Weekly Market Commentary

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September 16, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Election Implications on the Municipal Market

Printer Friendly Version With the first presidential debate behind us, it’s safe to say election season is in full swing. …

September 9, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Second Quarter Earnings Recap: Good, Not Great

Printer Friendly Version Second quarter earnings season is in the books, and it was a good one. S&P 500 companies …

September 4, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Russia To Host BRICS Summit 2024 Amid Heightened Geopolitical Conflict

Printer Friendly Version In December 2023, Vladimir Putin declared that the 2024 BRICS Summit, hosted by Russia, would be focused …

August 26, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Takeaways & Expectations: It’s Go Time for the Federal Reserve

Printer Friendly Version In his recent speech, Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell focused on the fragilities of the labor …

August 20, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Stock and Bond Market FAQs From the Field

Printer Friendly Version Every year as the summer months draw near their end, LPL Financial hosts its annual Focus conference …

August 13, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Pullbacks Are Common but Painful‍

Printer Friendly Version Pullbacks are the stubbed toe of the stock market. I was reminded of this over the last …

August 5, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Thoughts on Global Selloff and the Dollar’s Path to Decompressing

Printer Friendly Version Before the jobs report was released on Friday, we wrote a commentary on the U.S. dollar. In …

July 29, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Key Themes for the Macroeconomic Landscape in the Second Half of 2024

Printer Friendly Version Investors had a healthy appetite for risk so far this year as a so-called potential soft landing …

July 22, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Key Themes for Bonds in the Second Half of 2024

Printer Friendly Version The first half of the year was a challenging environment for a lot of fixed income markets, …

July 15, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Key Themes for Stocks in the Second Half of 2024

Printer Friendly Version Outlook 2024: A Turning Point, released in December 2023, featured our perspective on how stocks might respond …

July 1, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Double-Digit Earnings Growth on Tap

Printer Friendly Version With stock valuations elevated after such a strong first half, earnings growth will be key to holding, …

June 27, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Artificial Intelligence: The Antidote to Fed Policy?

Printer Friendly Version “The four most dangerous words in investing are: ‘this time is different.'” — Sir John Templeton Are …

June 19, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Keep Calm and Clip Bond Coupons

Printer Friendly Version With a Federal Reserve (Fed) meeting, a Bank of Japan (BOJ) meeting, two very important inflation reports, …

June 3, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Adjusting the Sector Sails: Strong May Takeaways and a June Stock Setup

Printer Friendly Version To say May was an eventful month for the market is an understatement. Investors navigated around the …

May 28, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Earnings Are Doing Their Part: Exploring Q1 Earnings

Printer Friendly Version The first quarter earnings season is largely in the books, and it was excellent. In fact, S&P …

May 20, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

How’s It Going? Depends on Who You Ask in a Post-Pandemic Economy

Printer Friendly Version The post-pandemic economy is treating people very differently, creating a headache for central bankers. The extreme differences …

May 13, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Preferred Securities: Still Our Preferred Non-Core Bond Sector

Printer Friendly Version It continues to be a challenging environment for a lot of fixed income markets, especially higher quality …

May 6, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Sell in May? Maybe Not. More Rhyme Than Reason

Printer Friendly Version “Sell in May and Go Away” is one of the most widely used maxims on Wall Street. …

April 29, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

That Was Quite a Week: A Pivotal One for the Markets

Printer Friendly Version Last week was a pivotal one for markets, with the S&P 500 coming off a 3% weekly …

April 22, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Volatility Is Back: Understanding Ever-Changing Market Narrative

Printer Friendly Version Volatility has come back into the market as the narrative shifted toward a higher-for-longer monetary policy backdrop. …

April 15, 2024 | Weekly Market Commentary

Revisiting Energy: How Rate Cuts Could Benefit the Space

Printer Friendly Version As the first quarter earnings season kicked off on April 12, expectations for the energy sector were …

November 20, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Anatomy of a Market Rally: Looking at Key Catalysts

Printer Friendly Version As the market appears to be taking a rest and consolidating its $2.7 trillion rally leading up …

November 13, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Is the Stock Market Correction Over?

