2007 Market Review and Outlook
By Laura Alspaugh, CFA | January 16, 2008
Surprisingly, 2007 ended as an “up” year for stocks. Somehow, it didn’t feel so great. Volatility certainly rose significantly as the sub-prime issues surfaced and some of the most revered financial institutions took some substantial hits to the bottom line. 2008 is poised to be a pivotal year as the economy teeters between recession and higher inflation. Election years create a heightened sense of urgency and potential for change as candidates posture to gain voters. It could be a year for the record books. For more reading, please see our market review and outlook.
2007 Market Review and Outlook
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Equity markets lose over 4% in November
By Laura Alspaugh, CFA | December 11, 2007
In October, the S&P 500 hit an all time high which was then followed by a losing November. All equity markets lost ground during the month, with the worst hits taken by small cap stocks. The Russell 2000 Index1 was down 7.2% while the S&P 500 was down 4.2%. Bond markets helped to buffer these losses with the LB Aggregate Index (the broadest measure of the US investment grade bond market) up 1.8% and the LB 1-3 Year Govt/Credit Index up 1.4%.
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Market Volatility and the Economy: Don’t Forget to Breathe
By Laura Alspaugh, CFA | November 26, 2007
In light of recent market conditions and the sometimes doom-and-gloom headlines that seem pervasive, one needs to sift through the news with eyes open, not with blind optimism or fatalistic pessimism. Think about the following:
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