George Hosfield, CFA, discusses Ferguson Wellman's quarterly strategy titled, "Inflation's Flame Flickers," which addresses the narrow market leadership, the impact of higher interest rates on inflation and how assets are priced at this stage of the economic cycle.
George Hosfield, CFA, discusses the firm's quarterly strategy titled "Stalemate," which highlights the Fed's ongoing battle to tame inflation along with our views on the health of the banking industry and capital market expectations for the balance of the year.
Director and Chief Investment Officer George Hosfield, CFA, discusses the Fed raising interest rates, peaking inflation and our view on equities and volatility across all asset classes in our Investment Strategy titled, “Balancing Act.”
As the United States commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Ferguson Wellman Capital Management is sharing “American Ledger, a 250-Year Financial Perspective” from the firm’s investment and wealth management teams that connects founding-era debates over taxation, economic independence, productivity and national investment to the financial decisions facing investors today.
“American Ledger” is a 250-Year Financial Perspective from Ferguson Wellman’s investment and wealth management teams. With our country reflecting this summer on the Spirit of '76, our colleagues recount how 2026 economic themes have evolved from our founding days.
The second quarter officially ended this week. The main story of the quarter was the powerful snapback in markets after the correction at the onset of the Iran war. Geopolitical fears temporarily tested nerves, but rather than spiraling into a prolonged drawdown, equities quickly digested the anxieties and staged a ferocious recovery, with the S&P 500 returning 15.2%.
Every Fourth of July, Americans tell themselves a familiar story: Our country was born in a tax revolt. The Boston Tea Party, “no taxation without representation,” and patriots dumping crates into the harbor, all add up to a tidy origin story in which our forebears rose up because they were taxed too much.
For institutional trustees, investment committee members and board governors, the active-versus-passive debate is often framed through a narrow lens: security selection and manager alpha. However, focusing solely on whether an investment manager can outperform an index obscures the more critical fiduciary responsibility, and this is total portfolio oversight. At the institutional level, active management is properly understood not as a return-chasing exercise, but as the deliberate, dynamic governance of risk, liquidity, cash flow and, importantly, asset allocation.
The 2025 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments reveals a paradox facing colleges and universities: endowment portfolios are larger than ever, yet many institutions are becoming increasingly dependent on them to support day-to-day operations.
As the digital landscape evolves, so does the nature of cybercrime. For many, the term once evoked images of hackers breaking into computer systems and stealing data. While system breaches remain a threat, today cybercrime more often relies on manipulating people. Through impersonation, spoofed communications and AI-generated content, criminals trick individuals into authorizing fraudulent transactions themselves.
We can frame risks through many lenses, but the most common interpretations relate to insurance to mitigate the cost of low frequency, high severity events and managing the downside risk of investment assets. Most of us insure against losses such as car accidents, home damage, liability risks and unexpected death. A more progressive view of portfolio management frames risk as the likelihood of not being able to achieve your financial goals.
Investors often focus on what they own and how those investments may perform, paying less attention to where assets are held and who stands behind them. Past events, including the very different failures of FTX (2022) and Silicon Valley Bank (2023), have made those questions more tangible. If something goes wrong with the institution holding your assets, what happens next?
Although we appreciate access to a wealth of data in our offices, a site visit no doubt provides a more holistic perspective for us. Our team recently spent a morning touring a sprawling data center campus in Hillsboro, Oregon.
At the close of the first quarter, the capital markets were digesting an array of economic shocks. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, rising energy costs and shifting expectations regarding Federal Reserve policy all contributed to the pullback in stocks.
Summer motorists might soon be enjoying lower gas prices at the pump now that crude oil has slipped below the $73-per-barrel mark seen just before the Middle East conflict broke out earlier this year. However, consumers are facing a very different reality at the electronics store.
Capital markets responded positively on Monday to reports surrounding a new U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the recent conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement called for halting hostilities and beginning a new round of negotiations covering Iran's nuclear program, free passage of naval traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and broader regional security issues.
A question we commonly hear from our clients is, how can I best save money for my child or grandchild’s future? Starting in July, families have a new option to consider: 530A accounts, also called Trump accounts under the law.
In this quarter’s Wealth Management Insights video, "Practical Estate Planning for Real Families," Samantha Pahlow, CTFA, AWMA®, explains that estate planning doesn’t have to be perfect to be effective and can evolve over time to help protect your family, preserve your intentions and reduce potential conflicts.
In 2026, we expect investment in artificial intelligence (AI) in the U.S. to nearly double. This will bring AI infrastructure spending to roughly $760 billion, with spending expected to exceed $1.0 trillion next year, eclipsing the total budget for the Defense Department.
Private credit has become one of the fastest growing segments of global capital markets. Once viewed as a niche alternative investment strategy, it has evolved into a significant source of financing for small and middle market companies.
After spending the last 36 years in Pioneer Tower, this week, we moved into our new Portland office location just two blocks away in Fox Tower. This comes with significantly different views, and while the view out our window has changed, the economic landscape and investing environment we work in took scant notice of our change of address.
