Research & News
Asset Allocation Weekly – Is Monetary Policy Affected by Financial Markets? (November 5, 2021)
by the Asset Allocation Committee | PDF In the 1980s, economic graduate students were taught that the “wealth effect” was minor at best. It is a behavioral theory that measures the impact of rising wealth on consumption. In theory, when a household’s assets increase in excess of its liabilities, there should be a tendency for… Read More »
Weekly Energy Update (November 4, 2021)
by Bill O’Grady, Thomas Wash, and Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF After touching $85 per barrel, oil prices have dropped on rising inventories and worries about tightening monetary policy. (Source: Barchart.com) Crude oil inventories rose 3.3 mb compared to a 2.0 mb build forecast. The SPR declined 1.6 mb, meaning the net draw was 1.7… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Approaching a Traffic Light in Germany (November 1, 2021)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF Germany’s parliamentary elections in late September were momentous for several reasons. Perhaps most important, the elections set the stage for a new leader to take power as Chancellor Angela Merkel decided not to stand for another term after leading Germany since 2005. However, even though the retiring Merkel is… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly – The Debt Ceiling and the Platinum Coin (October 29, 2021)
by the Asset Allocation Committee | PDF The debt limit on authorized Treasury borrowing has created a periodic problem in recent years. When the limit had been reached in the past, it triggered a government shutdown. However, not all government shutdowns are simply due to reaching the debt ceiling. Sometimes a closure occurs because Congress… Read More »
Weekly Energy Update (October 28, 2021)
by Bill O’Grady, Thomas Wash, and Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF Prices have moved above $85 per barrel this week but retreated on this week’s inventory data. (Source: Barchart.com) Crude oil inventories rose 4.3 mb compared to a 1.8 mb build forecast. The SPR declined 1.1 mb, meaning the net draw was 3.2 mb. In… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Here Comes China! (October 25, 2021)
by Thomas Wash | PDF Following President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) in January 2017, it was believed that the agreement would die a quiet death. However, with the leadership of Japan and Australia, the agreement found new life and the remaining members decided to move forward with the deal. Although the… Read More »