Our Blog

Market Commentary

August 2021 Financial Markets Commentary

  Now that the Olympics have wrapped up, it created an incredible opportunity for the country to come together as one no matter the political affiliation and be proud to be an American.  These elite athletes have dedicated countless days, weeks and years to their sports to be able to compete on the global stage,…

Market Commentary

Behavioral Finance: Home Country Bias

Behavioral Finance: Home Country Bias It was last June when we wrote about a few behavioral finance topics. While markets aren’t as volatile as they were 12 months ago, and headlines surrounding the stock market may not be as divisive, we thought it would be helpful to review some investing basics through the lens of…

Market Commentary

Market Predictions

Market Predictions “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.”  – John Kenneth Galbraith, Economist   The 2021 Market predictions are in, and they’re probably wrong.   Every year, the top investment banks, research institutions, and market analysts make their predictions on where the S&P 500 (stock market) will close the…

Market Commentary

Diversification: U.S. vs. International Stocks

Diversification: U.S. vs. International Stocks In the midst of the current market turbulence, many of our clients are paying more attention to financial markets and their investment portfolios than they otherwise typically might.  Rather than allowing headlines to influence our emotions, at PDS Planning we rely upon longer-term data and historical context to put the…

Market Commentary

Diversification: Stocks & Bonds

Diversification: Stocks & Bonds In the midst of the current market turbulence, many of our clients are paying more attention to financial markets and their investment portfolios than they otherwise typically might.  Rather than allowing headlines to influence our emotions, at PDS Planning we rely upon longer-term data and historical context to put the current…

Market Commentary

April 2020 Financial Markets Commentary

  April 2020 Financial Markets Summary The first quarter was a tale of two halves for both the markets and our daily lives.  In the markets, the first month and a half started well with 2-5% gains across most asset classes.  Investors’ biggest concerns seemed to be the trade tensions with China, slowing global growth,…

Market Commentary

July 2019 Financial Markets Commentary

  July 2019 Financial Markets Summary Happy Independence Day!  As we turn the page to the second half of 2019, we pause to review a few facts about the 4th of July holiday. When John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776, there were only an estimated 2.5…

Market Commentary

March 2019 Financial Markets Commentary

  March 2019 Financial Markets Summary March is the pinnacle of the year for basketball fans with the annual March Madness NCAA Tournament.  Brackets are built, buzzer beater shots are made, Cinderella teams advance deep into the tournament and the National Champion is crowned.  But how does this relate to investing and capital markets? Each…

Market Commentary

September 2018 Financial Markets Commentary

  September 2018 Financial Markets Summary We just surpassed a major milestone for the domestic stock market!  This current bull market is now the longest in history, depending on who you ask.  Bull markets generally occur when the stock market realizes a 20% or more gain without a corresponding 20% loss.  Bear markets, on the…

Market Commentary

October 2017 Financial Markets Commentary

October 2017 Financial Markets Summary The third quarter has been far from quiet with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, increased tensions with North Korea, the German election and the Equifax data breach.  However, global stock markets have been very resilient to these events and continue climbing higher.  International stocks led the way for the quarter with…

Market Commentary

May 2017 Financial Markets Commentary

May 2017 Financial Markets Summary More uncertainty, more growth, more record highs and more risk: the reigning market theme today seemingly is one of quantity – more of virtually everything, as recently suggested by Goldman Sachs. “Investors in recent months have faced a blitz of new U.S. policy initiatives whose contours are largely unknown but…

Market Commentary

Investing in a Trump World – Rule #1

When I look at social media these days, I cannot tell if the world is coming to an end, or if we are about to embark on our nation’s greatest moment. For the first time in our history, a presidential transition was followed step-by-step on social media, and the reaction is frightening. Consider that only…

Don’t Pay More Simply Because You Have More Money.