Quarterly Insight
Fourth Quarter 2020 Newsletter
How can one possibly summarize 2020? Amid a global pandemic, the deepest recession since World War II, and a contentious political environment, we witnessed the quickest bear market and fastest return to all-time highs ever. Read JIC's fourth-quarter 2020 newsletter for a look back at 2020 and hear from President Jason Jackman in his annual President's Letter.
January 11, 2021
Quarterly Insight
Third Quarter 2020 Newsletter
Back in March when stocks had fallen 35% in a matter of weeks, the near future looked bleak. With a worldwide shutdown in process and much of the economy at a standstill, it would have been hard to believe the best two-quarter gains in years were just ahead. This year is a reminder that life and markets are always unpredictable, and sometimes market behavior seems out of sync with current events.
October 23, 2020
Quarterly Insight
Second Quarter 2020 Newsletter
The shocking, rapid outbreak of COVID-19 sent stocks plummeting in February and March, until they bottomed on March 23rd, down 35% from the peak. It was one of the fastest selloffs on record. But then one of the fastest rallies in history began. The S&P 500 Index gained nearly 21% in the second quarter, its best quarter in more than 20 years.
July 10, 2020
Quarterly Insight
First Quarter 2020 Newsletter
As 2019 drew to a close, investors were enjoying a fantastic year of stock-market gains, unemployment had reached record lows, and the U.S. economic expansion appeared on track to continue into 2020. As always, there was a list of concerns confronting investors (impeachment, trade wars, and elections in particular), but no one knew how trivial those concerns would soon become.
April 08, 2020
Quarterly Insight
Fourth Quarter 2019 Newsletter
This past year was a successful one for the firm on multiple fronts. It was a tremendous year for investment results in both absolute and relative terms. While we believed our “slowing but growing” economic outlook could provide a decent backdrop for the stock market, the returns exceeded our expectations.
January 17, 2020
Quarterly Insight
Third Quarter 2019 Newsletter
While the stock market posted a very modest increase for the third quarter, it’s still been a great year by historical standards, primarily due to strong performance during the first half of the year.
October 18, 2019
Quarterly Insight
Second Quarter 2019 Newsletter
An up-and-down second quarter resulted in further stock-market gains, capping off the best first half for the S&P 500 Index since 1997. The market volatility that began last October continued in the first half of 2019.
July 19, 2019
Quarterly Insight
First Quarter 2019 Newsletter
Now that tax season has come and gone, most taxpayers are aware (in some cases, painfully) of the impact of the changes brought about by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Each tax return has its own unique wrinkles, and few situations are the same. Still, one broad conclusion that has been made about the new law is the sharp reduction in the percentage of taxpayers who itemized deductions.
April 19, 2019
Quarterly Insight
Fourth Quarter 2018 Newsletter
Nearly a decade into this historic bull market run, the S&P 500 Index posted its first calendar-year loss since 2008, finishing with a total return of -4.4%. This modest decline seems far worse after the fourth-quarter selloff.
January 14, 2019
Quarterly Insight
Third Quarter 2018 Newsletter
U.S. stocks overcame several headwinds and negative headlines in the third quarter, delivering the largest quarterly gain since 2013. Stock markets in the U.S. are very close to all-time record highs heading into the fourth quarter.
October 16, 2018
Quarterly Insight
Second Quarter 2018 Newsletter
A rising U.S. dollar, rising oil prices, and emerging market volatility are additional headwinds that could slow the economy’s momentum in the second half of 2018.
July 13, 2018
Quarterly Insight
First Quarter 2018 Newsletter
After nothing but smooth sailing in 2017, volatility returned with a vengeance in the first quarter of 2018. A very strong January rally was followed by two consecutive months of losses for the broader market.
April 13, 2018