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No Surprises from the Fed
by Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab, 6/24/10
The Federal Open Market Committee surprised no one with its decision to keep the Fed funds target rate in a range between zero and 0.25 percent, where it's been since December 2008. The new statement marked the first time since the economic recovery began last summer that the Fed had to slightly dial back its language about the pace of the recovery. Stocks rallied immediately after the announcement, but in light of rampant intraday volatility lately, it's way too soon to judge if there will be any longer-term impact.

Life in the Fast Lane: Volatility and Uncertainty Abound!
by Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab, 6/18/10
A 'square root' recovery is the most likely scenario: a V-shaped initial recovery followed by a flat-line period of growth. With the peaking in the US leading indicators in April, a likely double-dip in the euro area, slowing growth in China and rising US taxes, the beginning of a soft patch for the economy is likely upon us. This next phase has been accompanied by heightened volatility, a characteristic that is unlikely to go away. However, the current rally off the recent lows has legs.

Schwab Sector Views: Why Sectors?
by Brad Sorensen of Charles Schwab, 6/11/10
Views on the S&P 500 sectors.

Some Days Are Better Than Others... Just Not These Days
by Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab, 6/3/10
The wall of worry is back - and that's not a bad thing. Thanks to the correction, valuation has improved, while excessively bullish sentiment is no more. Growth estimates should be pared back for the second half of this year and next year, as well. Europe's debt crisis has become a deflationary event. The Treasury yield curve presently predicts the risk of a recession this year or next, however, as near-zero. The most likely shape of the recovery continues to be a 'square root,' with a V-shaped recovery followed by a leveling out of growth.

Senate Passes Major Financial Reform Bill
by Michael T. Townsend of Charles Schwab, 5/28/10
The US Senate approved legislation overhauling the regulatory structure of the financial industry?the most sweeping reform of the sector since the Depression. House and Senate negotiators must now reconcile differences between the newly passed Senate bill and the one that passed the House late last year, but lawmakers are shooting to send a final bill to President Obama for his signature by July 4. Key features of the bill are outlined, from a new consumer financial protection agency to significant reform of the credit-rating agencies.

Volatility on the Rise
by Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab, 5/17/10
Volatility in stocks has increased during the past several weeks as investors have grappled with numerous global concerns. Is this the start of a longer-term problem or is it just a short-term phenomenon? Developments in the housing and job markets hold the key to further economic improvement. Meanwhile, the European debt crisis was addressed with a massive package, but long-term issues remain, and China's rapid growth rate could lead to overheating and inflation.

Schwab Sector Views: Sea Change?
by Brad Sorensen of Charles Schwab, 5/14/10
Market volatility has heated up during the past couple of weeks as more eyes have turned toward the debt problems plaguing Europe. After a nice run in equities, it's certainly not surprising to see some sort of pullback, especially in areas of the market that may have outperformed to start the year. The United States is entering a time of more-steady growth, with flattening leading economic indicators, which typically represents a shift in sector leadership. The information technology sector, for example, should outperform the market, while materials should underperform.

Typical Situation: Do We Have a V-Shaped Recovery?
by Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab, 5/4/10
The same leading indicators that warned of the recession in 2007 have been recently pointing to a strong recovery in the United States and globally. Ignoring them in late 2007 and again in early 2009 were both mistakes, particularly from an investment perspective. Concerns over Greece and contagion gave the market some indigestion last week, but a period of consolidation was not unexpected given prior market strength. Overly bullish sentiment (a contrarian indicator) still needs some working off, but the technical underpinnings for the market remain healthy.

Resilience Resonates
by Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab, 5/1/10
The stock market has absorbed numerous body blows recently, but continues to chug along?waiting for a big price correction to buy could be detrimental. Economic data remains solid, confounding some recovery skeptics and providing the Fed ample reason to slowly return to normalcy. European debt problems are growing and concerns over contagion are rising; there's no quick fix, and some politically unpopular decisions are going to have to be made.

Fed Stays the Course
by Brad Sorensen of Charles Schwab, 4/29/10
The Federal Reserve continued its recent pattern of holding short-term interest rates relatively steady, while cautiously upgrading its economic outlook. Kansas City Federal Reserve President Thomas Hoenig again dissented. It is possible that economic uncertainty in Europe pushed the Fed to keep the status quo. Greece continues to make headlines with its debt problems, and there are growing concerns of possible contagion. Standard & Poor's recently downgraded the debt ratings of Spain and Portugal to junk status.
Results 1,351–1,360 of 1,360 found.