Key Observations The end of election season fueled a rally in the U.S. equity markets in anticipation of pro-business policies such as potential deregulation and tax cuts. The U.S. dollar appreciated, reflecting expectations of inflationary fiscal policies and potential shifts in Federal Reserve actions. The Federal Reserve and Bank of [...]

October leaves markets in the red amid an otherwise upbeat year   Key Observations Despite a Federal Reserve rate cut in September, rising inflation concerns and a cooling labor market overshadowed optimism, leading to a cautious market environment in October. While October brought challenges, year-to-date returns remain strong, highlighting underlying [...]

Achieve True Freedom by Understanding Your Financial Milestones   If you're a business owner, the pursuit of freedom likely inspired you to forge your own path. Instead of opting for a traditional corporate job with a steady salary and benefits, you chose to build something uniquely yours. However, owning a [...]

Inflation improvement and weaker economic data shift Fed sentiment Key Observations Markets were generally positive in August, despite a tough start to the month as investors wrestled with weakening economic data, geopolitical unrest and global growth. Shifting language at the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole summit indicated a renewed focus on [...]

Falling rates and softer inflation contribute to a reversal in market leadership   Key Observations Softer inflation data released in July pushed interest rates lower and market expectations for a September Fed rate cut are almost fully priced in. More rate-sensitive assets fared well. Market leadership shifted on the back [...]

A back-to-the-basics look at allocating capital efficiently Key Observations A fixation on the direction of interest rates continues to drive prices in the short term, including in May. Rates moved lower, pushing rate-sensitive asset classes ahead of their peers. However, we take this opportunity to step back from the short-term [...]

In January of 2024, a disturbing incident shook the financial world as a Hong Kong bank employee fell victim to deepfake technology, resulting in a fraudulent payout of $25 million.[1] This sophisticated deception, where AI-generated replicas of colleagues participated in a video conference, underscores the growing threat posed by AI-driven [...]

The impact of military conflict on markets   Key Observations Markets repriced in April on “higher-for-longer” rates pushing longer duration fixed income and duration sensitive equities lower. Small-cap growth stocks were hit as the two largest securities in the index declining -15% and -37% due to moderating AI spending concerns. [...]