Weekly Market Commentary -3/25/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a hectic week for investors as US financial markets tried to post a second consecutive week of gains. Geopolitics continued to influence market action. President Biden traveled to Europe to meet with NATO...

Weekly Market Commentary -3/18/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Global financial markets registered significant gains for the week. Investors continued to watch for any progress on negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Central bank policy came in as expected, which helped...

Weekly Market Commentary -3/11/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Investors started the week facing $130 a barrel crude as the US announced an embargo on Russian oil.  Europe also announced that they would begin to taper their dependence on Russian energy, albeit a process...

Weekly Market Commentary -3/4/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets continued to be volatile as investors assessed the ramifications of the ongoing war in Ukraine.  International sanctions roiled the Russian ruble and kept the Russian equity markets closed. ...

Weekly Market Commentary -2/25/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The uncertainty of the ramifications of a Russian-induced war led to massive swings in the global financial markets. Generally speaking, markets do not like uncertainty. While Russia’s move into Ukraine was well...

Weekly Market Commentary -2/18/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Global financial markets traded lower for the week as Russian-Ukraine tensions dominated headlines. The Federal Reserve’s policy rate path continued to be debated off the back of another hot inflation print of...

Weekly Market Commentary -2/11/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets struggled to gain any footing as concerns regarding record inflation along with worries about an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine kept a lid on investor sentiment. Fourth-quarter earnings...

Weekly Market Commentary -2/4/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Global markets continued to be volatile but managed to post nice gains in the first week of February. Month-end rebalancing coupled with oversold conditions helped the S&P 500 maintain support at its 200 day...

Weekly Market Commentary - 1/28/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA A hectic week on Wall Street featured the Federal Open Market Committee meeting statement, more fourth-quarter corporate earnings reports, and increased geopolitical tensions with Russia. The Federal Reserve...

Weekly Market Commentary - 1/21/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was another brutal week for investors as global markets continued to sell-off. Concerns regarding the path of global central bank policy and a lackluster start of fourth-quarter earnings weighed on...

Weekly Market Commentary - 1/14/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets fell across the board as investors got a full dose of Federal Reserve rhetoric and were underwhelmed by the start of fourth-quarter earnings. The S&P 500 was also unable to bounce off...

Weekly Market Commentary - 1/7/2022 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets fell in the first week of 2022 after the S&P 500 hit an all-time high on Monday. The release of the December Federal Open Market Committee minutes revealed a much more hawkish Fed. It...

Weekly Market Commentary - 12/31/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial market action in the final week of the year was relatively muted.  A mild Santa Clause rally did ensue as seasonal factors such as rebalancing and window dressing kicked in.  Investors got a full...

Weekly Market Commentary - 12/23/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week produced another all-time high for the S&P 500 as investors looked past the ramifications of the Omicron variant and bought last week’s market dip.  Technically, the S&P 500...

-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets fell across the board as global central banks moved to decrease their quantitative easing initiatives.  In the US, the Federal Reserve announced that it would double the pace of its taper to $30 billion a month and conclude its...

Weekly Market Commentary - 12/10/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets rebounded nicely over the week as fears of the Omicron variant subsided.  It appears the variant, while more contagious, is less severe.  Sentiment was also bolstered by Pfizer’s preliminary...

Weekly Market Commentary - 12/3/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets continued to be volatile in the first week of December.  Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen struck a more hawkish tone during their semiannual testimony in front of Congress....

Weekly Market Commentary - 11/26/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week turned into a wild ride for investors as a new variant of Covid upended the reflation trade, which sent volatility through the roof.  The new variant called Omicron was first...

Weekly Market Commentary - 11/19/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets ended the week mixed.  Mega-cap Growth stocks pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to another set of all-time highs while cyclical issues and small caps lagged, hindering the Dow and Russell...

Weekly Market Commentary - 11/12/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets fell from record-high levels as increases in inflation continued to weigh on investor sentiment.  The tape was full of corporate news highlighted by the break-ups of General Electric and...

