Adviser In The News

Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell appeared on CNBC World to discuss the unprecedented action of the Federal Reserve that, while meant to provide a foundation of confidence, came at a scale that suggested urgent action was necessary. Jim also explained why he believes that upcoming economic data is relatively meaningless; what matters over the short term is the medical data related to COVID-19 or any promising news of potential treatments.

Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell appeared on CNBC with a look at what this week’s market sell-off portends for investors. After a banner 2019, more volatility was likely in the cards in 2020 no matter what, Jim said, but while the coronavirus may continue to drive down stock prices in the near term, long-term investors should be grateful for the opportunity to pick up some valuable assets at attractive valuations.

Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell joined CNBC’s “Street Signs” to discuss the presidential impeachment inquiry’s potential impact on stock market volatility. Jim emphasized that although the proceedings may dominate short-term headlines, our economy’s long-term fundamentals will likely remain unchanged. Jim remarked, “I think this will be a nervous time to be an investor but if you’re disciplined it could also be a great time to add some of your best ideas at discounted prices … You stay vigilant. You stay focused on your long-term investment goals while also safeguarding your shorter-term income needs.” Jim further emphasized, “We think that making sure you have your buffers in place—having actively managed bonds and even cash reserves makes good sense even if you’re a growth investor … We think those buffers will play a measurable role in smoothing some of what we expect will be heightened volatility and enable you to stay the investment course.”

Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell appeared on CNBC World and discussed the market's jittery mood in recent weeks, saying that though the data still shows a slow-growth economy here at home, there are clear threats to global growth and reason for investors to be nervous—but the Fed's recent attempts to anticipate the market's moves rather than react to them may further erode confidence.

Adviser Investments’ Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Alley” to share his perspective on the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s 800-point drop on August 14, 2019. Although that 3% pullback marks the index’s greatest point decline this year and the fourth-largest of all time, Jim noted that investors should be making sure that their short-term income needs are met and that their long-term goals haven’t changed in what he thinks will continue to be a “momentum-driven market with a lot of volatility.” Jim also emphasized that the investing environment will remain challenging "not just for nerves, but also for those of us who take our task seriously and put shareholder interests first.”

Adviser Investments Senior Vice President Chris Keith joined NBC10 on August 14, 2019 to comment on the day’s 3% declines for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite. Chris pointed out that although this market volatility can be worrisome for short-term investors, long-term economic indicators remain strong. In the meantime, he recommended that investors diversify with high-quality bonds that continue to “do their job” despite the fact that bond yields are currently experiencing multi-year lows.

Adviser Investments’ Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell appeared on CNBC on August 9, 2019. Along with co-panelist Kristina Hooper, Jim discussed recession fears and where to find opportunity in the current investing environment. Highlighting small- and mid-cap emerging markets, dividend-growth stocks, and select health-care opportunities as potential bright spots, Jim noted, “Long-term, we think this is the kind of market that creates opportunities. Near term, we absolutely understand that it’s the day-to-day event-driven news that’s determining both the direction, the velocity and the volatility of the momentum.”

Adviser Investments Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell has the market analysis for Friday, August 2. All major U.S. stock market indexes declined, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite down 0.4%, 0.7% and 1.3%, respectively. President Trump announced on Twitter that Chinese imports should expect more tariffs, taking investors around the globe by surprise and sending Asian, European and U.S. markets down.

Adviser Investments Vice President Chris Hagan has the market analysis for Thursday, August 1. All major U.S. stock indexes declined after one of the most volatile trading days of 2019. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite fell 1.0%, 0.9%, 0.8%, respectively. In addition to discouraging manufacturing and construction spending data, investors also responded to President Trump’s announcement for an additional 10% of tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese imports. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields fell to a nearly three-year low. Oil prices also fell nearly 8%, marking the largest single-day decline since early 2015. Meanwhile, Pinterest’s stock jumped 14% in after-hours trading after second-quarter revenue shot up by 62%.

David Mastroianni, account executive at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Tuesday, July 30. All major U.S. stock market indexes declined, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite down 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively. Capital One fell nearly 6% after a hacker was arrested after stealing data of more than 100 million of its customers. In tech, Apple’s second-quarter earnings beat expectations even after iPhone sales fell shy of estimates.

Todd Peters, senior vice president at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Monday, July 29. U.S. indexes closed with mixed results: The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1% while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite fell 0.1% and 0.4%, The Federal Reserve is set to cut rates for first time since 2008 in hopes of preventing a potential downturn in the economy. In the market, Pfizer’s stock announced merging its Upjohn business with Mylan. The stock was down 3% though, due to shortcomings in revenue estimates.

