Our Insights - Market & Economic Perspectives

Market & Economic Perspectives

Investor Letter Q1 2024

Boston had its fifth snowless March in a row yet recorded nine inches of precipitation in the month, well above the average monthly rainfall of between three and four inches for all regions of the state. Still, the soggy weather did not dampen investors’ enthusiasm, with both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing the quarter at new record highs.

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March Market Watch

March 2024 market watch data.

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February Market Watch

February 2024 market watch data.

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January Market Watch

January 2024 market watch data.

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December Market Watch

December 2023 market watch data.

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November Market Watch

November 2023 market watch data.

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October Market Watch

October 2023 market watch data.

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Investor Letter Q3 2023

From everyone here at IMG, we hope you had a safe and happy summer and were able to relax and enjoy the longer days. Along with the sunshine, the lazy days of summer offered up a plethora of extreme weather across the country, including unprecedented heat, tornadoes, hurricanes, severe flooding, and lingering fog from Canadian wildfires. As we welcome the cooler temperatures of fall, the same can be said for a cooling economy.

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September Market Watch

September 2023 market watch data.

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August Market Watch

August 2023 market watch data.

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July Market Watch

July 2023 market watch data.

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Investor Letter Q2 2023

With the lazy days of summer comes the heat, and we are experiencing record breaking temperatures across the country. Similarly, concerns linger around an overheated economy despite aggressive rate hikes. The problem with overheating is that it may lead to a downturn. When an economy is growing too fast, supply cannot meet demand, i.e., growth is occurring at an unsustainable rate.

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June Market Watch

June 2023 market watch data.

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May Market Watch

May 2023 market watch data.

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April Market Watch

April 2023 market watch data.

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Investor Letter Q1 2023

The change of seasons brings with it the promise of longer days, new beginnings and growth. However, it is a long, gradual transition that has some drawbacks…think allergies and temperamental weather, to name a couple. Same with the markets; economic growth and higher returns endure challenges. That was certainly the case during the first quarter of the year as we faced persistent high inflation, a banking crisis, and continued uncertainty regarding the future of the markets.

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March Market Watch

March 2023 market watch data.

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February Market Watch

February 2023 market watch data.

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January Market Watch

January 2023 market watch data.

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Investor Letter Q4 2022

We began 2022 hopeful of moving past the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shift to living with COVID versus in fear of it had ramifications as surging consumer demand was met with labor and supply shortages. Global and geopolitical issues further muddied the backdrop, all of which caused inflation to heat up and the Federal Reserve to repeatedly intervene with rate hikes. As we enter 2023, we are optimistic that the ongoing stabilization of supply chains coupled with more normalized consumer demand will help slow inflation. Moreover, while we cannot predict the future, we are hopeful that the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its interest rate hike campaign.

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November Market Watch

U.S. markets closed higher again in November with the S&P 500 +5.4%, the Dow +5.7%, and NASDAQ +4.4%. There is a continued hope for lower if not a cease of rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) in the near term as U.S. inflation numbers improve, giving both stocks and bonds a boost this month.

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What We are Watching – November 2022

Where is the labor market today? The current unemployment rate is 3.7%, basically hovering near 50 year lows. Employment is arguably the most important barometer for continued consumer spending and therefore growth in the economy, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). There has become a mounting gap between demand for job openings from employers and supply of workers, as evidenced by the ratio of job openings to job seekers.

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October Market Watch

U.S. markets reversed last month’s losses and closed higher in October with the S&P 500 +8.0%, the Dow +14.0% (best month since 1976), and NASDAQ +3.9%. Markets climbed after better than expected third quarter earnings, signs of peak inflation resulting in optimism for slower and lower rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) in the upcoming months, and a lack of escalations in the Russian war against Ukraine.