Weekly Market Commentary - 11/5/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Wow-what a week on Wall Street!  US equity indices hit another set of all-time closing highs. Market sentiment was bolstered on several different fronts.  3rd quarter corporate earnings continued to impress,...

Weekly Market Commentary - 10/29/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Wall Street faced a deluge of corporate earnings in the final week of October.  Generally, reports were better than expected but tempered by management concerns related to the current state of the global...

Weekly Market Commentary - 10/22/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets rallied throughout most of the week, with the S&P 500 touching a new intraday high and the Dow closing at a new all-time high.  Corporate earnings dominated the headlines and were, for...

Weekly Market Commentary - 10/15/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets rallied across the board on a solid start to the 3rd quarter corporate earnings season.  The Consumer Discretionary sector led gains with a 3.6% advance off of much better than expected...

Weekly Market Commentary - 10/15/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets rallied across the board on a solid start to the 3rd quarter corporate earnings season.  The Consumer Discretionary sector led gains with a 3.6% advance off of much better than expected...

Weekly Market Commentary - 10/8/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets started the week lower but were able to recover losses and make slight gains by the end of the week.  Concerns regarding the debt ceiling, the static state of the infrastructure bill, raw materials...

Weekly Market Commentary - 10/1/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets took a step back in the final week of the third quarter.  Increased inflation expectations pushed US Treasury yields higher, which induced valuation concerns on large-cap growth stocks. Rising...

Weekly Market Commentary - 9/24/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets had a rollercoaster ride over the week that started on fears that one of China’s largest land developers would default on their debt which stoked rhetoric of a systematic breakdown in the...

Weekly Market Commentary - 9/17/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets endured another week of losses that ended with the S&P 500 closing below its 50-day moving average on a quadruple witch expiration.  Although investors were treated to better than...

Weekly Market Commentary - 9/10/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week produced negative returns across the board for US equity indices.  The month of September has historically been a tough month for equities, and given the outsized moves we have seen...

Weekly Market Commentary - 9/3/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Mega-cap technology issues pushed markets to another set of all-time highs in front of the Labor Day weekend holiday as traders rotated out of issues tied to the reflation trade.  Ironically, growth issues...

Weekly Market Commentary - 8/27/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a hectic news week. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ hit a set of new all-time highs as Wall Street and global central banks focused on Federal Reserve rhetoric from the virtual economic symposium at Jackson...

Weekly Market Commentary - 8/20/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets fell from their recent all-time highs on fears that economic growth could falter.  Traders rotated out of the reflation trade as Covid infection rates increased and the efficacy of our...

Weekly Market Commentary - 8/13/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 and the Dow inked new all-time highs as the Financials, Materials, and Consumer Staples did well over the week.  Energy and Small Caps lagged.  The Senate passed the 1.2 trillion dollar...

Weekly Market Commentary - 8/6/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity indices forged new all-time highs on the back of an impressive Employment Situation Report and an upward S&P 500 price target revision by investment bank Goldman Sachs.  However, the US Treasury...

Weekly Market Commentary - 7/30/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a hectic week on Wall Street as second-quarter earnings continued to roll in with mixed results.  Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Google, which are very influential on the indices, generally sold...

Weekly Market Commentary - 7/23/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financial markets started the week off much as it had ended the prior week, in the red.  A continuation of the peak growth narrative catalyzed further by increased Covid infection rates stemming from the...

Weekly Market Commentary - 7/16/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Despite hitting another set of all-time highs, US financial markets ended the week lower.  2nd quarter earnings kicked off with better than expected results from the financials; however, banks shares generally...

Weekly Market Commentary - 7/9/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The holiday-shortened week produced significant swings in the equity and fixed income markets as investors continued to contemplate where we are in the economic cycle.  The peak growth narrative appeared early...

Weekly Market Commentary - 7/2/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Economic data for the week was headlined by the Employment Situation Report that resulted in mixed results. The S&P 500, the Dow, and the NASDAQ forged another set of all-time highs while the Russell 2000...

Weekly Market Commentary - 6/25/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Financials markets bounced back from last week’s sell-off as buy the dip buyers stepped in and pushed the S&P 500 above its 50-day moving average.  Comments for Fed Chairman J. Powell, who was testifying...

