Economic Overview – Q1 2024
By Richard Frankel Overview: View the Full Economic Commentary by Clicking Here.
By Richard Frankel Overview: View the Full Economic Commentary by Clicking Here.
The Pause That Refreshes By Tom Richmond, Co-Head of Taxable SMA Strategies, Senior Portfolio Manager The first quarter of 2024 was relatively quiet and relatively good from a domestic, macroeconomic standpoint. Economic activity as measured by real GDP growth was estimated to be a shade over +2%; while not as strong as the pace seen […]
By Richard Frankel Overview: This is a snapshot view the full Economic Commentary below. View the Full Economic Commentary Here
Thank you, Santa! By: Tom Richmond, Co-Head of Taxable SMA Strategies, Senior Portfolio Manager In honor of the recently completed holiday season, I hope you can indulge me for a moment for a story of good tidings, seasonal cheer, and apparently, redemption. Picture if you can a white-bearded, red-suited, jovial Chairman of the Federal Open […]
Quo VADIS – Where are you going? By Theresa Gusman Overview The S&P 500 advanced 11.7% in the fourth quarter, cementing a 24.3% rise in 2023. Through most of last year, the S&P 500’s narrow leadership camouflaged the paltry returns of the broader index and punished investors underweight the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-fueled stocks known as […]
View the Full PDF Here How soft is your landing? By: Thomas Richmond, Co-Head of Taxable SMA Strategies, Senior Portfolio Manager If you ask a stranger how the U.S. economy is doing, you will undoubtedly get responses that fun the gamut from “great” to “lousy”, depending on the circumstances of the individual. We can, however, […]
View the Full PDF Here
View the Full PDF Here By Richard Frankel Figure 1. Economic Growth and the Composition of GDP This is a snapshot view the full Economic Commentary below. View the Full PDF Here
View the Full PDF Here Corporate profits to decline: Priced in or “the other shoe”? By Theresa Gusman Overview Inflation’s surge to a 40-year high in 2022 let the Fed to an unprecedented series of interest-rate increases, cratering the bond market and sending stocks tumbling. Following a 24.9% decline in the first three quarters 0f […]
After a majority of shareholders voted in favor of First Affirmative’s lobbying disclosure proposal at the 2022 annual shareholder meeting, Travelers responded to our 2023 proposal by agreeing to disclose lobbying expenditures for all trade associations where company dues exceeds $25,000 annually. This disclosure commitment is the end of a seven-year ongoing engagement with Travelers. […]