Market Monitor – Third Quarter 2023

3Q 2023 Market Monitor

The Federal Reserve paused in September, following a 25 basis points rate hike in July. The major theme coming from the meeting was the potential and willingness of the Fed to remain higher-for-longer in an effort to combat inflation and bring it to its 2% target.

Mid-Year Capital Markets Update
Recessionary Resilience – Defying Expectations

2023 Mid Year Review

In our 2023 Outlook, Goodbye TINA, we outlined three broad themes that were likely to influence markets in 2023 – continued volatility, moderating inflation and a bear market bottom. The first half of 2023 has largely validated those views and we do not anticipate material changes ahead of year end rebalancing.

Market Monitor – First Quarter 2023

HCR Market Monitor

While volatility in the markets remained during the first quarter of 2023, broadly speaking, equity and fixed income markets saw a strong rebound.

Market Monitor – Fourth Quarter 2022

The fourth quarter was a welcome respite from the downdraft of 2022. Additional data that supported the moderating inflation mantra, a softening Federal Reserve (Fed) and the unwind of COVID-Zero policies in China led many asset prices higher.

Market Monitor – Third Quarter 2022

3Q 2022 Market Monitor

The votes have been tallied and any hopes for a sustained rally in July were quickly dashed as markets experienced a bear market rally through the remainder of the third quarter. Markets broadly made new lows on the same mix of concerns that have plagued 2022.

Market Monitor – Second Quarter 2022

Q2 2022 Market Monitor

In a broad-based manner, markets retreated over the quarter adding to year-to-date losses. Fixed income, global equities and real assets all came under pressures as the headwinds of rising interest rates, persistent inflation and looming economic contraction continued.

Market Monitor – First Quarter 2022

Market Monitor

The first quarter certainly lived into our 2022 Outlook, Navigating Moderation, in which we discussed volatility ahead. Even before notable geopolitical events in Europe, both fixed income and equities had pulled back as investors adjusted to the Federal Reserve’s new tone of higher rates and less accommodative policies.

The Re-opening

Economic Recovery

April 2021 The first quarter of 2021 was another strong one for equities, with stocks leading the performance tables vs. most other asset classes. Stocks continued to work their way higher, bolstered by a myriad of tailwinds: fiscal and monetary stimulus, solid money flows (sidelined cash coming into the market), and increasing consumer confidence due […]

A Recovery Like No Other?

January 2021 The year 2020 will be one that no one will forget, but few would like to relive. Pandemics, lockdowns, unemployment, riots—there was a lot of craziness. If I told you all those factors would lead to a solid year for stocks you would have looked at me like I had a third eye. […]

Election Uncertainty Lingers

The third quarter of 2020 was another positive quarter for most financial assets.  Mega cap stocks led the way once again, which helped the market cap-weighted S&P 500 Index pull into positive territory for the year.  But most of the other stock indexes remained in negative territory year to date, despite seeing large gains in Q3.  That just […]