Articles

Market Commentary: 1st Quarter 2024

The stock market continued to climb in the first quarter.  Large domestic companies, measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, gained 10.2% while smaller US companies, measured by the Russell 2000, advanced 4.8%.  The Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology stocks, was up 9.1%.  Foreign firms, generally speaking, also climbed...

Market Commentary: 4th Quarter 2023

Markets surged to wrap up 2023 with gains across the board.  Q4 saw large domestic companies, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, gain 11.2%.  The Russell 2000, reflecting smaller domestic firms, was up 13.6%.  Coincidentally, the Nasdaq Composite, with a major weighting of technology stocks, was also up...

Market Commentary: 3rd Quarter 2023

The stock market reversed course in the third quarter with declines across all major indices.  Large domestic companies, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, dropped 3.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in tech stocks, fell 4.1%.  The Russell 2000, reflecting smaller US firms, was off 5.5%.  Foreign...

Market Commentary: 2nd Quarter 2023

Stocks continued to climb in the second quarter.  The Standard & Poor’s 500, a measure of large domestic companies, gained 8.3%, while smaller domestic firms as measured by the Russell 2000 advanced 4.8%.  Foreign markets, generally speaking, rose more modestly as the Dow Jones World Index (ex US) was up...

Market Commentary: 1st Quarter 2023

Stocks were up across the board in the first quarter.  Large domestic companies, measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, gained 7.0%.  The Russell 2000, reflecting smaller US stocks, advanced 2.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology companies, was up a whopping 16.8%.  Foreign firms, generally speaking, moved...

Market Commentary: 4th Quarter 2022

The stock market was mostly positive in the fourth quarter.  Large domestic companies, measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, rose 7.1%. The Russell 2000, composed of smaller US companies, gained 5.8%.  The Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology companies, did contract a slight 1.0%, while foreign firms, generally speaking,...

Market Commentary: 3rd Quarter 2022

Stocks continued to falter in the third quarter.  Large domestic companies, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, fell 5.3%.  The Russell 2000, reflecting smaller domestic stocks, dropped 2.5%.  The Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in tech firms, was off 4.1% while foreign shares, generally speaking, declined with the Dow...

Market Commentary: 2nd Quarter 2022

The broad market decline continued in the second quarter, with stocks retreating across the board.  Large domestic stocks, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, dropped 16.4%.  The Russell 2000, a gauge of smaller domestic companies, declined 17.5% and the Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology names, dropped 22.4%. ...

Market Commentary: 1st Quarter 2022

Stocks declined across the board in the first quarter.  Large domestic companies as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500 dropped 4.9%.  The Russell 2000, a measure of smaller domestic companies, was off 7.8%, while the Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology firms, declined 9.1%.  Foreign companies, generally speaking, also...

2021 IRA Contributions

The IRS allows 2021 IRA contributions to be made until April 15, 2022, and in some instances, even further. Many benefits come with contributing to an IRA, such as immediate tax savings, “tax-deferred” or “tax-free” growth, and of course, saving for retirement. Take a look below for a brief overview...