Weekly Market Commentary – 11/17/2014

No-Shave November

It is that time of year again.  The weather is getting cooler and many of us who dread shaving each day are happy for any excuse to not have to do so during the month of No-Shave November.  While some of us do not really need a reason for not shaving, the No-Shave November concept is definitely worth embracing as it is a way to raise cancer awareness by growing our hair out during the month.  No-Shave November is a non-profit organization created by a family in 2009, who lost a loved one after a long battle with cancer.  They state on their website that, “The goal of No-Shave November is to grow awareness by embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose.  Donate the money you usually spend on shaving and grooming for a month to educate about cancer prevention, save lives, and aid those fighting the battle.”  So why not consider putting away your razor for the next few weeks, spread the word and contribute to a worthy cause.

Last week, the Eurozone economy was cutting it close, posting only 0.2% growth in the 3^rd quarter .…Read More…

Weekly Market Commentary – 11/10/2014

Trudging Through a Muddy Creek Crusade

As you know, some of us at CenterState enjoy participating in Tough Mudder events around the country, challenging ourselves to complete the 10 to 12 mile, mud-ridden obstacle course, while also participating in an event that supports and has raised over $6 million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project.  On this, the eve of the Veterans Day holiday, we want thank those individuals and their families who are serving or have served in our country’s military. Your dedication, service and sacrifice are greatly appreciated.

We just completed a recent Tough Mudder challenge in swampy, Central Florida, which probably has the blackest mud we have ever seen. Not only that, it was thick and soupy which made running and crawling through it slow and challenging. Once through a few of the muddier obstacles, we were able to clean off slightly during the Creek Crusade challenge.  What we thought initially was to be simply crossing a small creek on the property, ended up requiring us to wade down the creek in water well above waste-high for at least 3/4 of a mile.  In some areas, the creek bottom was solid, but in others, a mushy mess.  There was no point in trying to run through this obstacle, but rather slowly trudge through it and focus on keeping our shoes on our feet and ignore the burn in our legs.  .…Read More…

Weekly Market Commentary – 11/3/2014

Time to Vote

The mid-term elections are upon us as Election Day is Tuesday, November 4^th, 2014.  Sentiment is mixed as to whether or not there will be a strong voter turnout this year.  Congressional Job Approval is extremely low, at 12.7% approval rating according to the Real Clear Politics polling average.  Gallup has been tracking the correlation between approval ratings and voter turnout, which has proven to be rather high over the last decade, showing low approval ratings means a higher turnout.  However, voter engagement is rather low this year according turnout indicators, most likely due to the expectation that not much will change over the next 2 years regardless of the election results.  Many voters are dissatisfied with both the President and Congress, and with an already divided party control of Congress, there seems to be little expectation of change whether or not the Republicans win a majority in the Senate.  .…Read More…

Weekly Market Commentary – 10/27/2014

Oh, the Horror!

This week marks the end of October, which of course ends with Halloween night.  Children will dress up in costume and run through the streets asking the neighbors for treats, or else bear the wrath of their tricks.  Many enjoy the annual barrage of horror movies and haunted houses, as well as multiple costume parties during the season.  Inevitably, the parties will end, the refreshments will be returned to the pantry or refrigerator, and we will return to our normal lives that we escaped for that one night in costume, but not until we have gone on our own “sugar bender”, vowing that we will not eat anymore of the bags and bags of leftover Halloween candy after that one night.

Sometimes that sugar hangover can have lasting effects into the next day, but we quickly get over it.  It seems rather fitting that with the upcoming Fed meeting this week, the expectation is that the FOMC will call an end to its own party, by pulling the sugary, sweet QE away from the financial markets and announce the end of its buy-back program.  It seems that the volatility we have experienced over the last 2 trading weeks may simply be the markets are waking up from their sugar coma,  .…Read More…