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What We are Watching – October 2022

The Federal Open Market Committee is the body of the Federal Reserve System (Fed) that sets national monetary policy. The twelve members navigate a dual mandate of maintaining full employment and ensuring price stability. To accomplish this goal, the Federal Reserve Bank has outlined the long term target of a 4% unemployment rate and a 2% inflation rate. The Federal Reserve’s primary tool to guide the U.S. economy is through setting the Federal Funds overnight lending rate. To combat the current high inflationary environment, the Federal Reserve would like to reduce demand for goods and services, and are thereby increasing the borrowing costs for individuals and corporations to slow economic growth.

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IMG Q4 2022 Investor Letter

U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth fell into negative territory in the first half of 2022. Real GDP estimates showed that the economy contracted at a 0.6% annual rate in the second quarter of 2022, following a decline of 1.6% in the first quarter. The decline in first quarter GDP was in part exacerbated by the Omicron variant, but the decline in second quarter GDP was largely driven by declines in: retail trade, construction, capital spending on equipment, inventory investment, and federal, state, and local government spending.

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September Market Watch

U.S. markets reversed July’s gains with the S&P 500 closing down -4.2%. The Dow was down -4.1% and NASDAQ was down -4.6%. Broadly speaking, markets continued to have concerns around negative earnings revisions, uncertainty around possible September ramp up in quantitative tightening by the Federal Reserve (Fed), China, and the emerging European energy crisis due to Russian oil dependency.

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What We are Watching – September 2022

What is the Yield Curve and what is a Normal Curve versus an Inverted Curve? The yield curve is a graph in which the yield of fixed income securities is plotted against the length of time until the securities mature. In the chart below, we are using U.S. Treasury bonds as an example. The X (horizontal) axis represents the time horizon for a bond maturity; starting with 1 month on the left and increasing to 30 years on the right. The Y (vertical) axis represents the bond yield and begins with 0% at the bottom and moves to 4% at the top. The two lines are a set point in time.

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August Market Watch

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U.S. markets reversed July’s gains with the S&P 500 closing down -4.2%. The Dow was down -4.1% and NASDAQ was down -4.6%. Broadly speaking, markets continued to have concerns around negative earnings revisions, uncertainty around possible September ramp up in quantitative tightening by the Federal Reserve (Fed), China, and the emerging European energy crisis due to Russian oil dependency.

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What We are Watching – August 2022

An update on earnings and underlying business fundamentals. Investor attention for much of this year has been on the direction of the economy and inflation; understandably so given the magnitude of these issues. However, we are also focused on company fundamentals since over the long term stock prices have a propensity to track earnings. Now that the second quarter earnings season is ending, and as the calendar turns to August, it is an opportune time to assess the fundamental outlook for corporate America over the next 12-18 months.

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July Market Watch

U.S. markets reversed last month’s losses with the S&P 500 closing up +9.1% to end its best month since Nov 2020. The Dow was up +6.7% and NASDAQ was up +12.3%. Second quarter earnings helped this month as many tech and consumer companies reported better than expected results. However, the market shifted attention from inflation to slowing growth as the U.S. Fed Reserve increased rates by 75 basis points (bps) for the second consecutive month, the largest two month increase in the federal funds rate (150 bps) since the early-1980s.

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What We are Watching June

The first half of 2022 exhibited the rare occurrence where both the stock and bond markets experienced negative returns. More often than not these asset classes move in opposite directions, however the quick rise in interest rates, slower economic growth, and persistent inflation have contributed to volatility across most markets. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for June rose to a four-decade high of 9.1%.

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June Market Watch

U.S. markets closed lower in the month with the S&P 500 down -8.4% while the Dow was down -6.7% due to inflationary concerns, the slowdown of spending, and central bank policies to manage these pressures. These themes continued to be in focus as rising recession fears brought about risk off sentiments in the financial markets. The first half of 2022 (down -20.58%) was the worst first half for developed market equities since 1970.

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IMG Q3 2022 Investor Letter

We welcome the arrival of summer with open arms, and with it unfortunately, continued economic uncertainty. During the first half of the year the markets have felt the weight of the Federal Reserve policy tightening and slower economic growth. Inflation remains high, talk of a looming recession is growing, and the prospect of weakened earnings can present an unstable environment.

