Quarter in Review • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has upended the global economy and has added another complexity to the ongoing inflation problem. • Equity markets closed the quarter on a positive note in March but were still negative for the quarter. Energy was far and away the best performing sector during the quarter due […]
Quarter in Review • After stellar performance in the first half of the year, equity markets took a pause during the third quarter. • Bond returns also proved flat as inflation remains a top concern. Domestic bond yields, while still low, remain attractive to foreign buyers. • Supply problems in both the manufacturing and service […]
Quarter in Review • Equity markets continue to establish new records as corporate earnings and consumer confidence recover. • The Fed has begun discussing when and how to begin pulling back on stimulus but it will be a long process. • Supply constraints due to the pandemic are straining many industries and elongating delivery times. […]
Quarter in Review • Equity markets are rallying as the economy begins the process of normalizing after the unprecedented shutdowns of 2020. • Loose monetary policy has now been assisted by massive fiscal policy to provide a boost to all segments of the economy. • Some of Maple’s picks did not work as well this […]
Financial markets performed admirably in the fourth quarter even as the pandemic raged across much of the world, partly attributable to two critical developments: the conclusion of the US election and the arrival of multiple vaccines. Now that the much-discussed political uncertainty has been removed and an end is in sight to the pandemic […]
Falling Leaves, Rising Markets Quarter in Review • Equity market performance was solid this quarter. • The technology sector pulled back after strong YTD outperformance. • Second quarter GDP was the worst since the Great Depression but there is hope that the third quarter will be quite strong. • The list of things to worries […]
“Wild World” – Cat Stevens Maple Capital Strategy & Portfolio Changes Changes made this quarter included the sale of Goldman Sachs in favor of Morgan Stanley, preferring Morgan for its lower credit sensitivity and strong wealth management franchise. We also added American Express in the financial sector since we believe the business model is built […]
A Quarter We’ll Never Forget CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stability) Act On March 27th the CARES Act was signed into law. There were significant changes to retirement accounts included in this bill and we have highlighted a few of the major components below: • Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are waived for 2020 • […]