Research & News
Daily Comment (August 6, 2024)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM ET] | PDF Our Comment today opens with a recap of the wild market swoon around the world on Monday. So far today, the markets have calmed down considerably, and the Japanese equity market regained most of the 12% decline it suffered yesterday. We next… Read More »
Bi-Weekly Geopolitical Report – The US Geopolitical and Economic Bloc as an Investment Region (August 5, 2024)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF More than a decade ago, we at Confluence began describing how United States voters have become more reluctant to shoulder the costs of global hegemony. We’ve shown how increased populist isolationism in the US and other Western nations helped embolden Chinese General Secretary Xi, Russian President Putin, and other… Read More »
Daily Comment (August 5, 2024)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM ET] | PDF Our Comment today opens with an overview of the sharp declines in global financial markets today. Given the recent weak economic data out of the US and the surging value of the yen, the volatility could stay with us in the near… Read More »
Daily Comment (August 2, 2024)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM ET] | PDF Good morning! S&P 500 futures are off to a poor start today as investors fret over a possible recession. In sports news, US gymnast Simone Biles has claimed another individual all-around Olympic gold medal. Today’s Comment will examine investor concerns over rising… Read More »
Daily Comment (August 1, 2024)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM ET] | PDF Our Comment today opens with an overview of the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary policy decision yesterday, in which it set the stage to potentially cut interest rates in September. We next review several other international and US developments with the potential to… Read More »
Daily Comment (July 31, 2024)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM ET] | PDF Good morning! S&P 500 futures are trading higher this morning as investors await the Fed’s rate decision. In sports news, Simone Biles led the US women’s gymnastics team to gold at the Olympics. Today’s Comment will delve into the Federal Reserve’s interest… Read More »
Daily Comment (July 30, 2024)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM ET] | PDF Our Comment today opens with new data on economic growth in the eurozone and the prospects for more interest-rate cuts by the European Central Bank. We next review several other international and US developments with the potential to affect the financial markets… Read More »
Daily Comment (July 29, 2024)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash [Posted: 9:30 AM ET] | PDF Our Comment today opens with a quick note on the renewed risk of a wider war between Israel and Iran-backed militants in Gaza and southern Lebanon. We next review several other international and US developments with the potential to affect the financial… Read More »
Asset Allocation Bi-Weekly – The Price of Central Bank Independence (July 29, 2024)
by the Asset Allocation Committee | PDF Despite the formal separation of the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department in 1951, the two bodies continued to collaborate closely on economic policy for nearly two decades. The coordination aimed to improve the effectiveness of initiatives like stimulating economic growth or preventing the overheating of the economy. While… Read More »