Stress Signals

Stress Signals

  After more than two years of calm, financial stress is creeping back into the market. The chart above shows the St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index (bottom panel) plotted against the S&P 500 (top panel). The index tracks 18 different weekly data...
Vigilantes

Vigilantes

  It was another rollercoaster week in the markets. Volatility was high, and stock prices swung wildly. But beyond the headline-grabbing moves in equities, there was a deeper, more telling story unfolding under the surface—one that many non-market watchers likely...
Tariff Turbulence

Tariff Turbulence

  If you thought tariffs were a relic of early American economic policy, think again. Under President Trump’s proposed “Liberation Day” policy, the U.S. is set to see its effective tariff rate hit 29%, the highest level in over a century. That’s...
The Valley of Uncertainty

The Valley of Uncertainty

  If you’ve felt like the market’s been spinning its wheels lately, this week’s featured chart might explain why. It looks at the VIX Index—Wall Street’s so-called “fear gauge”—and shows how the S&P 500 tends to perform over the next six months depending on...
Gushers and Glitches

Gushers and Glitches

  The market’s off to a bumpy start this year, but beneath the surface, there have been some clear winners and losers. Just take a look at this week’s chart. It’s been a story of gushers for energy and glitches for tech so far. Energy stocks, as represented by...