We are very excited to announce that we have begun to transition the custody
of our clients’ assets to BNY Mellon | Pershing, as we move to being a Registered Investment Advisor. I’d like to take a moment to thank my team, particularly Ashley Buboltz, Ryan Frank, Angel Nurse and Corey Grant, for their acute focus on ensuring this transition is as simple and smooth as possible for our clients. We will soon be reaching out to you individually with next steps. Please contact your advisor if you have any questions or concerns about the transition.
Market volatility in March and April has been driven by investors’ continued concerns with (1) increasing inflation and the future of interest rates hikes; (2) the yield curve and what that means for a potential recession; and (3) the ongoing war in Ukraine. Fundamentally speaking, the market is strong. The consumer’s balance sheet and spending power remain healthy. Corporate earnings are holding up in the first quarter and analysts expect earnings to keep growing in 2022, despite increased costs from high inflation and continued supply chain issues. How inflation and tightening monetary policy, the shape of the yield curve and the Ukraine war play out will ultimately influence how the market performs in 2022.
As always, we keep a close eye on the markets and tactically adjust our strategies and allocations. We are cautiously optimistic in the near-to-intermediate-term, anticipating returns that are roughly flat for the year. Later next year, in the third quarter of 2023 and into 2024, we believe there could be a recession similar in scale to the brief recession we experienced in 1990. That being said, we have positive conviction in the equity markets and recommend to our clients to stay the course.
As always, please contact our office if you have any questions or if we may be of help in any way. It is our privilege to be of service to you and your family.
YES, IT IS CONFUSING…
There is no question that this is an unprecedented time in our history for families, employers, employees, health care providers, travel agents and the markets. Time will tell the long-term implications of the COVID-19 global pandemic. In the short-term, we are already seeing the effects that this pandemic is having on our economy and our markets, namely through increased market volatility, higher inflation and supply chain disruptions. Historically, the markets strive to price in the worst possible outcome as quickly as possible and then move on. The S&P dropped 13% at its low in March 2022 and the NASDAQ entered “bear market” territory by dropping 22% from its peak. From our vantage point, the market is attempting to price in the negatives and reach a more stable ground…
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