Buybacks raise important questions. Foremost amongst them are whether, and how much, buybacks push up stock prices, and whether they create other distortions relevant to investors and public finances. This article explores these questions by drawing on economic theory and broadly held views of real-world investor behavior.
Active fixed income ETFs can provide the refresh many investors want as the year draws to an end in an uncertain rate market.
Seldom has the middling been the cause of so much relief. Six months after the White House unveiled steep tariffs, the global economy has held up well — mainly by outperforming some doleful projections. There's been no recession. Forecasts have even been revised up a touch.
Apple Inc. shares hit their first record of 2025 on Monday after Loop Capital upgraded the stock to buy from hold, becoming the latest firm to cite positive iPhone demand trends.
All it took was a classic bout of haven buying to wake up a slumbering Treasuries market and drive benchmark yields to the lowest in months.
Emerging markets rose, with the stock benchmark advancing to the highest level in more than four years, as signals of easing US-China trade tensions supported appetite for riskier assets.
Prior to his most recent role, Marsh held several leadership positions including as head of the EMEA financing group, global co-head of credit finance and global co-head of the alternative capital solutions unit. He became a partner at Goldman in 2014 after joining the bank in 2006.
Pictet Asset Management just added three funds to a 2025 that’s seen a record number of actively managed ETF launches: the Pictet AI Enhanced International Equity ETF (PQNT), Pictet Cleaner Planet ETF (PCLN), and Pictet AI & Automation ETF (PBOT).
I’m a big believer in simplicity for most things, and that includes investing. When constructing a portfolio, simplicity is what I aim for. In this piece, I offer a brief summary of how I analyze the holdings and make recommendations on what to keep and what to get out of when a client asks me to review and improve their investments.
Connecting the dots, we found that a nation's court system and level of justice have the most significant impact on its Freedom Index, and therefore, by extension, on the wealth and happiness of its citizens. Aristotle connected these ideas over 2000 years ago when he opined, “A just life is inherently a happy one.”
Every market cycle eventually changes investor psychology to believe risk has been conquered.
Debt-driven growth definitely feels good. We all enjoy it immensely as long as it lasts. Then the lights go out and the party’s over. Yes, it starts again, but not until we all stumble around in the dark for a while.
In another sign that we are entering an era of even looser monetary policy, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell hinted that balance sheet reduction is about to come to an end.
There is little question that the key economic storyline of Q3 was the fact that new job creation was not anywhere near as solid as the markets and, perhaps more importantly, the Fed believed.
Monetary and fiscal policy are now decisively stimulative to the economy thanks to interest rate cuts and the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This should provide a tailwind to investments.
The third quarter demonstrated the market’s ability to focus on powerful, long-term themes like technological productivity and monetary policy, even amidst significant short-term political noise. While large technology companies were once again a driver of headline returns, the positive performance across nearly all global asset classes rewarded a diversified approach.
The stock and bond markets are taking the government shutdown—and lack of data releases—in stride, but how long the calm might last is an open question.
In a week marked by renewed S&P 500 volatility stemming from reignited tariff talks and the ongoing challenge of a government shutdown that continues to delay crucial government reports, investors and analysts have increasingly turned to secondary economic indicators for a timely view of the U.S. economy.
Wall Street has finally capitulated to gold’s record-breaking run.
In Game 1 of the 2025 National League Championship Series, the Dodgers looked ready to break the game open. Bases loaded, one out, Max Muncy at the plate.
Americans place a premium on elite and exclusive institutions. Many of us want to get into top-tier universities, pledge storied fraternities and, upon graduation, attain membership at Soho House.
The world’s metal traders are enjoying their most profitable ever year, after a series of supply upheavals propelled prices toward record highs and drove huge shifts in metal moving across the globe.
Being a millionaire isn’t what it used to be. This isn’t a lament, it’s a fact: As Bloomberg News reported last week, almost one-fifth of US households have a net worth of more than $1 million. Fully one-third of them have gained that status since 2017.
