Insights

Virus and election risks weigh on investors.

A presidential debate primer.

Quirky back-to-school shopping contributed. 

The sector presents some entry points.

The Fed sharpens its new policy framework with strong forward guidance. 

With polls tightening and debates around the corner, it's getting very interesting.

Can't say I agree with my fellow Pittsburgher. But markets may be re-evaluating leadership.

I don't share my neighbor's worry. But this week reminds it's never a 1-way market.

Led by the household survey, the labor market continues to heal.

They provide short-term funding that oils the economy's gears.

Maybe near-term consolidation. But longer-term, this secular bull has a ways to run.

Ultra-easy Fed and record stimulus represent a double dose of support for stocks.

No trip to the Grand Tetons this year, but the Fed presented a monumental announcement.

Jared Hoff, of the Strategic Value Dividend team, on the characteristics he looks for in international market sectors.

Dollar weakness adds to appeal of overseas assets.

The Fed and money supply make the asset class attractive.

Is it a bubble?

Dems took the first swing; now the GOP gets its chance.

Emerging innovators, and not the behemoths, may point way to long-term growth.

An all-in Fed covers a lot of potential worries and issues.

Create a safe, legal immigration framework for foreign workers.

Stock-bond model keeps 2% equity overweight but shifts from growth bias.

His moves to help workers fill a void of Congress' own making.

Vulnerabilities emerge at a potential turning point in its relations with the world.

Some aspects of life and the economy are getting back to normal quicker than others.

Kick-starting tourism will be key for a recovering global economy.

The nation's job market continues to mend.

Liquidity is abundant but fundamentals remain iffy.

Back to school won't be business as usual this year.

The Fed keeps making good decisions to support the economy.

And that robust comeback is good for growth investing.

Our humanness can trip us up when it comes to investing.

GDP's collapse for the ages in the second quarter could lead to record rise in the third.

Uneventful FOMC meeting reaffirms stance of maximum support for the economy.

Election Day may be nearing but the market doesn't seem all that invested.

Opposing forces are pulling at the economy, but we expect recovery to win.

Was this week's agreement the bloc's big breakthrough? Maybe. Maybe not.

Of 4 possible trade deals, an updated Nafta is the only one on the books.

After a heated summit, the bloc commits to a stimulus package.

Good start to earnings season is just one reason we are optimistic despite the rise in Covid cases.

It's hard to have visibility when nearly 4 in 10 companies don't provide guidance.

New spike in Covid-19 cases threatens recovery's path.

Numbers are still pretty awful; the consumers' moods aren't.

Any proposal for a Phase 4 stimulus package must balance when and how to bring Americans back to work safely.

A wall of worry vs. a wall of liquidity is limiting back-half options.

Even as coronavirus impacts our lives, we can't ignore the long-term consequences of climate change.

Despite strong returns off March lows, we see more opportunity ahead.

The labor market continues to heal in remarkable fashion.

After spring's big rally, a possible pause in a still-bullish scenario.

2020's challenges and responses reflect Americans' indelible spirit.

Dramatic dislocations offer selective potential upside in fixed-income credit.

As the economy recovers, where spending is picking up.

It's over. Now investors will have to deal with rising challenges.

Equity overweight lowered as coming months may be choppy.

We trimmed our equity overweight a tad on likely choppiness ahead.

Proponents of Modern Monetary Theory do not think so.

Unprecedented sums are at the ready to prop up markets.

The outlook, as a recovering economy tends to lift cyclical stocks.

By clearing underbrush, the week's sell-off should make the market stronger.

Just as in life, emotions and biases can distort the way we invest.

As virus accelerates changes, the toughest place to be is in the middle.

A review of 5 myths that are tripping up the bears.

And right now, fear of missing out is driving the herd.

The job market in May blew out expectations with a gain of more than 2.5 million jobs.

It's looking 3 to 6 months out and sees clearing skies.

The dichotomy between market tranquility and abundant uncertainty has us remaining highly selective.

