The Balance of Risk

The Balance of Risk

OVERVIEW   Markets pulled back modestly over the week, with most U.S. equity indexes finishing slightly lower. Large-cap stocks were under mild pressure, as the S&P 500 fell 0.35% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.53%. The NASDAQ was essentially...
Midterm Mania

Midterm Mania

  This week’s chart looks at how the Dow Jones Industrial Average has typically behaved during midterm election years. There have been 31 midterm elections since 1902. Each blue bar on the chart represents the annual return for that midterm year, while the orange...
The Discount Rate

The Discount Rate

  Interest rates are important for the stock market. In a technical sense, they’re what we call the “discount rate.” This is the rate at which the future cash flows generated by the companies in the stock market get discounted back to the present. Because of how...
Long-Term Cycles

Long-Term Cycles

When investors evaluate long-term stock market returns, it is helpful to look through the lens of rolling 20-year periods. Nate Kreinbrink shares the history of S&P 500’s returns and where the index stands now.