratio.* We favor U.S. stocks over their foreign…
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Bond Market Perspectives | Week of December 15, 2014
Highlights Lower inflation expectations as a result of falling oil prices have weighed on TIPS prices during the second half of 2014. TIPS underperformance has led to the lowest market-implied inflation expectations of the past four years. We do, however, find TIPS an attractive high-quality option and certainly more appealing than Treasuries as a result…
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Weekly Market Commentary | Week of December 15, 2014
Highlights We expect holiday shoppers, bolstered by lower energy prices, to help support potential stock market gains. Although the severity of the oil price decline has been unsettling, we view the decline as positive for U.S. consumers overall. Retail stocks should deliver some cheer for markets this holiday season, but don’t stuff those stockings with…
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Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of December 15, 2014
Highlights Statements following the final FOMC meeting of 2014, particularly on the recent drop in oil prices and its impact on the U.S. economy, could have ramifications for near- and long-term monetary policy. The FOMC will also provide markets with a new set of targets at this meeting, as it does four times a year.…