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.”
We have consistently messaged our belief the Fed would accomplish its goal to bring inflation down to 2%, and this week’s latest reading on its preferred measure of the price level supports our thesis. The core version of the personal consumption deflator moderated again in the August reading, rising 3.9% from last year’s level, in line with expectations and moderating from the 4.2% increase registered in July.
As the seasons change and we move into fall, the focus shifts from summer vacation to back to school and football. And just like the calendar, the markets stay true to history. The S&P 500 is down over 3% this month, led by technology stocks which are down 7%. While there is some angst, these declines are normal.
For the fourth consecutive week, stocks posted negative returns with the S&P 500 trading near 3,220 for most of this week. Market technicians would view this as a technical support level or a base from which the market can work. At the current levels, the market can consolidate and take a breath to prepare for what is next.
