Latest Posts

Weekly Update 5.14 Finding a Tailwind During Inflationary Headwinds

by Zach Marsh on May 21, 2021

This week we witnessed a pickup in volatility. Perhaps it was the CPI reading which showed a dramatic increase in inflation—6.2% year over year and 0.9% month over month. Maybe it was fallout from the Colonial Pipeline hacking. Or, maybe, it was recent changes in CDC guidelines causing a further unwind of the lockdown trade. Whatever the cause, markets certainly were a bit jittery this week.

Streaking Market

by Zach Marsh on May 7, 2021

If you are not into baseball analogies, be forewarned this is going to be one of those pieces. If the whole, “baseball is like life because…” spiel reminds you of Brussels Sprouts, deviled eggs, or jello salad, just stop reading right now, because it might get a bit nauseating.

Market On Cruise Control

by Zach Marsh on Apr 30, 2021

Major US stock market indices were largely flat this week. The tech-ladened Nasdaq 100 fared a bit worse than the large cap S&P 500 which is a bit surprising considering many of the biggest components had blow out earnings this week. Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft all reported this week and all surpassed expectations.

An Economic Rebirth

by Zach Marsh on Apr 2, 2021

The markets are closed today in observance of Easter. The large cap S&P 500 chopped around most of the week, before pushing higher yesterday to close up over 1.15% on the week. Additionally, the indices that had been recent laggards, the Russell 2000 and the Nasdaq 100, outperformed the broad-based index, finishing up 1.42% and 2.7% respectively.

Rates Continue to Rise, Tech Continues to Slide

by Zach Marsh on Mar 19, 2021

Major indices were down this week as interest rates continued to push higher. Thursday saw the biggest down day of the week, with the Nasdaq 100 and the small-cap Russell 2000 indices dropping roughly 3%. Bonds stabilized a bit today giving a lift to stocks. On Wednesday the Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman, spoke following the Fed’s two-day policy meeting.

When I Get to the Bottom, I Go Back to the Top of the Slide

by Zach Marsh on Mar 12, 2021

Interest rates continued their rapid ascent this week. The headline 10 year US Treasury note settling above 1.63% and the 30 year bond closing near 2.4%. For context, that is a 45% increase in the rate of the 30 year bond since the beginning of the year and a 79% increase in the rate on the 10 year bond. However, this week the market took the continued rise in rates a little more in stride.

Here's a Little Story About How Looks Can Be Deceiving

by Zach Marsh on Mar 5, 2021

What’s the line about how looks can be deceiving? That can definitely be said about this week’s market action. On the surface the broad-based equity indices put in a fairly benign performance. The headline S&P 500 index ended the week modestly higher from the week prior. Big name stocks, like Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and Google all ended the week either moderately lower or posting small gains.

Inflation on the Horizon?

by Zach Marsh on Feb 19, 2021

Just a short note today. This week we saw bond prices tumble as yields continued to push higher, with the benchmark 10 Year US Treasury yield closing at 1.34%. Commodity prices continued to extend their recent gains. Copper prices gained over 7% and WTI Crude gained 5% by mid-week before giving back those gains over the past two sessions.

GameStop Week: The Rewind Fee

by Zach Marsh on Feb 5, 2021

It was a bad week to be a Wall Street Bets Reddit follower to say the least. As the saying goes, “A fool and his money are easily separated,” and money certainly gushed from GameStop long shareholders like water from a hose. After closing last Friday at $312/share, the price of GME stock fell to below $50 by the close of trading Thursday.

The GameStop Trade and the So-Called Reddit Army: Why it Matters

by Zach Marsh on Jan 29, 2021

While the financial news this week was all a buzz with stories about GameStop and the other dead or decaying companies which saw their stocks soar to meteoric levels, few, if any, of these stories cared to cover the economic impact and financial repercussions caused by a complete misallocation of capital by a social media herd on Reddit.