Andrew Busa, financial planner at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Friday, July 26. Major U.S. stock markets rose on encouraging economic data and strong earnings reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite gained 0.2%, 0.7% and 1.1%, respectively, with the S&P and NASDAQ both hitting new high-water marks. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimated second-quarter economic growth (GDP) at 2.1%, surpassing the 2.0% figure that analysts had forecast on the back of strong consumer spending. However, this number represents a decline from last quarter’s 3.1%. Also making headlines, Sprint’s stock rose 7% and T-Mobile saw 6% gains after the Justice Department approved the telecom providers’ $26 billion merger.

Diana Linn, account manager at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Thursday, July 25. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 each fell 0.5% while the NASDAQ Composite inched down 1%. Amazon’s stock slipped 1% in after-hours trading owing to it falling shy of second-quarter profit expectations by more than $600 million. Notably, however, the online retail giant also saw quarterly revenue spike nearly 20% year-over-year propelled by strong sales from its cloud computing business. Alphabet, on the other hand, saw after-hours gains topping 10% after the company beat both sales and profit forecasts. Alphabet’s board also approved the repurchase of an additional $25 billion in Class C capital stock to fund future growth and investments.

Adviser Investments Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell has the market analysis for Wednesday, July 24. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite closed at record highs today, up 0.5% and 0.8% respectively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.3%. The Dow declined as Caterpillar and Boeing delivered disappointing second-quarter results, sending both down about 3%. Elsewhere, Facebook agreed to pay a record fine of $5 billion over privacy violations as well as failing to disclose a data leak that occurred years ago.

Adviser Investments Senior Vice President Chris Keith has the market analysis for Tuesday, July 23. For the second consecutive day, all major U.S. stock indexes increased with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 up 0.7% and the NASDAQ Composite rising 0.6%. Existing home sales came in below expectations—while still elevated at 5.27 million annualized, record high prices are leaving would-be buyers on the sidelines. United Technologies Corporation released its first earnings report since the Raytheon merger. Since then, UTX increased their profit forecast and the stock was up about 1.5% on the day.

Adviser Investments Vice President Josh Jones has the market analysis for Monday, July 22. Major U.S. stock market indexes began the week in the black, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite were up 0.1%, 0.7% and 0.3%, respectively. China’s newest stock market—the STAR Market, composed of 25 homegrown tech firms—opened for trading today with price gains soaring past expectations. Halliburton, one of the world’s oil-field services companies, exceeded analysts’ second-quarter profit estimates, sending its stock up 9%.

Adviser Investments Vice President Chris Hagan has the market analysis for Friday, July 19. All major U.S. stock indexes declined, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite down 0.3%, 0.6%, 0.7%, respectively. State Street dominated corporate headlines locally—its stock rose 7% after the company beat second-quarter earnings expectations, even as those earnings plunged 29%. Quarterly sales also surpassed the $2.85 billion forecast but declined 6% year-over-year. State Street announced plans to cut an additional 800 jobs before the year is out.

Brian Mackey, deputy director of research at Adviser Investments, joined “NECN Business” to discuss Senator Elizabeth Warren’s proposal to regulate private equity firms. Mackey discusses why private equity is under scrutiny and what investors should know.

Brian Mackey, deputy director of research at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Thursday, July 18. Major U.S. indexes rebounded following two consecutive down days, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average seeing fractional gains, the S&P 500 up 0.4% and the NASDAQ Composite rising 0.3%. Although markets began with flat trading, they responded positively to late-day remarks from New York Fed President, John Williams, signaling an imminent potential rate cut. Meanwhile, Netflix’s stock tumbled 10% on weak quarterly subscriber counts. Netflix lost 130,000 U.S. subscribers during the second quarter—its first drop since 2011. On the earnings front, Microsoft rose nearly 3% in after-hours trading after reporting nearly $33 billion in quarterly revenue. This marks a 12% sales gain, topping analyst projections by nearly $1 billion.

Josh Jurbala, quantitative investments manager at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Thursday, July 11. Major U.S. market indexes closed with mixed results, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 up 0.8% and 0.2%, respectively, and the NASDAQ Composite dipping less than 0.1%. In earning news, Delta Air Lines’ stock rose nearly 2% after beating second-quarter earnings expectations. The company posted quarterly earnings of $2.35 per share on $12.5 billion in revenue—a new record high as earnings continue to be boosted by robust summer travel bookings.