Printer Friendly Version There is nothing like an eight-day winning streak to change the market narrative. Stocks have quickly gone …

November 6, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Can Muni Investors Catch a Break? We Think So

Printer Friendly Version It’s been another volatile year for municipal (muni) investors this year. While generally outperforming U.S. Treasuries, the …

October 30, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Possible Halloween Scares for Markets and the Economy

Printer Friendly Version It’s a tradition here to write about what scares us around Halloween each year. The past few …

October 23, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Economic Impact: Can Something Good Come from a Crisis?

Printer Friendly Version Despite headwinds, the U.S. could experience structural changes in the labor market, residential real estate, and inflation …

October 16, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Earnings Hope to Keep This One-Year-Old Bull Market Going

Printer Friendly Version Earnings season has kicked off with several of the big banks and a handful of other blue-chip …

October 9, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Yields Higher for Longer: Why We’re Updating Our Treasury Forecast

Printer Friendly Version U.S. Treasury yields have seemingly been moving in one direction lately (higher), with the 30-year Treasury yield …

October 2, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Prospects for a Fourth Quarter Rally

Printer Friendly Version After a difficult September for stocks, investors are surely ready to flip the calendar to October. That’s …

September 25, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Is India Surpassing China to Become the Next Superpower?

Printer Friendly Version India has emerged as a compelling economic growth story and an increasingly attractive alternative to China within …

September 18, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Advice to Advisors: Buy Japan, Hold U.S., Sell Europe

Printer Friendly Version Recent data suggests economic conditions in Europe are deteriorating, removing a key element of LPL Research’s positive …

September 11, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

The Growing List—and Politicization—of BRICS and Friends

Printer Friendly Version The BRIC acronym, without the “S,” was introduced in 2001 by the Goldman Sachs chief economist who …

September 5, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Interest Rates Are Back to Normal, But What Is Normal

Printer Friendly Version Fixed income investors have had a rough time over the last few years. Normally a staid asset …

August 28, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Opportunities and Risks in the Markets: Lessons Learned from the Grand Tetons

Printer Friendly Version The Federal Reserve (Fed) often uses the Jackson Hole Symposium to announce tweaks in policy. Other central …

August 21, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Pullback Perspective: The Reasons Why Stocks Are Pulling Back

Printer Friendly Version Volatility has returned right on cue as U.S. equity markets continue to pull back from overbought levels. …

August 15, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

How This U.S. Debt Downgrade is Different from 2011

Printer Friendly Version It’s different this time. The four (or five) most dangerous words in investing. We’ll take the risk …

August 7, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Key Earnings Season Takeaways

Printer Friendly Version Earnings season is mostly behind us with about 85% of S&P 500 companies having reported second quarter …

July 31, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

A Cloudy Outlook Makes for Choppy Markets

Printer Friendly Version The economy is doing better than expected, and the markets are responding accordingly. In this piece, we …

July 24, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

(Still) Waiting on the Fed to Be Done Raising Rates

Printer Friendly Version The first half of the year probably didn’t go the way many fixed income investors had hoped, …

July 17, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Earnings Need to Do Some Heavy Lifting to Keep Rally Going

Printer Friendly Version Earnings season is upon us as some banks and a small handful of other blue chip companies …

July 17, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

LPL Research presents: OUTLOOK MIDYEAR 2023

Download Outlook The Path Towards Stability At LPL Research, our 2023 investing outlook started with a theme of returning to …

July 5, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Capital Markets: The Essence of American Capitalism

Printer Friendly Version The long dormant capital markets have recently begun showing signs of interest from institutional investors and deal …

June 26, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

The New Standard and Poor’s 500 Bull Needs a Breather

Printer Friendly Version We know it’s old news at this point, but on June 8, 2023, the S&P 500 entered …

June 20, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Market Responses to Fed (In)Action

Printer Friendly Version As the economy is likely downshifting, investors should take heed that the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) current stance …

June 12, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

FOMC Preview: Fed Skip, Pause, or Hike

Printer Friendly Version The Federal Reserve (Fed) meets this week where it is largely expected to not raise short term …

June 5, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Closing Out Our Equities Overweight

Printer Friendly Version Stocks have had a nice run, but at higher prices, the bar for further gains gets higher. …

May 31, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

How Much of a Problem is Concentrated Leadership for Stocks?

