Stock returns get all the headlines, and with US equities entering their first bear market since 2008, there is good reason for that. However, fixed income may account for a significant portion, or even a majority, of many investors’ portfolios, making bond returns just as important for those investors.While we believe stock returns can offer […]
Category: Blog
April is Financial Literacy Month
Too many people just don’t have it, but your financial professional can help April is National Financial Literacy Month – an entire month dedicated to underscoring the importance of learning, establishing and maintaining healthy financial habits. But ask yourself this: what have you learned about anything financial lately? Do most of your neighbors keep a […]
Big Annual Declines Are Rare
Stocks have rallied nicely off the March 23 lows on the back of a bold policy response from the Federal Reserve (Fed) and lawmakers in Washington, DC, which was followed by signs that a peak in growth of COVID-19 cases may come soon. At Wednesday’s close, the S&P 500 Index stood 19% above the March […]
Jobless Claims See a Second Giant Surge
More than 6 million people filed new claims for unemployment in the week ending March 28. It’s hard to capture what a number like that means. Last week’s 3.3 million new claims was already almost five times the previous high of 695,000, reached in 1982. Economists’ consensus for this morning’s number was 3.8 million, which […]
Road to Recovery Playbook Factor #1: COVID-19 Case Update
Factor #1 in our Road to Recovery Playbook is finding confidence in the peak of COVID-19 cases in the United States. At LPL Research we are monitoring this factor daily, and we wanted to provide an update into what we are seeing. As shown in the LPL Chart of the Day, while the number of […]
What Is in the $2 Trillion Relief Package?
The United States has more cases of the coronavirus than any other country, and in an attempt to stop the spread of this disease, states have closed schools and businesses throughout the country. These unprecedented shutdowns have pushed many people out of work, hurt businesses, and brought much of the economy to a screeching halt. […]
Market Update
Stocks trying to add to huge gains. Futures are indicating a flat to slightly positive open as stocks attempt to add to historic gains from Tuesday on optimism surrounding eventual passage of the fiscal stimulus plan in the Senate. The Dow had its fifth best day ever, up 11.4%, which ranked as its best day since March 1933. It is important […]
Stocks Approach 2009 Valuations vs. Bonds
We rolled out our Road to Recovery Playbook at the start of the week to help investors gauge where the market is in its bottoming process. The first and most important piece of that playbook—visibility into a peak in new COVID-19 cases—remains elusive, but we hope to have a clearer picture with the next couple of weeks […]
How Quickly Can Stocks Recover From COVID-19?
The market volatility continues, as the S&P 500 Index has closed either up or down 4% or more for a record 7 consecutive days. With the S&P 500 Index down 30% from the highs, it has officially moved into a bear market. Yesterday, we took a look at how stocks did after the lows of major […]
Put Savings (and Yourself) First with a Budget
Americans, it seems, are spenders. Personal savings rates are low and many people spend beyond their means. If you’re among those Americans who can’t seem to save, it might be time to create a budget. A budget allows you to understand where the money goes and may help you free up cash for important savings […]