Todd Peters, senior vice president at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Wednesday, July 10. Major U.S. stock market indexes advanced on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comments signaling a likely interest-rate cut. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.3%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.5% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 0.8%, with all indexes hitting intraday high-water marks. Also making headlines, Lady Gaga revealed her new Haus Laboratories cosmetic line that will be distributed exclusively through Amazon. The online retail giant also announced a partnership with the U.K.’s state-funded National Health Service through which digital assistant “Alexa” will offer basic diagnoses and medical advice. Amazon’s stock gained 1.5% on today’s news.

Kate Austin, equity research analyst at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Monday, July 8. Major U.S. stock indexes declined, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.4%, the S&P dropping 0.5% and the NASDAQ Composite off 0.8%. Deutsche Bank fell more than 5% after announcing that the company will reduce its global headcount by nearly 20,000 employees. Also making headlines, Procter & Gamble unveiled its new Zevo bug control product offerings. Unlike Johnson & Johnson’s Raid, Zevo’s active ingredients are “bio-selective” and approved for use around children and pets.

Ryan Christensen, account executive at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Friday, July 5. Major U.S. stock indexes closed down on the day: The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 lost 0.2% while the NASDAQ Composite was off 0.1%. Although the Labor Department reported that nonfarm payrolls saw their largest monthly gain since January, that encouraging economic data contributed to today’s market volatility as investors pondered the diminished likelihood of an interest-rate cut after the Federal Reserve meeting at the end of July. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical stocks declined after President Trump proposed a “favored-nation clause” to help regulate drug prices. Eli Lilly, Merck and Johnson & Johnson each closed down more than 1%.

Rick Winters, vice president at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Wednesday, July 3. Tech stocks led today’s abbreviated-trading gains as all major U.S. market indexes closed at record highs: The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 each rose 0.7% while the NASDAQ Composite ticked up 0.2%. Meanwhile, ADP reported 102,000 new private-sector jobs were added to the U.S. economy in June, shy of the 140,000 that economists forecasted.

David Mastroianni, strategic account executive at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Tuesday, July 2. All major U.S. stock indexes advanced for the third consecutive day, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 and both gaining 0.3% and the NASDAQ Composite up 0.2%. Brent crude oil dropped 4% to close below $60 per barrel for the first time since January. In the automobile industry, Tesla announced record-breaking production and delivery for its second quarter, beating expectations and sending Tesla shares up nearly 7%.

Adviser Investments Vice President Josh Jones has the market analysis for Monday, July 1. Major U.S. stock market indexes advanced, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ up 0.4%, 0.8% and 1.1%, respectively. The S&P 500 closed at a new high as Presidents Trump and Xi’s trade truce eased investor concerns. Meanwhile, oil-producing countries agreed to continue oil cuts for nine months amid worries over slower global demand.

Charlie Toole, vice president at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Friday, June 28. The market ended the first half of 2019 on a high note as all major U.S. stock indexes were up. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P and NASDAQ rose 0.3%, 0.6% and 0.5%, respectively. The G-20 summit led to President Trump and President Xi speaking about a trade truce and further negotiations, cheering investors. Meanwhile, financials were the best performing sector on the day, as JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Citigroup got the Federal Reserve’s blessing to raise their dividends and buy back stock after passing the central bank’s annual stress test.

Brian Mackey, deputy director of research at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Thursday, June 27. Major U.S. indexes again closed with minimal trading and mixed results: The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw fractional losses while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite rose 0.4% and 0.7%, respectively. Boeing fell nearly 3% on news that production of its 737 Max could be delayed by up to three months after new problems arose with its software. Meanwhile, Nike’s stock crept up just over 1% after the company missed its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings forecast but beat revenue expectations. Footwear and athletic apparel helped push Nike’s sales up 4% to more than $10 billion.

Todd Peters, senior vice president at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Tuesday, June 25. All major U.S. stock market indexes declined, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite down 0.7%, 1.0% and 1.5%, respectively. Big mergers remain in the news, as drugmaker AbbVie announced plans to buy Allergan for around $63 billion; AbbVie’s stock dropped 16% while Allergan’s soared 25%. FedEx’s quarterly results showed the company matched estimates on sales and beat estimates on earnings, but its stock pulled back due to ongoing international trade concerns.