Printer Friendly Version The mega-cap technology companies have powered the broad market higher this year. In fact, the 8.1% gain …

May 22, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Will History Rhyme? A Fed Pause Has Been Good for Fixed Income

Printer Friendly Version Economists like to remind us there is no such thing as a free lunch. In investment parlance, …

May 15, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Earnings Update: Better than Feared Undersells These Results

Printer Friendly Version First quarter earnings season is nearly complete, and it has caused us to regret titling our earnings …

May 8, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

King Dollar Still Rules: Why It Continues to Reign

Printer Friendly Version Much has been written lately about the threats facing the reserve currency status enjoyed by the U.S. …

May 1, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Sell in May: Does This Stock Market Adage Come into Play

Printer Friendly Version “Sell in May and go away” is probably the most widely cited stock market cliché in history. …

April 24, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Draining the Lifeblood of the Economy: The Small Business Sector

Printer Friendly Version Investors use various analogies to describe the importance of small businesses in the domestic economy. Some refer …

April 17, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

A Closer Look at Commercial Real Estate Market

Printer Friendly Version The commercial real estate (CRE) market has recently captured the spotlight after being flagged as the next …

April 10, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Earnings Preview – Malaise Continues

Printer Friendly Version First quarter earnings season kicks off this week with some big banks reporting toward the end of …

April 3, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Who Is Right, Federal Reserve or Financial Markets?

Printer Friendly Version Financial markets and the Federal Reserve are reading from two different playbooks. Who is right? The markets …

March 27, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

The 36-Hour SVB Collapse and Hierarchy of Blame

Printer Friendly Version A lot has changed in the past few weeks, both in terms of expectations for interest rates …

March 20, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Wading Through Financial Stability Risks: An Action Plan

Printer Friendly Version The Federal Reserve (Fed) has a history of raising short-term interest rates until something “breaks.” Considering the …

March 13, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Stress in Banking System | Latest Equity Asset Allocation Views

Printer Friendly Version Last week did not play out how we anticipated. Coming into the week, it was all about …

March 6, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

No Landing. No Sense: Suggesting an Economy Makes “No Landing” Makes No Sense

Printer Friendly Version Suggesting an economy makes “no landing” makes no sense. Analogies eventually break down, especially this one. Economic …

February 27, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Debt Ceiling Primer: What You Need to Know

Printer Friendly Version While concerns about the debt ceiling have been increasing, markets, businesses, and the economy are likely to …

February 21, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

What’s Changed in the Markets in 2023 and What It Could Mean

Printer Friendly Version Markets have adjusted to several changes this year. The pace at which inflation has cooled is slowing. …

February 13, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Trying to Stick the Landing

Printer Friendly Version Soft landing or no soft landing, that is the question, with all due respect to William Shakespeare. …

February 6, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Brightening Outlook for International Equities: Have the Tides Turned

Printer Friendly Version Investors got more excited about international investing late last year. Some of that was chasing better returns, …

January 30, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Will January’s Market Hit the Trifecta? The Seasonal Indicators

Printer Friendly Version The script has been flipped in 2023. Last year’s underperformers have turned into outperformers this year, driving …

January 23, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

A Feisty Bull-Bear Debate

Printer Friendly Version The latest episode of the debate between stock market bulls and bears has gotten more interesting. For …

January 17, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Q4 Earnings Preview: Pessimism May Be Overdone

Printer Friendly Version Fourth quarter earnings season is underway and probably won’t bring much good news. Lackluster global growth, ongoing …

January 9, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

Market, Stocks, and Bonds Lessons Learned from 2022

Printer Friendly Version We believe accountability and modesty are among the keys to success in this business. In striving for …

January 3, 2023 | Weekly Market Commentary

2023 Market Outlook

Printer Friendly Version 2022 was a dizzying year as markets and the global economy continued to find itself out of …

December 19, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Historic Year for Central Bank Activity and Rate Hikes

Printer Friendly Version The Federal Reserve (Fed) wrapped up its last Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting of the year …

December 12, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

December Down but Not Out: Seasonality Trends Point to Market Recovery

Printer Friendly Version Despite the S&P 500 Index starting December with five consecutive days of losses, we think December is …

December 5, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Resilient Consumers Have Not Saved Retail Stocks

Printer Friendly Version Economic and corporate data support the initial strong reads on holiday retail sales despite the macro headwinds, …

November 21, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Playbook for a Fed Pivot: Exploring Equity and Fixed Income Market Performance

Recent inflation data has tempered expectations for future Federal Reserve tightening, including a potential peak in the terminal rate near …

November 14, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Inflation and Rising Rates Supports Value

Printer Friendly Version The growth vs. value debate has been pretty one-sided in 2022, with value outperforming growth for a …

November 7, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

How Midterm Elections May Move Markets

Midterm elections are upon us, with Election Day on Tuesday. Republicans are strongly favored to win the House, and the …

October 31, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Federal Reserve Preview: TRICK or Treat?

