If you own mutual funds in a taxable account, you probably know about capital gains which get reported on your tax return. During tax season I always have a few clients that complain about having to pay tax on the capital gains when they didn't even sell the fund AND they lost money during the [...]
A look back at 2017 thus far Presented by Carla Merlak The year in brief. Investors have had much to celebrate in 2017. Halfway through November, the S&P 500 had gained more than 15% since the start of the year; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up more than 18% year-to-date; the Nasdaq Composite, more [...]
Enjoy the Rally, But Prepare for the Retreat Investors may be lulled into a false sense of security by this market. Provided by Carla Merlak Will the current bull market run for another year? How about another two or three years? Some investors will confidently say “yes” to both questions. Optimism abounds on Wall Street: [...]
The markets marched ahead last week with the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ reporting all-time records, albeit just slightly above previous highs.[i] The S&P rose 1.43% over last week, while the NASDAQ was up 2.08%.[ii] The Dow gained 1.32% and the MSCI EAFE gained 0.14% for the week.[iii] Volatility subsided as the CBOE Volatility Index, [...]
After a brief pause during inauguration week, stocks continued to climb last week. The S&P 500 added 1.03%, the NASDAQ was up 1.90%, and the MSCI EAFE increased by 1.29%.[i] The Dow also grew, adding 1.34%, ending the week above while hitting 20,000 for the first time ever.[ii] Consumer confidence matched this positive performance, [...]
As we look back on markets last week, we see mixed results, with none of the major domestic indexes gaining or losing more than 1%.[1] The S&P 500 was down 0.10% for the week, and the Dow gave back 0.39%, once again failing to reach 20,000.[2] On the other hand, the NASDAQ increased by 0.96% [...]
Last week was mixed for the markets, as the Dow increased by 0.44%, while the S&P 500 lost 0.06%, the NASDAQ dropped 0.13%, and the MSCI EAFE gave back 0.55%.[1] We also saw a variety of data released, giving a similarly mixed view of recent economic activity. Retail sales and the Consumer Price Index showed [...]
For the second straight week, the major domestic indexes all ended in positive territory: The S&P 500 was up 0.81%, the Dow increased 0.11%, and the NASDAQ added 1.61%.[1] While American indexes performed well, MSCI EAFE’s international equities declined 1.58%.[2] With the long, drawn-out presidential election behind us, investors are beginning to look past politics [...]
Last Tuesday, many Americans watched in great surprise as Donald Trump won our presidential election. Just that day, the New York Times had placed Hillary Clinton’s odds of winning at 85%,[1] based on a range of state and national polls. But, like the Brexit vote this past June, 2016 seems to be the year of [...]
We’re in the middle of an interesting moment for the markets, where short-term volatility and uncertainty might lead you to believe that the economy is faltering. After all, the major stock indexes lost ground this week, with the S&P 500 losing 1.94%, the Dow dropping 1.50%, the NASDAQ dipping 2.77%, and the MSCI EAFE declining [...]