Adviser Investments Senior Vice President Chris Keith has the market analysis for Monday, June 24. Little changed on Wall Street as the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up less than 0.1% while S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite fell 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. In merger news, Eldorado Resorts announced plans to buy Caesars Entertainment in a $17.3 billion deal, sending Caesars’ stock up by double digits and Eldorado’s slumping 7%. Meanwhile, the Dallas Fed’s manufacturing index dropped to the lowest level in three years, consistent with other recent manufacturing reports.

Josh Jurbala, quantitative investments manager at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Friday, June 21. After four consecutive days with gains, major U.S. market indexes declined slightly because of ongoing Persian Gulf tensions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 declined 0.1% while the and NASDAQ Composite dipped 0.3%. In terms of economic data, the National Association of Realtors reported a 2.5% monthly gain in existing home sales last month. Although 1% lower than May 2018’s pace, the figure continues to reflect housing-market strength, with national prices up around 5% year-over-year.

Kate Austin, equity research analyst at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Wednesday, June 19. Major U.S. stock indexes advanced for the third consecutive day with the S&P 500 less than 1% shy of a new record high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P and NASDAQ rose 0.2%, 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively. Today’s movement was prompted by news that interest rates will remain unchanged in the 2.25 to 2.5% target range as the Federal Reserve continues to monitor market “uncertainties.” In other news, American Airlines’ stock rose 2.4% after the company announced its order for 50 new long-range, single-aisle planes from Airbus SE.

Ryan Christensen, account executive at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Tuesday, June 18. All major U.S. stock indexes advanced, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ Composite both up 1.4% and the S&P 500 gaining 1.0%. Boeing’s stock jumped more than 5% after British Airways announced plans to purchase 200 of Boeing’s new 737 Max planes. Facebook made headlines with Libra, its anticipated cryptocurrency debut. A non-profit group will have ultimate control of the new blockchain-based currency, but Facebook will share oversight of Libra with companies that include eBay, Mastercard, PayPal and Uber.

Adviser Investments Vice President Charlie Toole has the market analysis for Monday, June 17. Major U.S. stock indexes started the week with light trading and slight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 rose 0.1% while the NASDAQ Composite gained 0.6%. Meanwhile, the Empire State Manufacturing Index for May came in far below expectations: New York-based manufacturing activity plunged more than 25 points month-over-month to its lowest level and first negative reading since 2016. Also, Pfizer announced its $11 billion acquisition of Array BioPharma. Pfizer’s stock remained steady on the merger news while Array BioPharma’s soared 59%.

Rick Winters, vice president at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Friday, June 14. All major U.S. market indexes declined slightly on mounting geopolitical concerns. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite fell 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.5%, respectively. Adding to tensions from last week’s tanker attacks in the Persian Gulf, the International Energy Agency released its 2020 global oil projections, forecasting that supply will exceed demand. Closer to home, the National Retail Federation reported a 0.5% monthly retail-sales increase, adding even more to businesses’ coffers after April’s upwardly revised 0.3% gain.

Adviser Investments Vice President Chris Hagan has the market analysis for Thursday, June 13. Despite elevated international tension, major U.S. stock indexes rebounded slightly, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 each up 0.4% and the NASDAQ Composite rising 0.6%. The energy sector fueled today’s market rebound after explosions on two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz led to a more than 2% bump in crude oil prices. Also making headlines, Tyson Foods’ stock rose 1.2% after America’s largest beef, poultry and pork processor announced a new plant-based “chicken” nugget under its new Raised & Rooted label.

Todd Peters, senior vice president at Adviser Investments, has the market analysis for Wednesday, June 12. Major U.S. market indexes once again declined. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 dipped 0.2% and the NASDAQ was off 0.4%. In terms of economic data, the Labor Department reported muted consumer price gains for May: The index rose just 0.1% month-over-month versus 0.3% April gains. Meanwhile, at Tesla’s annual shareholders’ meeting, CEO Elon Musk predicted the potential for a “record quarter on every level.” Tesla’s stock is down around 35% this year and slid nearly 4% today.

Adviser Investments Senior Vice President Chris Keith has the market analysis for Tuesday, June 11. After starting with intraday gains, major U.S. indexes broke their five-day winning streak to close with fractional losses. Meanwhile, despite ongoing tariff negotiations, May’s Small Business Optimism Index rose 1.5 points, topping expectations and reaching a six-month high. We also saw the House Judiciary Committee kick off antitrust hearings related to big technology companies like Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google.