Quick Take - Global equities continued to rally in the second quarter. Outside the U.S., stocks in Europe and emerging-markets have also posted solid results. In fixed-income markets, core bond returns (Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index) were slightly negative for the quarter as interest rates slightly rose/prices fell.
The Month At-A-Glance 1. The S&P 500 eked out a 0.4% gain despite concerns a deal would not be struck to increase the debt ceiling 2. Hype around artificial intelligence sent some growth stocks significantly higher 3. Market narrowness has reached historic levels—with only a handful of stocks accounting for all the market index return 4. Investors have started to price in a “higher for longer” outlook for interest rates
When we think of financial stress, we often associate it with individuals struggling to make ends meet or facing significant debt. However, financial stress can also affect those with a higher net worth, albeit in different ways. Here we delve into the unique challenges faced by higher net worth individuals, the impacts of financial stress on your well-being and some coping strategies.
Congress has lifted the debt ceiling 45 times over the past 40 years, often with little fanfare. This time however there is an impasse where Republicans have included spending cuts in legislation that increases the debt limit while the White House has said it would not accept any conditions. If the impasse is protracted, it raises the possibilities of a partial government shutdown and the U.S. defaulting on its debt. This could result in widespread economic damage at home and globally at an already-precarious time for the US and global economy.
Global equities rose in April despite banking stress and worsening leading economic indicators.
Quick Take Despite the stress in the banking system, including the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, global equity markets held up remarkably well in March and posted solid returns for the quarter. Underneath the calm market surface there was wide dispersion in returns across sectors, market caps and styles. Fixed-income markets had a strong quarter as longer-term bond yields fell, generating price gains.