In what seems to be a never ending saga, the Greek crisis has now hit another critical point. While the austerity measures agreed to this week were a necessary step towards cutting Greece’s debt load, it came at great political and social costs as internal unrest has hit a new fever pitch. There is still no deal with bondholders, and …
A Bleak Future Is In Store For Europe
Only time will tell if the Eurozone will overcome this debt crisis. However, Europe faces a near certain reality of economic stagnation. With the amount of austerity that has been put in place, prospects for growth are dire indeed. Not only is the economy likely to contract this as suggested by the IMF and others, but forward progress in the …
When Will This Greek Tragedy End?
While the markets appear impervious to the disastrous situation unfolding in Greece, we certainly are not. Although it’s difficult to quantify the impact of an adverse event in Greece on U.S. markets, Greek default is a very realistic scenario that could trigger a negative ripple effect globally. As Greece is mired in talks with its bondholders over the restructuring terms …
The Rationale Behind Remaining Invested in the U.S.
In conjunction with abnormally warm winter weather across the nation, markets have followed suit. So far this month, the S&P 500 has gained 4.6% while the NASDAQ has performed even better, returning nearly 7%. Although I doubt that this current hot streak will carry on long-term, there are certainly some short-term opportunities to capitalize on some attractive equity ETFs while …
S&P Downgrades Add Further Strain on Europe
Standard and Poor’s didn’t shy away from issuing en masse downgrades to 9 countries in Europe after months of warnings. In other words, Europe is on thin ice and will have to act fast before its unified economic foundation breaks into fragmented pieces. In this week’s video, managing director of sovereign ratings at S&P, John Chambers, presents a breakdown of …
Political Affiliation and Investment Returns – Is There A Link?
With the Republican primary well under way, I’m sure you may be wondering which candidate will be able to revive the U.S. economy and push markets back into bull territory. Over the years, the debate between politics and financial growth has been contentious, questioning whether Democratic or Republican policies are more beneficial for the economy and financial markets. As we …