Printer Friendly Version With a series of important economic indicators suggesting the economy is declining and inflation is finally …

October 24, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Three Things to Know About Recessions: The 3 D’s

Printer Friendly Version If the U.S. economy enters a recession, the causes and potential outcome will be hotly debated. …

October 17, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Low Bar for Earnings Season Brings Third Quarter Expectations Down

Expectations are very low for this earnings season. The challenges are many, with intense cost pressures and slowing economic growth …

October 10, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Pockets of Vulnerability Magnified by Monetary Policy

As Federal Reserve (Fed) officials continue to emphasize the Fed’s commitment towards restoring price stability, the dollar marches ever higher. …

October 3, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Markets on Watch as Xi Jinping’s Influence to be Tested in October

On October 16, China will begin its 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. This plenum is …

September 26, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Why It May Be Time to Take Advantage of Higher Yields

The LPL Research Strategic and Tactical Asset Allocation Committee is increasing its recommended interest rate exposure in its tactical allocation …

September 19, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

How Much Higher Can Rates Go?

Inflationary dynamics continue to surprise to the upside, and markets now expect the Fed to pursue one of its most …

September 12, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Getting Jobs Market Back into Balance

Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell reiterated his warning that getting inflation under control will require some pain. Powell is likely …

September 6, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

September’s Calendar Cruelty for Stocks

The difficult 2022 for stocks may not get much easier because as we now wait for better news on the …

August 29, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Earnings Recap: Still Hanging In There

Earnings growth of 6-7% doesn’t sound very exciting, but given the challenges corporate America has faced, we consider the nearly-complete …

August 22, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Home Sales Fall (Again). What’s Next?

Existing home sales fell 5.9% in July, the sixth consecutive month of declines as higher interest rates weigh on housing …

August 15, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Is This the Start of a New Bull Market?

Investors cheered the two better-than-expected inflation reports last week, pushing the S&P 500 to 16% above its June 16 low …

August 8, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

The Case for a U.S. Recession Weakens

The market pundits remain intensely focused on the question of whether the U.S. economy is in or about to enter …

August 1, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

What a Week for the Stock Market

That was quite a week. These days a Federal Reserve (Fed) policy meeting alone gets a lot of headlines and …

July 25, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Three Factors That Could Change the Course of Inflation

For the past year, supply-related problems contributed more to inflation than demand-related imbalances, but that may be changing soon. There …

July 19, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Managing Market Volatility

Markets rarely give us clear skies, and there are always threats to watch for on the horizon, but the right …

July 15, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Midyear Outlook 2022: Navigating Turbulence

LPL Research “Midyear Outlook 2022: Navigating Turbulence” features LPL Research’s economic and market forecasts for the second half of 2022. …

July 5, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Constructive, Not Complacent: Lowering S&P 500 Target

Stocks have been unable to make up much ground since the June 16 lows, with a bear market rally amounting …

June 28, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Relief at the Pump and for Portfolios?

2022 has been rough all-around for the American consumer. Not only are we battling decades-high inflation, but investors’ portfolios are …

June 22, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Bear Market Q and A

The bear market that started on June 13 has left the S&P 500 Index 23.5% below its January 3 high. …

June 13, 2022 | Investment Management

Is the 60/40 Portfolio Dead?

This year has been tough for investors, not just because stocks have fallen but also because bonds have not helped …

June 7, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

The Economy Is Slowing But Not Shrinking

Many pundits are issuing recession warnings and saying the economy is heading for a hard landing. Amid the cacophony of …

May 31, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Looking Through the Clouds

At the risk of sounding cliché, making the case for stocks to stage a second half rally back to the …

May 23, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Dawn of a New Era for Core Bonds

Core bond investors have experienced the worst start to the year ever. However tough this year has been so far …

May 16, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Corporate America Delivers, Market Attention Focused Elsewhere

First quarter earnings season was solid by just about any measure, but based on recent market behavior it’s obvious that …

May 9, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Have We Really Seen Extreme Pessimism Yet?

