An Annual Ritual at the Gas Pump

An Annual Ritual at the Gas Pump

Weekly Market Commentary You’re right if you have this nagging feeling that gas prices rise in the spring. As the graphic illustrates, on average prices rise through Memorial Day, plateau over the summer, and slip in the fall. This year is no exception, as...
The Road to Lower Inflation Takes a Detour

The Road to Lower Inflation Takes a Detour

Weekly Market Commentary The rate of inflation is accelerating. That’s not how we hoped to start this week’s Insights. Take a moment and review Figure 1. The 4-month moving average has broken out of its long-term downward trend (red-dashed lines). On a monthly basis,...
Are We There Yet

Are We There Yet

Weekly Market Commentary The road to price stability has been long and arduous. Inflation doesn’t just impact investors. It impacts everyone, from shoppers to travelers to those on a fixed income. February’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) marks the second straight month...
Waiting… and Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

Waiting… and Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

Weekly Market Commentary What is consumer spending? Loosely defined, consumer spending is the ‘stuff’ we buy. It is the goods and services we purchase. It is groceries, clothes, entertainment, health care, auto repair, insurance, appliances, utilities, wireless...
Price Check

Price Check

Weekly Market Commentary The road to price stability was never expected to be a straight line. The latest numbers show that the road isn’t even paved. Investors hit an unexpected pothole after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported January’s Consumer...
Waiting on the Long Awaited Soft Landing

Waiting on the Long Awaited Soft Landing

Weekly Market Commentary Economists have been warning for quite some time that Fed rate hikes will slow economic growth. Whether it results in a soft landing, which is the preferred outcome for investors, or a hard landing (recession), the rate hikes would be expected...