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Rising Rates Join Long List of Housing Dilemmas

Homebuyers braving the hot U.S. housing market have run headlong into a striking transition. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage jumped from around 3.2% at the beginning of 2022 to 5.3% in mid-May, the highest level since 2009. This rise was sparked by the Federal Reserve's commitment to raise the federal funds rate — a key benchmark for short-term interest rates — to help control the highest inflation in decades.

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Tech Sector Turmoil and the Bear Market

During the intensely volatile first 100 trading days of 2022, the stocks of companies in the S&P 500 index delivered their worst performance since 1970. The S&P 500 continued to tumble, and the benchmark index descended into a bear market — typically defined as a sustained drop in stock prices of at least 20% — on June 13, 2022. When the market closed, the S&P 500 had dropped 21.8% from its January 3 peak, and the tech-heavy NASDAQ, already in bear territory, had plunged 32.7% from its November 19, 2021 peak.

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Eleven Ways to Help You Stay Sane in a Crazy Market

Keeping your cool can be hard to do when the market goes on one of its periodic roller-coaster rides. It's useful to have strategies in place that prepare you both financially and psychologically to handle market volatility. Here are 11 ways to help keep yourself from making hasty decisions that could have a long-term impact on your ability to achieve your financial goals.

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June Market Watch

A topic that continues to come up in many discussions is the status of the current housing market. People are starting to ask, “Are we on the brink of another housing collapse?” Memories of the 2006 collapse are front of mind for investors. While every situation is different, the comparisons of then versus now are worthy of discussion and something we continue to monitor given its effect on the overall economy and markets.

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May Market Watch

U.S. markets trended lower in the beginning of the month, but rebounded and closed with little change by the end of May. The S&P 500 closed +0.01% while the Dow closed +0.04%. This month’s highlights remained mostly the same: inflation, central bank policies, Ukraine-Russia war, new cases of monkeypox, and China’s lockdowns.

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High Inflation: How Long Will It Last?

In March 2022, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the most common measure of inflation, rose at an annual rate of 8.5%, the highest level since December 1981.1 It's not surprising that a Gallup poll at the end of March found that one out of six Americans considers inflation to be the most important problem facing the United States.²

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What We're Watching - May 2022

Inflation continues to steal the stage this past month not only affecting prices at the pump and grocery stores, but spreading into housing and auto sales to name a few. The Federal Reserve (The Fed) has attempted to combat the rise with two interest rate hikes so far this year and with more expected until inflation is more in line with its 2% target.

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April Market Watch

U.S. markets gave back last month’s gains and ended lower in April as continued inflation and rising interest rates concerns, supply chain and labor shortages, the Russia–Ukraine war, and the Chinese lockdowns on the back of their zero Covid policy weighed on markets. The S&P 500 closed -8.8% while the NASDAQ closed -13.3%. After last month’s U.S. Federal Reserve +0.25% increase in rates, inflation concerns were still at the forefront with U.S. inflation at the highest level since 1981 (8.5%).

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What We're Watching - April 2022

Inflation has surged ahead in the last few months. Originally, Covid-19 brought on supply disruptions, but the war in Ukraine has exacerbated those issues. The Federal Reserve seeks to achieve inflation that averages 2% over time. This chart shows that they were accomplishing this goal until recently and the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data will likely support an increased response from the Federal Reserve with interest-rate hikes and a focus on quantitative tightening.

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March Market Watch

U.S. markets made a comeback in March despite war, inflation and rising interest rates remaining the primary concerns. The S&P 500 closed +3.6% while the NASDAQ closed +3.4%; though both still in negative territory YTD (-4.9%, -9.1% respectively). Domestically, the U.S. Federal Reserve made a long-awaited move to raise rates +0.25% with further hikes to come (seven hikes this year, and four next year). The hikes came as February's CPI report showed a 12- month rise of 7.9%, the fastest pace for inflation since 1982.