And investors may find some by including a balanced approach in their portfolios.

The Fed has been outspoken against negative rates, and a U-shaped recovery could shorten the period they are pinned to zero.

The money, that is. Despite massive stimulus, lending and spending have yet to perk up.

We are optimistic at this critical juncture for the U.S. economy.

With the bottom appearing to be in, there's nowhere to go but up.

And that should be good for the liquidity markets.

Any new stimulus must only target economic recovery.

Company fundamentals far more important now than macro analysis.

Much is to be determined, but e-commerce facilities, RV parks and suburbs are well positioned.

But there is a sharp dividing line between the winners and losers.

The virus and unemployment rate will dictate consumer behavior. Plus human nature.

Being in the right stocks starting to matter more than being in stocks.

The news is dismal, but stocks appear to be looking past it to a potential rebound in the year's second half.

Information technology and health care are attractive now.

As troubling data pours forth, the pain trade is to the upside.

Data over the next few weeks and months will be ugly, but better times lie ahead.

Companies that continuously innovate should continue to lead.

Market internals saw some promising developments but patience is warranted.

More regionalization, digitalization and taxes.

Income investors shift goals from growth to security.

That the Fed has been adjusting its policy action is impressive and important.

GDP fell 4.8% in the first quarter, but expect economic growth by the third.

The FOMC statement reiterated it will not hold anything back to aid the economy.

As Linda settles in at home, she ponders if we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Massive policy response and a crisis-fed acceleration of positive macro trends.

The length of the crisis will decide.

As investors navigate this storm, ESG is becoming a leading quality factor.

With market likely stuck in trading range, finding winners & losers becomes key.

Expecting challenging fundamental news in coming weeks, we pared our allocation to equities.

Portfolios should be worth more in 18-24 months.

A pullback is not unusual after a strong rally.

We see through this technical recession to a sharp recovery in the second half of 2020 and beyond.

The coming USD 30 trillion wealth transfer from baby boomers to 75 million millennials is expected to drive the growth of responsible investing.

As bad as it may seem, history suggests better days and opportunities lie ahead.

New OPEC and Russia reductions should raise prices, but demand must rise to stabilize the market.

Unprecedented stimulus is putting some investors' minds at ease.

And returns to secular bull uptrend as investors see light at end of tunnel.

We're in somewhat of a holding pattern as we await clarity ... and opportunity

As she adjusts to working from home, Linda wonders what happens when all the bills come due.

The disastrous March jobs report didn't even factor in the terrible last two weeks.

It's looking like a U-shaped recovery is the most likely outcome.

Insights on the innovation and opportunities that arise out of difficult times.

ESG implications of an increasingly virtual economy.

Federated Hermes strategists remain overweight equities but make adjustments.

Navigating volatile markets may take calming breaths, averaging in and time.

With so much still unknown, it seems too early to call a market bottom.

Fear, social distancing and avoidance of anything with a hint of risk.

Now is not the time to rebalance, Federated Hermes strategists say.

Perspectives on international investing in this volatile environment.

Bottoming process continues.

Monetary, fiscal and social policy must work in concert to manage crisis.

Social distancing certainly seems necessary but it comes at a steep near-term price.

The loan facility, broader than in 2008-09, includes short-term muni securities.

The robust programs are aimed at combating the impact of Covid-19.

Primary dealers and the short end of the commercial paper market are the latest to get support.

Past episodes of spiking spreads suggest opportunities await on the horizon.

Virus-related disruptions hitting munis (and other asset classes) eventually will end.

Shock from virus and oil lead us to drop GDP estimates, but recession averted.

News flow improves but bottoming is a process so expect continuing volatility.

A peak in virus cases outside of China, more stimulus and a lot of test kits.

It's all about the policy response and so far, policymakers are coming up short.

High yield has been underweight energy for some time on its roller-coaster past.

There are many unknowns but reasonable assumptions for now suggest short-term pain should give way eventually to long-term gains. But risks are real and need to be monitored.