-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity indices fell across the board for the week on a more hawkish than expected statement from the Federal Reserve's Open Market committee meeting.  In the Q&A after the release of the FOMC statement, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell provided a...

Weekly Market Commentary - 6/11/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 hit all-time highs on the week in very tight market action.  Cyclicals and US Treasury yields fell throughout the week on the notion that the economy has seen peak growth and peak inflation...

Weekly Market Commentary - 5/28/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets moved higher throughout the week as the inflation debate continued on Wall Street. A full economic calendar was headlined by the PCE Price Index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of...

Weekly Market Commentary - 5/21/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The financial markets were in consolidation mode as a volatile risk-off trade in cryptocurrencies exacerbated concerns about inflation and valuations.  A sell-off in commodities curbed investors' appetite for...

Weekly Market Commentary - 5/14/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a volatile week on Wall Street that saw the major US equity indices fall across the board.  Inflation fears were stoked by a hot Consumer Price Index reading and surging gas prices caused by a ransomware...

Weekly Market Commentary - 5/7/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity indices finished the week mixed as a strong rotational trade into cyclicals and out of high growth technology issues reappeared.  The S&P 500 and Dow forged new all-time highs as the tech-heavy...

Weekly Market Commentary - 4/30/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a hectic week on Wall Street highlighted by large-cap technology Q1 earnings, the April Federal Reserve Open Market Committee, and a busy economic data calendar.  Trading was mixed throughout the week...

-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets finished mixed on the week as Q1 earnings continued to surprise to the upside.  Markets pulled back sharply on Thursday on reports that the Biden administration will propose increasing the capital gains tax, and economic data...

-Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity indices hit another set of all-time highs in what was a very busy week on Wall Street.  First-quarter earnings season kicked off, with US Banks showing impressive results.  Markets were well bid throughout the week and moved higher...

-Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets continued to rally, but the advance came on quiet trading volume. Robust economic data coupled with a solid economic outlook from JP Morgan’s CEO Jamie Diamond catalyzed buying.  First-quarter earnings start in earnest in the coming week,...

Weekly Market Commentary - 3/26/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a mixed week on Wall Street that saw continued quarter-end rebalancing that supported pro-cyclical issues and hindered mega-cap growth issues.  For the week, the S&P 500 gained 1.6%, the Dow added...

Weekly Market Commentary - 3/19/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was a hectic week on Wall Street that saw the major US equity indices fall as interest rates continued to rise.  All eyes were on the Federal Reserve's two-day FOMC meeting that concluded on Wednesday with a...

Weekly Market Commentary - 3/12/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500, Dow, and Russell 2000 equity indices made fresh all-time highs for the week while the NASDAQ rebounded from its sell-off over the last couple of weeks.  President Biden signed the 1.9 trillion...

Weekly Market Commentary - 3/5/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets finished the week with mixed results as another spike in interest rates induced a sharp sell-off in growth stocks.  Inflation concerns were heightened on commentary from Federal Reserve...

Weekly Market Commentary 2/26/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA A continued steepening of the yield curve induced selling of all asset classes throughout the week.  Economic growth expectations have stoked inflation fears, sending the 10-year note yield fifty-two basis points...

Weekly Market Commentary 2/19/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets sold off a bit last week in a rotational trade into pro-cyclical sectors and out of growth stocks.  Fourth-quarter earnings continued to come in better than expected while economic data for the week was...

Weekly Market Commentary 2/12/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets rallied to all-time highs on continued positive sentiment surrounding the reopening of global economies and on the fear of missing out on further gains.  Markets opened the week on a strong note with...

Weekly Market Commentary 2/5/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets rebounded strongly in the first week of February.  Fourth-quarter earnings continued to beat expectations, vaccines continued to go into arms, and economic data continued to be mixed, which fostered more...

Weekly Market Commentary 1/29/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets sold off in volatile trade as retail investors wreaked havoc in heavily shorted companies.  The fourth-quarter earnings season continued to produce better than expected results, although it appears stock...