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February Market Watch

U.S. markets were under pressure in February, as domestic concerns around the U.S. Federal Reserve’s more aggressive hawkish policy shift remained the focus in the first half of the month. Investors worried that Central Banks may dampen growth in their efforts to get inflation under control (with a 50 bps rate increase in March), especially when economic readings such as January CPI was higher than expected at 7.5% YoY, the highest in 40 years, and companies highlighted more persistent inflation pressure in things such as labor costs.

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Help Wanted: Why Can't Businesses Find Enough Workers?

The headline U.S. unemployment rate fell from 6.7% at the end of December 2020 to 3.9% in December 2021, marking the biggest one-year improvement in history. While many workers took advantage of this strong rebound in the job market, companies large and small have been struggling with labor shortages.

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Will Infrastructure Investment Pave the Way to a Stronger Economy?

In November 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a roughly $1 trillion package that reauthorized existing programs and provided more than $550 billion in new funding over the next five years to help upgrade aging U.S. transportation, water, power generation, and communication systems.

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What We’re Watching - March 2022

It is our fiduciary duty to you, our clients, that we keep you updated and make sense of events that may affect your investment portfolio. One week ago, Russia invaded Ukraine drawing condemnation and punitive sanctions from the U.S. and a substantial portion of the rest of the world. The humanitarian cost of war cannot be measured, and this may cause long-term economic effects to unfold.

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Global Finance: Kicking Russia Out of SWIFT

Over the past days, the United States and other countries have imposed various sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. One sanction that was discussed initially but not implemented immediately was blocking Russia from the SWIFT global banking network. However, the United States and European allies eventually agreed to remove selected Russian banks from SWIFT. What does this mean?

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What We’re Watching - February 2022

Much has been mentioned about inflation recently. January’s report cited a 7.5% annual increase, while the core figure (excluding the prices of food and energy) was 6.0%, both 40-year highs. With crude oil hovering around $90/barrel, it is no surprise that gasoline prices have played a part in the higher figures. Investors have known for some time that prices have been rising, and interest rates would follow.

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January Market Watch (Opens in a new Window)

Despite the strong end for stocks in 2021, U.S. markets had a rough start to the new year where the S&P 500 fell as much as -11.40% during the month, but recovered over half of that level by month-end, closing at -5.3%

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What We’re Watching - January 2022

As we have turned the page on the calendar and start to keep a new scorecard for 2022, sentiment around the markets feel discernibly different. The long awaited removal of liquidity is upon us as the Federal Reserve gears up to start increasing rates this year and beyond.

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IMG Q1 2022 Investor Letter

From everyone here at IMG we hope you enjoyed your Holiday season and your New Year is off to a great start. 2021 may not have put all aspects of the pandemic in the rear view mirror, especially recently with the emergence of the new Omicron variant.

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The Fed Pivots to Fight Inflation (Opens in a new Window)

On December 15, 2021, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve System made a significant shift in monetary policy in response to rising inflation.

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Monthly Market Watch - December 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

It proved to be a strong year for stocks in 2021, with U.S. markets ending the year on a positive note with strong gains. To recap the year, recoveries were surprisingly rapid in most countries despite new COVID variants causing concerns.

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Monthly Market Watch - November 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

S&P 500 posted seven new all-time highs at the beginning of November, and both earnings and sales set a quarterly record. However, U.S. markets gave back initial gains by the end of month as Omicron, a new variant detected first in South Africa, reignited transmissibility concerns and global travel restrictions.

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Supply-Chain Chaos: Holiday Edition

The supply chain is the network by which products flow from the factories of suppliers to the inventories of retailers so they can ultimately be purchased by consumers. Corporate supply chains have been under pressure since the pandemic began.

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The Markets & the Economy - What We’re Watching: November 2021

One way to measure inflation is with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is a measure of the change in prices paid for a basket of goods. The recent October CPI report highlighted an increase of 6.2% in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the highest number in 30 years.

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Monthly Market Watch - October 2021

U.S. markets made a recovery in October and closed higher. The S&P 500 reached new highs on the back of a strong third quarter earnings season so far. Coronavirus trends continued to improve and help the reopening.

