The first half of 2020 was a real doozy. After a gut-wrenching freefall into the fastest bear market decline in history in the first quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, the stock market seemed to defy logic by turning on a dime and delivering one of the strongest rallies in nearly 100 years from its…
A careful reading of Pinnacle’s fourth quarter investment review will find no mention of a pandemic that would, within a matter of weeks, create the conditions for a global recession. The necessary closing of economies around the world has resulted in the first ever recession by proclamation, where market participants everywhere and at the same…
Whew, what a difference a year makes. The final quarter of the decade proved to be very different than the nerve-wracking ending of 2018, with risk assets enjoying a strong rally into the end of the year. U.S. stocks soared by almost 9% in the final months of 2019, putting the finishing touches on the…
After an impressive move higher during the first half of 2019, risk assets saw little movement to the upside in the third quarter. The S&P 500 did reach a record high of 3,025 on July 26th, only to slide back six percent over the following six trading days as, once again, investors had to digest…
The second quarter of 2019 brought more gains for investors, with the S&P 500 Index hitting a new record high of 2,954 on June 20th in the process. While impressive, in order to get there, market participants had to endure yet another bout of volatility, including a swift correction in May. Developed international stocks also…
During the first quarter of 2019, markets staged an unexpectedly scorching bounce-back from a tough end of the year in 2018, and in the process, washed away investor fears that had built during the back half of 2018. Domestic and international stocks led the charge with double digit returns; commodities and corporate bonds had a…
The fourth quarter of 2018 did not usher in the typical year-end rally that investors have come to expect in recent years. Global equity markets got off to a weak start, failed to recover, and ultimately plummeted, as weak business indicators collided with perceived governmental policy risks with respect to the Federal Reserve. Commodity markets…
The beginning of the first quarter was serene and pleasurable, as equity markets levitated on the back of increasing earnings expectations and solid world economic underpinnings. But the market euphoria didn’t last long. February saw volatility awaken from its slumber with a jolt, kicking off a long-anticipated correction that reminded investors there is never a…
On Saturday, March 17, 2018, Pinnacle Advisory Group’s investment team offered their thoughts on the market, outlined upcoming investment trends and wealth preservation strategies, and explained our approach to risk management. Here’s what they covered: 0:00 – Ken Solow: Volatility and Risk 20:56 – Rick Vollaro: A Time of Gradual Transition 39:08 – Sauro Locatelli:…
After a solid third quarter, investors began to wonder just how long the market could run without a healthy pullback. But those bracing for a market correction got caught flat footed as markets found a way to keep powering ahead in the fourth quarter. Domestic equity markets surged in anticipation of tax relief, emerging markets…
