Investing with Insight
At Appleton, we value active engagement and interaction with financial advisors and clients. Investing with insight helps us meet client objectives. And by sharing our economic and market perspectives, we foster deeper relationships. Here’s what we’re talking about this month.
Review and Outlook
"The incoming “Trump 2.0” Administration’s policy priorities remain in flux, and House Speaker Johnson’s near failure to be seated is a fresh reminder of the thin legislative path open to the GOP. With so much still unknown, major market impacts are likely to come from public policy, but for now we will focus on hard economic data..."
"Even without an election, today’s macro environment would be interesting. Markets are focused on labor weakness and have broadly moved on from inflation concerns. What makes this fascinating , however, is that we think markets have it backward..."
"The biggest October economic news came on the first of November, when October’s jobs report showed a mere 12k jobs created that month. While abysmal on the surface, we recommend interpreting the jobs report with caution for three reasons...
Economic and Market Commentary
As the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County edges closer to complete containment, ramifications for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (the “Department”) remain uncertain. To date, there has been no implication that the Department’s Power System infrastructure was responsible for igniting the fire. The investigation into ignition remains ongoing, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
"Our thoughts are with our clients, business partners, and all individuals whom the Los Angeles area wildfires have impacted. Please note that this commentary is written strictly from a credit perspective and is not intended to minimize the devastating impact of this natural disaster on people and property..."
"Bank of America provides monthly updates on state tax revenue trends. In the Bank’s latest publication it noted that median sales tax collections in July are pointing to a 0.4% decline, which would be the second consecutive drop .."
Quarterly Perspectives
Q4
"Economic developments rarely have isolated impact as one factor affects another. A pandemic-influenced spike in inflation was followed in 2022 by rapid Fed Funds rate increases and an inversion of the US Treasury and AAA Municipal yield curves..."
Q3
"Life is inherently uncertain despite our best efforts to mitigate risk and plan for tomorrow’s eventualities. For many of us, control offers a sense of security, yet the reality is that unexpected events inevitably occur, and personal transitions, however challenging, are sometimes necessary. That’s why Appleton places great emphasis on the human element..."
Q2
"News cycles and market sentiment shifts have become increasingly rapid in today’s fast paced media environment. Depending on where one turns for insight (or opinion as the case may be), recommendations are likely to widely vary, if not conflict..."
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power