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The Markets & the Economy - What We’re Watching: October 2021

The ongoing hot topic of the labor markets continues to be one of interest. The Unemployment Rate has officially dropped below 5% which is historically considered “Full Employment”.

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IMG Q4 2021 Investor Letter

During the September Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, the Federal Reserve chose to delay announcing when they will start their asset-purchase tapering due to present economic uncertainties.

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Monthly Market Watch - September 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

U.S. markets closed lower in September; S&P500 had its largest monthly decline since March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic prompted a selloff. A few contributing factors continued to be at play such as the Delta variant.

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The Markets & the Economy - What We’re Watching: September 2021

The recent jobs market report continues to highlight a slower path of recovery and is an interesting topic to watch – what is the truth behind the job recovery and the issues surrounding the notion of proper full employment?

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Monthly Market Watch - August 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

U.S. markets closed higher in August for the eighth consecutive month, despite the continued spreading of the Delta variant globally. Stocks boded well even with restaurants’ demand and labor shortage issues.

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The Markets & the Economy - What We’re Watching: August 2021

With the amazing surge in the markets, many are asking if we have come too far too fast. The S&P 500 is up over 90% off of last year’s bottom, while the average annual return this past century is closer to 10%.

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Monthly Market Watch - July 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

U.S. markets closed higher in July for the sixth consecutive month, as a strong rebound in demand continues to push corporate profits higher. Roughly half of the S&P 500 companies have reported results and companies continue to top estimates at record levels.

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The Markets & the Economy - What We’re Watching: July 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit and sent us all into a tailspin, the economy has made a remarkable recovery, but we still have a ways to go to reestablish the economy’s previous growth trend.

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Should You Be Concerned About Inflation? (Opens in a new Window)

If you pay attention to financial news, you are probably seeing a lot of discussion about inflation, which has reared its head in the U.S. economy after being mostly dormant for the last decade.

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IMG Q3 2021 Investor Letter (Opens in a new Window)

Rising inflation and rate hike concerns may have made headlines several times in the first half of 2021, but investors pushed past the speculation and the equity markets posted record highs.

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Monthly Market Watch -June 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

U.S. markets closed higher in June for the fifth consecutive quarter, driven by the reopening of economies, stimulus and the central bank liquidity tailwind. Last month’s top performer, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, was June’s laggard.

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The Markets & the Economy - What We’re Watching: June 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

Additional positive news is being seen in job growth – hiring in the US continues to accelerate as the economic recovery gains strength as states continue to ease Covid-19 restrictions on businesses and more people are vaccinated.

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Monthly Market Watch - May 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

U.S. markets closed higher in May for the fourth consecutive month, driven by the familiar reopening, stimulus and consumption themes in the last few months. The CDC updated masks policies and by the end of the month, many cities have fully reopened.

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The Markets & the Economy - What We’re Watching: May 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

Since our last update companies have reported their first quarter financial results. Those results, along with continued strong economic data points, drove an exceptionally strong month of April for the stock market. The S&P 500 delivered a 5.24% return for the month.

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Rising Inflation: Where Will It Go from Here? (Opens in a new Window)

In March 2021, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.6%, the largest one-month increase since August 2012. Over the previous 12 months, the increase was 2.6%, the highest year-over-year inflation rate since August 2018.

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Monthly Market Watch - April 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

U.S. markets closed higher in April driven by the reopening of economies as vaccination momentum continued, as 44% of Americans have received one dose of the vaccine. Positive economic data also contributed to April’s gains.

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Bonds, Interest Rates, and the Impact of Inflation (Opens in a new Window)

There are two fundamental ways that you can profit from owning bonds: from the interest that bonds pay, or from any increase in the bond's price. Many people who invest in bonds because they want a steady stream of income are surprised to learn that bond prices can fluctuate, just as they do with any security traded in the secondary market.