Weekly Market Commentary 1/22/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The mega-cap technology issues led markets to another set of all-times as cyclicals took a step back after being red hot for the last several weeks.  Fourth-quarter earnings continued to roll out with mixed...

Weekly Market Commentary 1/15/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets gave up a bit of ground last week as fourth-quarter earnings season kicked off and President-Elect Biden laid out his 1.9 trillion dollars economic stimulus plan.  Economic data was mixed but painted a...

Weekly Market Commentary 1/8/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Wow-what a way to start 2021.  US equity averages hit another set of all-time highs despite Washington's political turmoil and a Democratic sweep in the Georgia Senate runoff elections.  Economic data continued to...

Weekly Market Commentary 1/1/2021 -Darren Leavitt, CFA The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial average’s set new all-time highs in the holiday-shortened week.  Another tranche of stimulus passed by Congress and signed by the President catalyzed markets higher early...

Weekly Market Commentary 12/25/2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets were mixed in a holiday-shortened week. Corporate news was limited but influenced individual issues while trade was relatively subdued.    Investors continued to focus on Washington...

Weekly Market Commentary 12/18/2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Choppy trade action throughout the week led US stock indices to another set of all-time highs. Coronavirus stimulus package negotiations dominated headlines while the December Federal Reserve meeting affirmed...

Weekly Market Commentary 12/11/2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Market action was mixed for the week.  Hope for another tranche of stimulus and positive news on a coronavirus vaccine's progress aided market sentiment early in the week.  However, COVID-19 infection rates...

Weekly Market Commentary 12/4/2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US equity markets hit another set of all-time highs last week.  Positive price momentum carried over from a strong November into the start of December, and more positive news on Covid-19 vaccines coupled with the...

Weekly Market Commentary 11/27/2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US financial markets hit all-time highs during the week, with the Dow surpassing the 30,000 mark for the first time.  If markets can hold on to gains in Monday’s trading session, it will become the best November...

Weekly Market Commentary 11/20/2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets were mixed last week.  Cyclicals continued to outperform on news that Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccine trials have shown excellent results.  3rd quarter earnings continued with better than...

Weekly Market Commentary 11/13/2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets rallied to all-time highs on news that Pfizer and BioNTech have a 90% effective Covid-19 vaccine.  The news induced a robust rotation trade out of Mega-cap Technology shares into value-oriented...

Weekly Market Commentary 11/6/2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA It was an extremely busy week on Wall Street.  The election results were top of mind for investors, and given the current expected outcome gave investors reason to buy risk assets.  The Federal Reserve Open...

October 30th, 2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets sold off in what was a hectic week.  The earnings and economic calendar were stacked.  Coronavirus infection rates ticked higher and induced lockdown measures in France, Germany, and the UK, which hindered sentiment. ...

October 23rd, 2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets traded sideways for much of the week as investors continued to watch Washington fail to negotiate another tranche of stimulus.  3rd quarter earnings continued to roll-out with results coming in mixed.   The familiar...

October 16th, 2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA US Market averages were little changed for the week.  The beginning of 3rd quarter earnings started with ho-hum results from the financials, some transports also missed the mark, and a high flying cloud computing company,...

October 9th, 2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Markets extended their rally last week on optimism around another tranche of stimulus.  Value-oriented small-cap cyclicals were in favor and sent the Russell 2000 up 6.4% for the week.  The S&P 500 gained 3.8%, the Dow was...

October 2nd, 2020 -Darren Leavitt, CFA Financial markets rallied last week, putting an end to four straight weeks of losses.  Investor optimism was stoked early in the week on news that the Administration and Democrats were working on a fiscal stimulus compromise. ...

September 28th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Volatile Markets Continue as We Approach an All-Important Earnings Season U.S. equity indexes continue to experience heightened volatility. This has been the case for much of September and should come as no...

September 21st, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group A Necessary Dose of Reality Equity markets resumed selling after the Federal Reserve meeting last Wednesday. The 50-day moving average on the S&P 500 was promptly broken, and closed well beneath that important...

September 14th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Volatile Markets and Wildfires Continue, But Not All News is Bad Markets continue to be volatile this week as investors try to determine whether we have come too far too fast off the March lows. The good news is...

