Global Portfolio Perspectives on the Dollar, Gold, and International Stocks
Global events have been at the center of financial market activity, with high oil prices, geopolitics, and new tariff rules capturing investor attention. Behind many of these trends, however, is the level of the U.S. dollar. While currency movements have received less attention in recent weeks, they continue to have important effects on portfolios by […]
Market Pullbacks and Achieving Portfolio Balance
The ongoing conflict in Iran and rising oil prices have been the primary drivers of stock market swings in recent weeks. Brent crude oil has climbed back above $100 per barrel, raising questions about whether higher energy costs could slow economic growth while also pushing inflation higher. This adds to existing concerns such as the […]
Stock Market Sectors: How Oil and AI Affect Portfolios
When investors think about the stock market, they tend to focus on broad indices like the S&P 500 or Dow Jones Industrial Average. While this is a natural starting point, it’s often helpful to look one level deeper at the sectors within each index. For instance, the 11 sectors that make up the S&P 500 […]
Is AI Eating the World? A Portfolio Perspective
Fifteen years ago, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen famously wrote that “software is eating the world.” What he meant was that any service that could be written and automated as software, would be. This has proved accurate as cloud computing, software-as-a-service, and digital platforms have reshaped both entire industries and how consumers buy goods and services. […]
The Importance of Earnings for Long-Term Portfolios
As the corporate earnings season ramps up, markets are shifting their focus from geopolitical concerns to tangible evidence of how businesses are performing. With the stock market hovering near all-time highs, questions around valuations and the sustainability of recent profitability trends have become increasingly important. While it’s still early in the reporting season, current Wall […]
Gold and Silver: Current Portfolio Perspectives
Gold, silver, and other precious metals have rallied over the past two years, capturing investor attention. Gold recently surpassed $4,700 per ounce while silver now trades above $90 per ounce, marking historic milestones for both metals. This strong recent performance may lead some investors to wonder whether they should be investing in these assets. As […]
3 Tax Planning Opportunities Before December 31
As 2025 draws to a close, investors face important decisions that could impact their tax situations and long-term financial plans. While financial planning is a year-round activity, many calendar deadlines for tax-related activities fall on December 31. For this reason, the final weeks of the year offer investors a chance to review their tax strategies […]