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High-Frequency Indicators: Where to Look for Signs of Recovery (Opens in a new Window)

Since the pandemic began, disruptions in business activity have varied greatly from region to region, and often from one week to the next, according to the severity of local COVID-19 outbreaks. Unfortunately, many of the official government statistics used to gauge the health of the U.S. economy are backward looking and somewhat delayed.

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IMG Q2 2021 Investor Letter (Opens in a new Window)

As of early April, nearly 34% of the US population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 20% of the population is fully vaccinated. It was a long winter, but optimism is being felt not only in the vaccination acceleration rate, but also with economic normalization in sight.

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Monthly Market Watch - March 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

The quarter ended higher in March driven by continued vaccine optimism as U.S. and U.K. rollouts accelerated. President Biden also signed a $1.9T U.S. stimulus bill, injecting the markets with significant fiscal support.

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American Rescue Plan Act Provides Relief to Individuals and Businesses (Opens in a new Window)

On Thursday, March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA 2021) was signed into law. This is a $1.9 trillion emergency relief package that includes payments to individuals and funding for federal programs, vaccines and testing, state and local governments, and schools.

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The Markets & the Economy - What We’re Watching: March 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

A year ago, our country plunged into a deep recession as our economy shuttered in the wake of a global pandemic. Today, with COVID cases declining, vaccine development and distribution accelerating, our economy continues to heal and to grow, generating a palpable wave of guarded optimism across our country.

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Monthly Market Watch - February 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

Markets closed higher in February overall despite a dip towards the end of the month. Optimism persisted as Covid infections and hospitalization rates trended lower, the vaccine rollout accelerated, and a third vaccine was approved by the FDA in the U.S.

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The Markets & the Economy - What We’re Watching: February 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

We are only in February, yet a lot has happened this year. As you plan for your financial future, it helps to observe what happened in the past to understand what might be best for your future, as well as putting together a guide to help you achieve your goals.

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Monthly Market Watch - January 2021 (Opens in a new Window)

January started strong with the S&P 500 hitting a new all-time high, but the index gave back gains by the end of the month. U.S. economic data was mixed for January; and as expected, the Federal Reserve (Fed) held the benchmark rate near zero this month, and said the pace of economic recovery and employment have moderated.

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IMG Q1 2021 Investor Letter (Opens in a new Window)

From everyone here at IMG we hope you enjoyed your Holiday season and your New Year is off to a great start. While many individuals and businesses struggled in 2020, we remain optimistic 2021 will bring promise to an improved future.

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Monthly Market Watch - December 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

The month and year ended on a positive note, with the S&P and Dow closing 2020 at record levels while the NASDAQ was up ~44% for the year.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – December 18, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Vaccine optimism remains elevated ahead of another expected emergency use authorization for the Moderna candidate.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – December 11, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

This week, broader markets continued their march higher with investors focused on a return to stronger economic growth and healthier corporate earnings in the year ahead.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – December 4, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

November marked a historic month in the stock market - the S&P 500 year to date through November 30th was up 14.02%, November alone rose 10.95%.

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Monthly Market Watch - November 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

November saw a post-U.S. election rally alongside remarkable results from the first Phase 3 trials from vaccine candidates driving equities to new highs globally.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – November 20, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

This week Covid-19 cases are rising across the country and fears of more shutdowns loom, but positive vaccine news was released from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech fueling optimism.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – November 13, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

As we learned over last weekend, former Vice President Joe Biden is projected to be the 46th President of the United States.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – November 6, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

What a week it has been. We noted in last week’s email that we expected the road to the next President was going to be a wild ride and it certainly has been!

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Monthly Market Watch - October 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

As the race continues across the globe to produce a COVID-19 vaccine, stocks closed lower for a consecutive second month.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – October 30, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

The final countdown to the election has begun and we are prepared to see a wild ride until and possibly beyond the November 3rd date!

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – October 16, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Negotiations on another round of fiscal stimulus to support the economy remain stalled.

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IMG Q4 2020 Investor Letter (Opens in a new Window)

Recently, in our weekly The Markets and the Economy series we’ve been reflecting on the concept of uncertainty and preparing for an uncertain future.