The overnight and short-term markets have been performing well during the volatility.

A lot of unknowns but in the end, Linda expects consumers will save the day.

While in all likelihood future payroll reports will see pullback due to the virus, February's figures should not be ignored.

Efforts to treat and find a cure for Covid-19 likely to spur more innovation.

Might the virus slow the U.S. economy enough to boost Bernie's chances?

Coronavirus and possible Sanders victory are washing out the "weak hands."

The Fed must decide, on its own, if the coronavirus outbreak qualifies as such.

The week started just fine in North Carolina...then I came back late Thursday.

A move off these record lows will depend on if and when there's any positive virus news.

Six indicators can be predictive of the election outcome.

Virus fallout adds to temporary hits the economy already is taking from October's tax hike.

The real upside, Steve Auth says, could come post-election.

As news about the virus vacillates, so does the bond and stock markets' reactions.

Steve Chiavarone doesn’t think so.

Measured from October to January, holiday retail sales impressed.

Looking through the virus' late January impact, we still see strong year for S&P.

The past week's spike belies signs of improvement.

So far, it doesn't seem to be worrying much about the coronavirus.

What industry money managers are thinking about stocks and the economy as a new year gets underway.

Banner batch of reports show strength of the U.S. labor market.

As long as investors remain nervous, this market should run.

The coronavirus may cause short-term pain but underlying drivers of growth remain intact.

Some reforms actually could benefit businesses and the economy.

The Fed tries to corral several key rates to keep overnight markets in line.

Housing, trade and holiday spending did their part, but Q1 could be sloppy.

Let others focus on the coronavirus; Linda wants to talk about Iowa.

The coronavirus should prove more short-lived than debilitating for the market.

It was a pro-Trump crowd in Naples, although the subject of impeachment did come up.

The 'Early January Barometer' suggests they will continue to climb.

Linda shares how it's different in California. And when it comes to expectations, how it's not.

Boeing's woes may slow GDP growth this quarter but it should rebound soon after.

It was a really good year for fixed income. 2020 may prove more challenging.

Inflation isn't an issue yet; neither is the economy. Maybe investors are too bullish?

But there's too much noise in the data to make any bold claims.

Our annual rundown of out-of-consensus views sees substantial upside for equities this year.

Monetary accommodation, benign inflation and easing trade tensions should drive markets.

Senior Portfolio Manager Linda Bakhshian explains why fundamentals are key in picking dividend-paying securities.

With markets awash with money, stocks should have more room to run in 2020.

2019 is a hard act to follow, but we expect 8-10% growth on the S&P 500.

What should investors expect from the markets this year?

The central bank's full attention is on mitigating potential dislocations, and we think it will be successful.

Trade deals, Brexit clarity and a Fed hold cap a bullish week for stocks.

Prime Minister Johnson's overwhelming victory allows him to deal with the EU with a much stronger hand.

November's mediocre retail sales must be seen in context.

Everywhere Linda went this week, advisors were in a festive mood (except for Pats fans in Hartford!)

A small-cap stock rebound could be riding in on seasonality and a re-accelerating economy.

Linda heard a lot of worries during her Phoenix visit. But the one above? Hmm.

The labor market juggernaut rolls on.

We view pullbacks as opportunities to add.

The market's run should make for happy holidays even if it's a short shopping season.

A strong labor market, rising wages and lower gas prices represent a trifecta for consumer spending.

Barbara Miller says stores that best match online with traditional should keep doing well.

November and December retail sales are looking bright this year.

What can investors expect in 2020? CIO Deborah Cunningham explains her economic outlook.

What's the best indicator of the economy's health: strong consumers or weak manufacturing?

Reminiscing as she made the rounds in New Jersey, Linda wonders if a melt-up is developing.

Three Hermes portfolio managers share their views of the coming year.

A review of where we stand on our top 5 surprises for this year is, well, surprisingly good!