Equities are starting the day near flat, which is no surprise given the holding pattern that markets have adopted ahead of Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) Chair Yellen’s speech this Friday.

Many are wondering what the final few months could hold in store as we head into the presidential election.

Stocks are advancing this morning after yesterday’s muted session in which only two sectors registered moves greater than 0.1%.

Two weeks ago we noted on the blog that how rare it is when the S&P 500 makes a new high during the usually tricky month of August.

Major indexes in the U.S. and Europe are lower to start the week on little news as investors take a cautious stance ahead of housing, durable goods, and gross domestic product (GDP) reports this week.

Are you ready? Next week is Focus 2016, our flagship conference that brings together the best and brightest in the industry.