Market Recap The second quarter of 2026 was a sharp reversal of the first. Just three months ago, the first quarter had delivered a decline of 5% in U.S. stocks, the energy sector was up nearly 38%, software names were down 24%, and there was a genuine fear that a prolonged closure of the Strait […]
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Outlook for the US Economy – 2nd Quarter 2026 By M. Ray Perryman, PhD, CEO and President The Perryman Group Employment – Growth in the United States economy has slowed significantly, gaining 531,000 net new jobs over the twelve-month period ending June 2026, an annual employment growth rate of only 0.33%. Over the past year, the […]
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Market Review The second quarter of 2026 was a sharp reversal of the first. Just three months ago, the first quarter had delivered a decline of 5% in the S&P 500. But what followed in the second quarter was a round trip in risk assets. The S&P 500 returned 10.5% in April, its best month […]
Read MoreMarket Recap Never a dull news cycle! Investors were barraged with a staggering number of events during the quarter. There was no shortage of geopolitical headlines with the year kicking off with the capture and extradition of Venezuela’s then-president, Nicolás Maduro. And as the first quarter ends, conflict in the Middle East dominates the narrative […]
Read MoreOutlook for the US Economy – 1st Quarter 2026 By M. Ray Perryman, PhD, CEO and President The Perryman Group Employment – The United States economy gained 235,000 net new jobs over the 12-month period ending March 2026 for an annual employment growth rate of 0.15%. Over the past year, the educational services, health care, […]
Read MoreMarket Review U.S. Stocks (S&P 500 outpaced foreign Index) underperformed foreign stocks in the first quarter. U.S. large-cap stocks trailed during January and February but have stocks (MSCI ACWI ex. U.S. Index) since the Iranian conflict started at the end of February. Much of the decline in stocks so far has come from multiple compression […]
Read MoreMarket Recap U.S. equity markets finished the fourth quarter on solid footing, with the domestic stocks rising 2.7% and ending the year up 17.9%. Gains continued to be driven by strong corporate earnings, particularly within a concentrated few technology and artificial intelligence large-cap, growth-oriented companies. Large-cap growth stocks outpaced value (18.6% vs. 15.9% for the […]
Read MoreBy M. Ray Perryman, PhD, CEO and President – The Perryman Group Outlook for the US Economy – 4th Quarter 2025 By M. Ray Perryman, PhD, CEO and President The Perryman Group Employment Job growth across the US economy has slowed significantly in recent months, and performance has been notably uneven across industries. Just 525,000 […]
Read MoreMarket Review U.S. Stocks (S&P 500 Index) continued to grind higher thanks to strength in corporate earnings. U.S. large cap stocks gained 2.7% in the quarter—bringing their calendar year gain to 17.9%. Returns continue to be driven by stocks in the tech sector, lifted by the optimism around Ai-driven investment themes. U.S. small cap stocks […]
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Market Recap Global equity markets continued their ascent in the third quarter, driven by strong corporate earnings growth, artificial intelligence (AI) enthusiasm and expectations of easing monetary policy. Despite investor concerns related to a slowing economy, tariffs, and a looming government shutdown, large-cap domestic stocks gained 8.1% over the quarter, ending near an all-time high, […]
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