Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Uncertainty with Election, Pandemic Cause 5.6% Drop in S&P 500.

Last week, markets moved less on the recovery of today and more on the uncertainty of tomorrow. U.S. GDP increased 33.1% (see Figure 1) after a massively negative report last quarter. Strong growth in consumer spending provided the biggest push to the overall economy. Earnings also continued to improve. Originally forecasted to drop 21.1%, strong earnings from internet-based businesses cut the expected dip to 9.8%.

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Election and Investments

Join Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson, as he discusses how the election may impact the direction of reform. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Unemployment Continues Slow Recovery as U.S. Corporations Beat Earnings Expectations

The lack of progress on a federal stimulus bill weighed on markets last week while economic and earnings data provided investors some good news. Initial unemployment claims finally dipped below 800,000. The improvement and adjustments to previous weeks’ estimates suggest the labor market is continuing to recover. Corporate earnings also provided a positive surprise. While many companies are still to report, initial results show 84% of S&P 500 companies are beating estimates.

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Q4 Market Outlook Webinar

Join Scott Kubie and Sonu Varghese, Senior Investment Strategists at Carson Group, for our Q4 Quarterly Market Outlook webinar. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Videos

Quarterly Market Outlook: Q4 2020

Carson Partners’ Scott Kubie shares key events we saw in the past quarter and how we think they’ll affect markets in the upcoming quarter. Contact us to speak with a financial advisor.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Retail Sales Spike, but Unemployment Claims Still on Rise

Retail sales rebounded as U.S. consumers continued to put salaries and money left over from the CARES Act into the economy. Retail and food service sales surged 1.9%, more than doubling expectations of 0.8%. The gains raised overall retail sales 5.4% above year-ago levels as consumers make up for consumption lost during the early days of social distancing (Figure 1).

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Estate Planning in 2020

Our host Jamie Hopkins is the Director of Retirement Research at Carson and a nationally-recognized voice on retirement and estate planning. Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Blog

How Estate and Gift Taxes Can Impact Your Financial Plan

Heath Ledger’s death in 2008 is another tragic story of an extremely talented artist gone too young. The unfortunate circumstances of his death compounded the complexity of his estate, leaving lawyers and family in a difficult position.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Stocks Rallied in Hopes of Potential Stimulus Package

U.S. stocks rallied on expectations that a stimulus package will be passed in the coming months and additional packages will be easier to pass. The Trump administration offered proposals closer to the most recent Democratic offer. Even if no deal is reached prior to the election, polls suggest the Democratic Party may control the presidency and both houses of Congress. One-party control makes it significantly easier to pass legislation.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Markets Face Uncertainty as Economy Recovers, Tension Grows in Washington

Politics created the biggest market headlines last week. Investors wrestled with the tone of the presidential debate and how it contributes to political uncertainty. Stimulus negotiations between the House and the Trump administration narrowed the gap between the two parties, but they were unable to produce a deal. The president contracting COVID-19 contributed to the sense of uncertainty.

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