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Monthly Market Watch - September 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Markets gave back last month’s gains and closed lower in September as mega cap technology stocks struggled and a renewed global uptick in COVID-19 cases created concerns despite vaccine trials progressing.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – October 2, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

There is no shortage of news on the impact the coronavirus has had on the markets and the economy, the health of our people and more.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – September 25, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Uncertainty is a state of being that is not new to us. We all have experienced it in some way shape or form whether personally, or from a distance.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – September 18, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

It has been just over six months since “stay-at-home” orders shut down the economy in an effort to contain the spread of Covid-19.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – September 11, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

There is no question the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a severe global economic contraction.

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Monthly Market Watch - August 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Stocks rebounded despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic due to the central bank liquidity tailwind, massive fiscal stimulus, vaccine optimism, and positive economic readings.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – September 4, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Americans started to re-enter the housing market with US home builders starting construction on homes at a higher rate from the prior month.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – August 28, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

The Federal Reserve announced Thursday a significant policy shift, confirming it is willing to have inflation run above its goal of 2% “for some time”.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – August 21, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Covid-19 has brought upon significant economic damage, unemployment rates never seen in history, and a rising US budget deficit, but the stock market is beating all odds.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – August 14, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

The unemployment rate and the state of the coronavirus are closely linked, with one effecting the other.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – August 7, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Earnings continue to be reported (roughly 75% of S&P 500 thus far) with US companies beating expectations.

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Monthly Market Watch - July 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

As the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. domestic markets closed higher in the month of July.

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IMG Quarterly Investor Letter – Q3 - 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Q2 surprised us all by rebounding to historic highs, almost washing away any setbacks we endured during the first quarter.

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Monthly Market Watch - June 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

The S&P 500 Index rose +1.99% on a total return basis in the month of June.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – July 2, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

The market posted solid gains this week with Nasdaq experiencing its best quarter since Q2 2001.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – June 26, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

The health of our country and the health of our economy are inextricably co-dependent and in the forefront.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – June 19, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Positive week and month for the S&P 500, but it is down for the year after last week’s selloff.

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The Markets & the Economy: What We’re Watching – June 12, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

As our economy started to reopen, some states have experienced an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

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The Markets & the Economy: Video Message from David Smith, CFA Chief Investment Officer – June 5, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Watch the video message from David Smith.

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Monthly Market Watch - May 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

U.S. domestic markets extended their rebound into May.

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Update: Coronavirus and The Markets - What We’re Watching – May 22, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Stocks were volatile this week and opened a bit lower today amid fears of rising US-China tensions.

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Watch Out for Coronavirus Scams (Opens in a new Window)

Fraudsters and scam artists are always looking for new ways to prey on consumers.

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Update: Coronavirus and The Markets - What We’re Watching – May 15, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Everyone is itching to get back to some semblance of normalcy after a few months of quarantined life.

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Update: Coronavirus and The Markets - What We’re Watching – May 8, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

The groundhog-like days may be coming to an end for some of us as we start to see progress in the data.

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Monthly Market Watch - April 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

U.S. domestic markets finished sharply higher in April, largely erasing March declines.

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A message from Dave Smith, Chief Investment Officer - May 1, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Watch the video message from David Smith.

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Update: Coronavirus and The Markets - What We’re Watching – April 24, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Two leading topics this week were the market’s reaction to the oil war and establishing steps to reopen the economy.

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Update: Coronavirus and The Markets - What We’re Watching – April 17, 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

Are the peaks behind us? Are we really starting to see a flattening of the curve?

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The CARES Act: Special rules for Retirement Plans, Tax Payments, Charitable Deductions & Recovery Rebate (Opens in a new Window)

Learn more about The CARES Act special rules.

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CARES Act Provides Relief to Individuals and Businesses (Opens in a new Window)

On Friday, March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law.

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IMG Quarterly Investor Letter – Q2 - 2020 (Opens in a new Window)

A look back on our markets and economy over the first quarter of 2020.

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