Observations — A monthly advisor-centric column that touches on a variety of current issues.

In March, U.S. equities continued their downward slide from all-time highs set in February, as all major indices sold off. The S&P 500 suffered its biggest monthly decline since December 2022, falling 5.75%.

U.S. equity markets struggled through February with major indices broadly lower amid renewed growth concerns and escalating trade policy risks. Of all the major indices, the S&P 500 fared the best, falling 1.42%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq retreated 3.97% and small caps...

U.S. equities closed January on a notably positive note after a challenging December, as a broad-based rally lifted key indices within spitting distance of all-time highs. The S&P 500 advanced by 2.70%, the Nasdaq climbed 1.64%, and the Russell 2000 recovered with...

December painted a mixed picture across U.S. financial markets with varied performance among major indices. The S&P 500 declined by 2.50%, while the small-cap Russell 2000 suffered a sharp 8.40% loss and nearly gave back all of November’s huge gains.

The momentum in stocks showed no signs of slowing down, as November delivered a strong rally across U.S. equity markets, characterized by broad participation. The S&P 500 rose 5.73%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 6.21%.

Major U.S. equity markets experienced some consolidation in October after several months of upward momentum. The S&P 500 broke a streak of five consecutive monthly gains, declining 0.99%.

In September 2024, U.S. equities continued their upward trajectory, with major indices closing the month higher, extending a strong year-to-date performance. As has been the case for much of the year, the Nasdaq led the way with a 2.68% increase, while the...

August 2024 marked another month of gains for the major U.S. indices, with the S&P 500 rising 2.28%, securing its fourth consecutive monthly advance. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite lagged, posting a modest gain of 0.65%, and small-cap stocks, as measured by the...

Beginning in July and spilling over into the first few days of August, a notable sea change has taken place throughout financial markets. We have talked and written ad nauseum about the dominance of the Magnificent 7 over the past 18 months.

Last month, strength in the market-cap weighted S&P 500 and the tech centric Nasdaq persisted with both indices logging their second straight monthly gain and fifth monthly gain since the start of the year. The S&P 500 rose 3.5%, while the Nasdaq...

The month of May marked a robust rebound in the major US equity indices, following a lackluster April. All major indices advanced with the Nasdaq leading the way, rising 6.9%.

In April, U.S. equities experienced a downturn following the robust gains seen in the first quarter. Major indices retreated from their highs, with the S&P 500 dropping 4.1%, followed by the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 falling 4.4% and 7.1%, respectively.