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2022 was a challenging year for international investors from a portfolio valuation perspective as well as for those who needed to or were forced to sell positions during the year. Both stocks and bonds declined appreciably in value as the combination of unprecedented interest rate...

The U.S. Federal Reserve's (Fed) policy setting committee boosted its benchmark rate (fed funds rate) by 75 basis points (bps) or 0.75% on Wednesday, September 21^st. That was the third consecutive increase of such magnitude, and it brought the target range for the federal funds rate to 3.0...

Today we provide a market recap for investors who are patiently assessing the financial markets and trying to decide when and what to buy. This information will help direct you to pockets of opportunities and provide context for future market moves. Staying liquid is an important tenet of...

A few weeks ago, we looked at the effect of the Russia-Ukraine war (and other factors) on interest rates and market volatility. As the war continues, sanctions have been imposed and governments now have to decide how to move forward. Since then, actions have been taken by various...

Bond prices (like equities) have declined appreciably in 2022 so far in response to sharp increases in interest rates as central banks, particularly the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (Fed), deploy “artillery” to wage war against inflation which has been exacerbated by the ongoing Russia...

With the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) chairman, Jerome Powell, signaling a faster pace of tapering or reduction of monthly bond purchases (liquidity support) ahead of Wednesday’s FOMC meeting, in response to hotter than expected inflation, market watchers and investors anxiously awaited...

This week’s article answers some of the questions we have been asked about the CoronaVirus and its impact on your investment portfolio.

How have markets reacted to the virus?

Stocks initially declined dramatically on the spread of the coronavirus. Riskier bonds declined in price...

Asset prices declined: This past week, we observed a broad-based decline in asset prices - both bonds and stocks experienced sell-offs. Any observed asset price increases were likely the result of positive firm specific events or news. What is to blame for the decline in prices? When is a...

It was a little over a year ago on Sunday March 12, 2017 that a colleague of mine, Eugene Stanley, wrote an article titled, “Barbados – A classic case of a falling angel”. The writing was on the wall from then and here we are today. In a surprisingly aggressive start to her career as Prime...

US Economy:

The Federal Reserve (Fed) raised interest rates 3 times in 2017, each time adding 25 basis points to the lower and upper end of the range. As at December 13, 2017, the Fed’s benchmark interest rate range was 1.25% to 1.5%. The Fed has projected 3 rate hikes in 2018 while...