September 8th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Stocks Enter Uncharted Waters During Most Volatile Time of the Year Equity markets hit a wall on Thursday and selling began in earnest for the first time since March. In my opinion, the straight up move in equity...

August 31st, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Is the S&P 500 a True Reflection of the U.S. Economy? The S&P 500 has officially closed out weekly trading at new all-time highs. It is now up nearly 8% for the year. We have watched this “broad” index battle...

August 24th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Tech Companies Lead the S&P 500 to Record Highs This past week the S&P 500 battled resistance at its previous all-time highs (just below 3400). We had two consecutive record closes, only to fall back after...

August 18th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group There are Many Unknowns, but the Market Continues to March On The S&P 500 and the Dow continue their respective attempts to break through the all-time highs established in February. Both major indices have been...

August 10th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group The S&P 500 Inches Closer to All-Time Highs, Encouraged by Q2 Earnings Major equity indices are positive for the year. The Nasdaq is now at all-time highs on the back of blowout performance from Amazon, Google,...

August 3rd, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group All Eyes on Congress Equity markets continue to push higher in the face of ongoing uncertainty. We discussed last week that the next probable stop for the S&P 500 (SPY) is the February high of 3400. We continue to...

August 3rd, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group All Eyes on Congress Equity markets continue to push higher in the face of ongoing uncertainty. We discussed last week that the next probable stop for the S&P 500 (SPY) is the February high of 3400. We continue to...

July 29th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Trust the Process My apologies to everyone for the late commentary this week. I spent the last five days on a golf and BBQ tour across the beautiful state of Arkansas in an RV with my son Jack. Truth be told, we only...

July 20th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group The S&P 500 Turns Positive for the Year The benchmark S&P 500 index has officially broken out above 3200 and, in doing so, broken out of its two -month trading range. We have been watching this unfold for...

July 13th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Equity Markets Show Strength Ahead of Bank Earnings Equity markets moved to the high end of their trading range over the past week. For those keeping track, the S&P 500 has been rangebound between 3000 and 3200 for...

July 7th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Midyear Outlook: Acknowledging Where We Are To start, I hope everyone had a safe and restful July 4th holiday. Time spent with family and friends is what matters most. The older I get the more that reality sinks in. I...

June 22nd, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Covid-19 Cases Spike in the U.S. as Boeing Resumes 737 Max Test Flights The S&P 500 closed on Friday just below its 200-day moving average. This was the culmination of a 5% drop for the week. The Dow and Nasdaq...

June 22nd, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Which Way Will the Market Break? U.S. equity markets continue to be range bound but hold above the all-important 200-day moving average at 3000 (S&P 500). I read over the weekend that there remains a record amount...

June 15th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Markets Show Important Reversal at Even More Important Level Two weeks ago, we commented on the ongoing test faced by the broad indices at their respective 200-day moving average. We noted that if equity markets were...

June 1st, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group The Stock Market Continues to Climb as Protests Spread Nationwide Equity markets closed out the month of May with big gains. The S&P 500 climbed more than 5% for the month despite a lot of volatility. Swings of more...

May 26th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group What Investors Can learn from Today's Market Equity markets worldwide continue to climb in the face of dire economics. In two decades of investing I have never seen a starker example of investors immediately setting the...

May 18th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Markets Closed Up Big Today Amid Positive Coronavirus Vaccine Results The past week saw continued volatility as equities sold off Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday just below the 200-day moving average and right at the late...

April 27th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group Will COVID-19 Change Our World (and our Markets) Forever? As our country begins to consider reopening for business, I am left wondering how we will forever be changed? Will we shake hands with new acquaintances? Will...

- David Young, CFA Oil Prices: A Primer Like many commodity contracts in the investment world, oil futures trade on a time-based curve. By this, we mean that oil futures contracts have different expiration dates. At the expiration date a contract holder takes...

April 14th, 2020 Chadd Mason, CEO The Cabana Group The Investment Process Magnified to the Tenth Degree Investors in markets of all types continue to try and assess the damage to corporate earnings that will be seen over the next few months as a result of the...