Blogs

Quarterly Market Review: Q1 2022 By: Paul Dickson, Director of Research and Mark Stevens, Chief Investment Officer The Reemergence of Risk If there was one overarching theme to the first quarter of this year, it was that risks, which seemed vanquished in an earlier era, have returned to plague us. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a war is once again afflicting Europe. The prospects of returning to a world of divided spheres of influence and a retreat from globalization appear to be increasing. Inflation once seemed so well conquered that developed market Central Banks strained to lift price...

Cryptocurrency (crypto) has been growing in popularity for some time. Last year crypto, defined as the class of digital assets you can spend and invest, reached a milestone. Bitcoin, the best-known crypto, had the highest investment return of any asset class in 2021, outpacing the stock market, real estate, commodities and more. It has also experienced some of the biggest price drops in January 2022. Little wonder that the media is increasingly filled with stories of crypto companies growing and investors getting rich—and going broke. Cryptocurrencies are increasingly becoming a part of the...

Quarterly Market Review: Q4 2021 By: Paul Dickson, Director of Research and Mark Stevens, Chief Investment Officer Shifting Gears Even as the pandemic continues to delay a full normalization of the global economy, the exit from emergency support has begun. Most fiscal and administrative efforts have waned, and global monetary authorities have moved on from protecting against the downside to worrying about inflation. The emerging theme is one of shifting gears away from stimulus and towards relative austerity and to relying on the private sector to take the lead as the engine of recovery...

Consumers are demanding streamlined, hassle-free payment solutions both online and in person. As consumers increasingly pay less with cash, businesses are turning to an increasing mix of emerging payment solutions to maintain growth. For the most part, consumer preferences are shifting toward mobile and digital payment options. Businesses are responding by investing in ways to improve their payment solutions to accommodate mobile, online and point-of-sale channels. The mix of emerging payments depends on the industry and local markets. But the general trends shown in the most recent survey by...

Quarterly Market Review: Q3 2021 By: Paul Dickson, Director of Research and Mark Stevens, Chief Investment Officer Once More Unto The Brink! The quarter saw many worrisome headlines that could have caused significant consternation for market participants and did lead to some volatility and weakness towards the end of the quarter. Overall, however, the general stability of the markets was a testament to their fortitude. The US -- and Global -- Economy was on the brink of an extraordinary recovery until the Delta Variant of the Covid-19 Virus intervened. An ongoing survey of market economists...