Rearview to Windshield, February 2023

January ‘23 Market Recap: The “January Effect” was in full order this past month. The worst performing sectors in 2022 led last month: Consumer Discretionary (+15%) and Communication Services (+14%). Meanwhile, defensive Utilities (-2%) and Staples (-1%) were the only...

Post-FOMC, February 2023

As expected, the Fed hiked 25bps to the 4.5%-4.75% range, the eighth hike in a year.  The markets experienced a pretty large rally following the FOMC meeting & presser. Stocks moved higher and yields lower as Powell continued to believe a soft landing was very...

Aptus Musings: Q4 2022 Earnings Preview

It’s showtime baby! As many of y’all are aware, Q4 earnings season tends to be a bit longer than the others, as it takes a little while longer for companies to close the books on their year-end. We expect earnings to take the center stage going forward, where...

Aptus Musings: The Beginning of ’23

Stocks have rallied to start 2023 and the biggest reason for the early gains is that investors are interpreting further declines in inflation, slowing economic growth, and less-hawkish Fed rhetoric as increasing the chances for an economic “soft landing.” For...