Just when we were feeling a bit better about the prospects for the future, we were hit by the inflation reading above expectations. The release has solidified the consensus that the Fed is not done and that we will have at least another 75 basis points tightening. Why...

Turbid Waters Perhaps you are out on the water and cannot see the bottom clearly. It feels like we are encountering similar circumstances when considering the market. The bottom of the market is opaque, and we have a keen need to stay invested simultaneously. Equities...

Reality Check I do not believe that any financial professionals were even close to predicting the employment gain of 528,000 today. Also, the unemployment rate edged down to a very low 3.5%. There remains a very high level of job openings. Is this an economy that is...

Mid-year and Mid-term Pressures It has become especially clear that the mid-term implications are beginning to become more critical to what will unfold in the weeks ahead. The push for more reforms and more funding from the Democratic side of the Congress has largely...

Finding Positives in a Down Market Before we head out to the fireworks, I always find it helpful to take the step back and to reassess. No one is debating that it has been an incredibly challenging year for municipals. The outflows from the mutual funds have resumed...

Smart Cities Progress I had the pleasure during my Columbia reunion to hear a lecture by Professor Smyth and colleagues in the Engineering School on the developments in the quest for Smart Cities technology. It was quite refreshing to be hearing about a positive in...

Uneasy Times The employment read released today was at +390,000 employed and the unemployment rate was unchanged. Despite the strong reading, albeit it was under 400,000, equities traded off and rates were trending moderately higher. Some of the other surrounding...

Modicum of Relief The tone this week has changed radically from the negativity that prevailed last week. A couple of notables have been weighing in that the economy is not broken and in fact it is continuing to perform well. Wages are up and many jobs continue to go...

The confidence in financial markets has long ago evaporated at this point. Collectively we are attempting to find our way, but there are many obstacles. The major market indices continue to find fresh lows. M&A deals that were easy to accomplish in the...