It’s been a very tough start to the year with both stocks and bonds down sharply. Adding to the “wall …

May 3, 2022 | Investment Management

Why You Shouldn’t Sell Your Stocks in May This Year

“Sell in May and go away” is probably the most widely cited stock market cliché in history. Every year a …

April 25, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Businesses and Consumers Likely Protected From Near-Term Recession

Not all recessions are created equal. Previous downturns in the U.S. were prompted by various shocks, with the most recent …

April 20, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

What to Watch This Earnings Season

First quarter earnings season is rolling. BlackRock, Delta Airlines, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley were among the first …

April 11, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Headwinds to Global Growth: An Economy of Two Halves

LPL Research reduced U.S. and global GDP forecasts due to Russian commodity disruptions, elevated inflation dynamics, and higher borrowing costs. …

April 4, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

LPL Research’s Stock Market Final Four

As the Final Four NCAA Basketball Tournament rolls on in New Orleans, we continue our tradition of picking a stock …

March 28, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Tempered but Optimistic Enthusiasm Over Stocks

As the stock market recovered from the 2020 pandemic lows, valuations reached levels not seen since the dotcom bubble more …

March 22, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Are Core Bonds Under Pressure?

Core bond investors have experienced one of the worst starts to the year ever, potentially calling into question the validity …

March 15, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Ready, Set, Rate Hike

The Federal Reserve (Fed) meets this week and in all likelihood will raise short-term interest rates for the first time …

March 7, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Downshift in U.S. Market Growth But Still Above Trend

We currently expect the U.S. economy to grow 3.7% in 2022. The risks are to the downside since the Fed …

February 28, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

How Soon Are Rate Hikes Coming?

With inflationary pressures running higher than many central bankers are comfortable with, calls for interest rate hikes have become louder. …

February 23, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Strong Earnings Momentum to Start 2022

Corporate America has capped off an outstanding 2021 with an excellent fourth quarter earnings season so far. Entering 2021, the …

February 14, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

The Valentine’s Day Index

High inflation continues to cloud the economic outlook while its impact on the potential path of rate hikes has left …

February 7, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Which Region Will Get the Gold in 2022

The near-10% correction in the S&P 500 Index and even larger drawdown in the Nasdaq have gotten a lot of …

January 31, 2022 | Investment Management

LPL Research’s Sustainable Investing Year in Review

Sustainable investing hit several milestones in 2021, but continued to attract its critics. Below we look at how sustainable investing …

January 24, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Potential Catalysts for a Market Turnaround

After a tough start for stocks in 2022, investors are looking for reasons to expect a rebound. After more than …

January 19, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Don’t Expect the Fed to End this Bull Anytime Soon

The Federal Reserve (Fed) has engineered a massive hawkish shift, causing a bit more stock market volatility recently. But how …

January 10, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Can Corporate America Keep it Rolling?

Corporate America has been on quite a run. Coming into 2021, S&P 500 Index companies were expected to generate less …

January 4, 2022 | Weekly Market Commentary

Three 2021 Market Lessons for 2022

In many ways, 2021 was a typical year for markets, but it also reinforced some basic market lessons that are …

December 28, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

How Much Higher Can Treasury Yields Go?

We expect interest rates to move modestly higher in 2022 based on near-term inflation expectations above historical trends and improving …

December 22, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Stock Market Outlook 2022

We expect solid economic and earnings growth in 2022 to help U.S. stocks deliver additional gains next year. If we …

December 15, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

LPL Research Discusses Outlook 2022 & the Coming Year

We believe pent-up demand, gradual improvement in supply chain challenges, solid labor force growth, and productivity gains will all contribute …

December 8, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Will Omicron Ruin the Santa Rally?

Historically, December has been a great month for stocks, but now we have the Omicron variant causing major volatility and …

November 24, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Three Reasons to be Thankful

There are only six weeks to go in 2021 and it has been an incredible year for the stock market …

November 17, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

A Peek at Peak Inflation: Five Signals to Watch For

After an upside inflation surprise in October, it’s clear that peak inflation may still be ahead, possibly even pushing into …

November 10, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Developed International: If Not Now, When?

