Last week’s important economic updates centered around consumer confidence, personal income and spending, and durable goods orders reports. Personal spending growth increased more than expected in January, echoing a similar, better-than-expected rebound in retail sales growth during the month. This will be another busy week of updates, with a focus on business confidence and the February employment report.
News
Could Some Sectors Benefit from Inflation?
Recent equity market volatility is being partially attributed to potential Fed tightening, as the Fed has signaled a shift from an accommodative monetary policy stance to one that is more restrictive. It is doing so in response to the recent hot inflation reads and a rebound in inflation expectations. In general, equities are considered a hedge against inflation. Why, then, are equity investors so concerned? The reason is that not all equity sectors are created alike. Specifically, some can combat inflation and subsequent interest rate increases better than others.
What Does the Ukraine Invasion Mean for Investors’ Portfolios?
The next phase in the Ukraine crisis has begun, as Russia has launched attacks on Ukraine. With a war underway, it’s unsurprising that the markets are reacting. Before the market opened, U.S. stock futures were down between 2 1/2 percent and 3 1/2 percent, while gold was up by roughly the same amount. The yield on 10-Year U.S. Treasury securities has dropped sharply. International markets were down even more than the U.S. markets, as investors fled to the more comfortable haven of U.S. securities.
What Does the Russia-Ukraine Crisis Mean for Investors?
I have been holding off on commenting on the Russia-Ukraine conflict until some sort of resolution occurred. Lots of things could have happened, and we could drive ourselves crazy worrying about the possibilities. But now something has happened, and it is time to take a look.
Monday Update: Omicron Economic Impact Less Than Feared
Last week was full of important economic updates, many of which showed that the economic impact from the Omicron variant was relatively muted compared to earlier waves of the pandemic. The January retail sales report was a highlight, as sales growth experienced its best month since last March. This will be a quieter week for reports, with only three major releases scheduled that will provide updates on consumer confidence, personal income and spending, and durable goods orders.
More Stock Market Turbulence: Could It Get Worse?
Yesterday was another bad one for the market, with the S&P 500 down more than 2 percent. The S&P as a whole is now down more than 8 percent from the peak, with the Dow down about 5 percent, and the Nasdaq down more than 13 percent as of this writing. What is going on—and will it get worse?
Olivia has joined Riverstone Wealth Partners providing knowledge gained from her 15 plus years in management. Olivia has provided services within the financial industry, mortgage industry, and in the non-profit sector. Olivia thrives on providing stellar customer service, accomplishing all goals set before her, and doing the right thing. Olivia’s degree in Business Management allowed her to take on roles that ultimately led her to Riverstone Wealth Partners. Olivia is currently pursuing another degree with an emphasizes in Human Resources, which she has learned over time… is her passion!
Director of Operations
Ashley has been working in the customer service field since she started her first job at age 16. For the past ten years she worked in an office setting handling accounts payable and receivable as well as some receptionist work. She is very excited to learn more about the investment field.
Alec joined Riverstone after starting out his post college career on the operations side of an international logistics company working as an account executive. Graduating with a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he quickly developed a strong interest in the financial world. A lifetime resident of the Chicagoland area, Alec is an avid fan of his hometown sports teams. He is also an enthusiast of outdoor activities like fishing, camping, and hiking whenever possible.
Carol has a wide variety of experiences and has worked mainly with not-for-profit organizations. She spent 20 years in fundraising and 15 years teaching in the Illinois school system while she raised her younger children. Carol lives in Sugar Grove with her husband, Ron, and their Golden Retriever, Charley. She has four children and two grandchildren. When she’s not working, Carol enjoys spending time with friends and family, running, fishing, bible study, and watching her grandchildren play sports.
Wealth Advisor
Wealth Advisor / Registered Principal
Wealth Advisor
Wealth Advisor / Registered Principal
Wealth Advisor
Wealth Advisor Assistant
Registered Relationship Assistant