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Independent Investor | December 2014
Employee Perks: What’s Required and What’s Not The statement “people are a company’s greatest asset” is taking on new meaning: As the nation’s 76 million baby boomers continue to exit the workforce, savvy business owners should have plans in place to prepare for the impending labor shortage. Offering a competitive benefits package can help entice…
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Bond Market Perspectives | Week of December 8, 2014
Highlights With the price of oil now down 41% from a peak of $107 per barrel on June 20, 2014, through Monday, December 8, 2014, we take another look at the impact of lower oil prices on the high-yield bond market. Recent high-yield market weakness has already accounted for a rise in defaults from lower…
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Weekly Economic Commentary | Week of December 8, 2014
Highlights The latest Beige Book reflected a picture of the U.S. economy that has been largely unaffected by the increasing market concern over falling oil prices, the end of QE in the United States, and the rising U.S. dollar. The report suggested that U.S. economic activity has “continued to expand,” and in general, optimism regarding…
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Weekly Market Commentary | Week of December 8, 2014
Highlights We expect the policy environment in 2015 to be supportive for stocks. The transfer of power to Republicans may have a meaningful impact on broad policy measures. Regardless of the political party in power, the year before the presidential election has historically been a good one for stocks. Favorable Policy Environment for Stocks in…
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Portfolio Compass | Week of December 1, 2014
Navigating the Markets Compass Changes No changes. 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 counterparts due primarily to lackluster…
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Bond Market Perspectives | Week of December 1, 2014
Highlights: With sustained improvement in economic growth, slowly rising inflation, and the approach of the Fed’s first interest rate hike, bond prices are likely to decline in 2015. High-yield bonds and bank loans can help investors manage this challenging bond market. 2015 Fixed Income Outlook: Handle with Care Bond markets are likely to transition to…