Since we began our investing careers, we’ve had the concept of diversification drilled into our heads. Some refer to it …

November 3, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Five Things That Might Spook Markets

With Halloween over the weekend, what better to write about this week than what scares us? If our positive near-term …

October 27, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Bullish Setup Into Year-End

The S&P 500 Index has gained more than 20% so far this year, making more than 50 record highs along …

October 20, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Q3 Earnings Preview: Less Upside

We have used most of the superlatives we know to describe corporate America’s stunning performances over the past two earnings …

October 13, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Answering the Top Debt Ceiling Questions

Last week, Congress was able to push back a fast-approaching deadline for raising the debt ceiling to December. Markets applauded …

October 6, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Early Thoughts on 2022

With the fourth quarter underway—historically the best quarter for stocks, by the way—2022 is fast approaching. While a lot can …

September 29, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

To Z or Not to Z: Why the Shape of the Recovery Still Matters

LPL Research is downgrading its 2021 U.S. GDP growth forecast from 6.25–6.75% to 5.75–6.25%. Growth is likely to come in …

September 22, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Revisiting Our 10-Year Treasury Yield Forecast

Until recently, we expected the 10-year Treasury yield to end the year between 1.75% and 2.0%. Now, however, there are …

September 15, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Policy Risks Loom But Clarity Ahead

Several policy-related risks loom in September and October that may lead to an increase in market volatility. The debt ceiling …

September 1, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Poking the Bear

First and foremost, this week’s commentary should not be construed to suggest that we are saying stocks will go up …

August 25, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Why Stagflation Isn’t In the Cards

The term stagflation has been circulating increasingly in the financial media as inflation readings have risen sharply in recent months. …

August 18, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Corporate America Does It Again

Corporate America did it again. Companies blew by estimates and made strategists and analysts look silly (though we humbly suggest …

August 11, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Covid Update: Delta Variant Market Impact

The highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 now makes up an overwhelming majority of the new cases in the U.S., …

August 4, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Five Things to Know Heading Into August

Last week was a huge news week, from the Fed, to gross domestic product (GDP), to a giant week of …

July 28, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Six Surprises So Far in 2021

2021 has been a very strong year for both stocks and the economy, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been …

July 21, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Midyear Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed

It is hard to believe we have passed the halfway point of 2021. After a 2020 that would never end, …

July 15, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

LPL Research Midyear Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed

Midyear Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed LPL Research “Midyear Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed” features LPL Research’s economic and market …

July 14, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Three Things to Watch This Earnings Season

We ran out of superlatives to describe corporate America’s stunning performance during first-quarter earnings season. Despite lofty expections, results exceeded …

June 29, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Three Things That Worry Us

LPL Research explores three things that worry us—and could make the market more susceptible to a pullback as we enter …

June 2, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Proceed With Caution in the Bond Market

Long-term interest rates have traded sideways recently, but LPL Research argues that high-quality bonds can play a pivotal role in …

May 26, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Stock Market Gains Likely To Slow

As this bull market gets a little older, the pace of stock market gains will likely slow, but a strong …

May 19, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Economy Picking Up Speed

LPL Research explains why inflation is making headlines and why investors should not be overly concerned. Read More

May 11, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Amazing Earnings Season

LPL Research raises its year-end S&P 500 Index fair value target range again in the wake of a stunning Q1 …

May 4, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Time To Sell In May?

LPL Research notes some possible reasons for a pause in the rally and why any potential pullbacks won’t last very …

April 27, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Is All The Good News Priced In?

LPL Research believes investors are appropriately optimistic, given the improving economy, the pace of vaccinations, fiscal stimulus, and surging earnings. …

April 20, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Peak Optimism?

While optimism surrounding the reopening is certainly understandable, LPL Research takes a look to see if sentiment is flashing a …

April 13, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

The Earnings Boom is Here

The outstanding fourth-quarter earnings season we had in 2020 is a tough act to follow, but 2021’s first quarter has …

April 6, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Raising Forecasts…Again

LPL Research revises previous forecasts to better reflect the growing optimism of an economy on the rebound. Read More

March 30, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Are We on the Brink of an Inflation Crisis?