After a week-long rout that erased hundreds of billions in digital-asset value, Bitcoin has again failed to live up to its billing as a safe harbor asset.
Man Group Plc, the world’s largest publicly traded hedge fund, saw its assets soar to a record in the three months through September, as clients poured more money into long-only products and performance improved.
If an investor has ever asked “Can you help me pay less in taxes?” then you’re not alone.
As the bond market expects more rate cuts to come after September’s drop of 25 basis points, investors may want to consider intermediate bonds as a way to maximize income.
Rare earth elements have become the latest flashpoint in the collision between geopolitics and markets.
As funded status rises, the idea of plan hibernation may become more attractive, enabling strategic use of pension surplus.
As the calendar has now turned squarely into Q4, the sweepstakes for who will be nominated as next Chair of the Federal Reserve will no doubt increase.
With Congress unable to reach an agreement on funding the government, a government shutdown began when the new fiscal year started on October 1.
According to Wall Street Horizon’s proprietary data, Q3 2025 marked a record in the number of new U.S. ETF launches. The tally (above 200) brought the trailing four-quarter sum to more than 800. Investors have never had more choice to tweak their strategies, aim for higher income yields, or even bet on single stocks in new, creative ways.
The U.S. economy shows moderate growth and rising inflation, with manufacturing lagging and services expanding. Recession fears have faded; policy uncertainty and deficits remain concerns. AI drives market highs, gold surges, and investment focuses on healthcare, materials, and gold.
One of the most interesting changes was Vietnam’s upgrade from frontier to emerging market. This will affect all FTSE indexes as of September 2026, likely with a phased implementation.
In 1967, a helicopter from United States Steel Corp. carrying a team of geologists made an accidental discovery after landing in a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest: a giant iron-ore deposit that would become Carajás, one of the world’s richest mineral regions.
To start from the top, the dollar’s doing fine. Having appreciated 3% in the past month, it remains above its 40-year average. It still commands the lion’s share of currency trading and global central bank reserves, even if international investors are hedging more exposure.
We examine the broader implications of China’s threat to expand restrictions on rare-earth exports.
Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley exposed a stock market puzzle on Wednesday. Both reported record third-quarter earnings following roaring results from rivals the day before.
Private REITs aren’t what they used to be. And the advisors who still think they are may be missing one of today’s most effective portfolio tools.
Recent data shows that even after strong international stock performance year-to-date U.S. stock markets continue to dominate global equity indexes, representing around two-thirds of the market capitalization of all global stocks, as represented by the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI).
Big banks begin reporting Tuesday and are expected to benefit from a steeper yield curve, strong trading, and investment banking demand. The profit path ahead is less certain.
Medicare open enrollment, which is underway and runs until December 7, allows individuals to change or sign up for plans, potentially saving money and/or improving their coverage. Our Bill Cass shares the key things you need to know.
During the third quarter of 2025, the U.S. markets demonstrated notable resilience despite facing a complex mix of trade tensions, policy shifts, and economic sector-specific developments.
Many investors are likely familiar with the rapidly increasing demand for electricity, and the role nuclear power can play therein. Rcapacity is complicated in a country that has only added three large reactors since 1996. But recent news from the U.S. military may jump start nuclear power infrastructure supply chains.
Issuing new shares is usually considered a recipe for souring sentiment as stockholders get diluted. But in this go-go artificial intelligence-crazed market, that logic has been turned upside down.
Charles Schwab Corp. reported third-quarter earnings that beat estimates as the firm benefited from a surge in retail investing activity.
In just two years, India has gone from being the best-loved emerging market to the most sold, and now investors are bracing themselves for yet another quarter of disappointing corporate earnings.
With gold scaling record highs on what feels like a daily basis, mainstream financial analysts are scrambling to raise their price forecasts.
Big banks are flying. Traders and dealmakers at Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. enjoyed a roaring third quarter while lending grew, too.
The financial markets have been laser-focused on upcoming policy decisions from the Fed, and rightfully so. Following the resumption of the current rate cut cycle, investors have been wondering what exactly this second phase will ultimately look like.