LPL Research explains why any upticks in inflation will ultimately prove transitory. Read More

March 23, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

The Second Year Of The Bull Market Begins

LPL Research discuss the end of the bear market and the trends of a bull market in year two. Read …

March 16, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

March Madness: Stock Market Edition

LPL Research share their “Final Four Factors” for the stock market in 2021. Read More

March 9, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Rising Rates And Stock Market Performance

LPL Research discusses the market signals supporting the potential for stock gains in the current rising rate environment. Read More

March 2, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Here Comes The Earnings Boom

LPL Research reviews an incredible earnings season and speculates on a potentially strong earnings rebound for 2021 and beyond. Read …

February 23, 2021 | Investment Management

Sustainable Investing Year In Review

LPL Research reviews the increasing popularity of sustainable investing and how it can be a solid addition to any investor …

February 16, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

The Search For Income

LPL Research considers some unique income ideas for diversifying investor portfolios & potentially reducing interest rate risk. Read More

February 8, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Raising GDP And Stock Market Forecasts

The resiliency of the US economy continues to exceed expectations, supporting our increased forecast for growth and corporate profits in …

February 1, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Markets Shrug Off Debt Levels

US debt levels have soared during the pandemic, but the market is taking it in stride, staying focused on reopening …

January 25, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Small Caps Still Solid

Small cap stocks have outperformed large cap stocks over the last several months. They’re enjoying strong breadth and the earnings …

January 19, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Earnings Recession Is Likely Over

Fourth quarter 2020 corporate earnings season likely will be the last in this earnings recession. Earnings may grow in the …

January 11, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Market Policy Projections for 2021

Democratic control of Congress may not impact 2021 policy as much as many believe. The biggest changes may be around …

January 4, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

10 Economic Lessons from 2020

2020 was a unique year, from the longest economic expansion ever to the shortest recession on record. Stock markets are …

January 1, 2021 | Weekly Market Commentary

Outlook 2021: Powering Forward

In 2021 it’s time to restart the engines and prepare to navigate a new year with new challenges and opportunities. …

December 21, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

A New Economic Start in 2021

2020 was a tumultuous year. We likely had the shortest recession ever and began a new economic expansion. Small business …

December 14, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Stocks and Bonds Outlook for 2021

Stocks and bonds posted strong returns in 2020, and we believe this early-stage bull market may be set for more …

December 7, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

A Positive Outlook for 2021

As 2020 comes to a close and we look forward to 2021, we take a look at what we can …

November 30, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

COVID-19 May Threaten the Recovery

Increasing COVID-19 cases in Europe and the United States have brought new restrictions. The stock market doesn’t appear fazed by …

November 23, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Frothy Sentiment Rides Bullish Technicals

Corporate earnings results were surprisingly good in the third quarter, with 84% of companies beating earnings expectations. Stocks most likely …

November 17, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Q3 Results Brighten 2021 Picture

Corporate earnings results were surprisingly good in the third quarter, with 84% of companies beating earnings expectations. Stocks most likely …

November 9, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Market-Friendly Election Outcome

Equity returns have been strongest under a split Congress, a likely scenario in 2021. Big tax increases are likely off …

November 2, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Record GDP on the Eve of the Election

2020 has been a year of records, including the sharpest rebound in GDP since WWII. Plus, consumer spending rebounded mightily …

October 27, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Are the Polls Wrong Again?

As the race for the White House enters the homestretch, some indicators suggest the election may be closer than polls …

October 19, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Three Reasons We Like Small Caps

Markets have come a long way since March lows, and we see further gains ahead for stocks. We think small …

October 12, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Earnings Growth Is Approaching

Corporate America will get closer to the return of earnings growth this earnings season. Investors will need to watch for …

October 5, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Market Responses to Election Uncertainty

November presidential election results may be delayed or disputed, or both, and President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis adds to the …

September 28, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

What Technology’s Correction Means

Technology has mitigated downside during bouts of pandemic-inspired market volatility, while also posting considerable outperformance. In September, however, it has …

September 21, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Central Bank Season

The Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and Bank of Japan met in September to discuss the economy and monetary policy. …

September 14, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

The Bull Case for Stocks

Markets have been on a wild ride in September so far, with early strong days followed by one of the …

September 8, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Election Preview Part II: A Trump Second Term—Upside and Risks

In Part II of our two-part election preview series, we look at the potential market impact if President Donald Trump …

August 24, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

Election Preview Part I: A Biden Presidency—Upside and Risks

In Part 1 of a two-part election preview series, we look at the potential market impact if former Vice President …

August 17, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

5 Earnings Season Takeaways

Corporate earnings blew away expectations this quarter, with an average upside surprise of 22%. There are a number of reasons …

July 16, 2020 | Weekly Market Commentary

A Mid-Year Outlook

We are at the midpoint of 2020, and it would be an understatement to say it’s been a challenging year …