The markets are off to a rip-roaring start this year — in the wrong direction. We are hearing all sorts of sensationalized firsts, including the fact that we just endured the worst first few days of January on record. While this is a painful fact, it is also one that is perhaps more sensationalized than […]
Our portfolio and the stock market bounced back aggressively in the fourth quarter following the Chinese Yuan induced swoon during the third. We finished the full year in positive territory, substantially ahead of our comparative indices and peer group. While there has been much gnashing of teeth over the narrowness of the market’s gains this […]
It’s that time of year again. Time to take stock of the year that was and time to try pondering what 2016 could look like. Every now and then someone asks us how the stock market will do next year. Sometimes, they aren’t asking for a range but an actual number, and I suspect an […]
The financial markets have worn many masks this year. Like a ping pong ball, wide and powerful swings from Fed pronouncements, movements in the dollar, and the price of oil have contributed to violent and swift changes in mood. Perception and reality are almost entirely a function of macroeconomic news, but for the very brief […]
The Broadleaf Growth Equity Portfolio (BGEP) enjoyed another nice gain in the second quarter, both on an absolute basis and relative to the S&P 500. Performance gains were relatively broad based, both at the sector and individual security levels. Technology and consumer discretionary related holdings were particular sources of strength during the quarter. Over the […]
Fifteen years ago, the tech-stock heavy, dot-com laden NASDAQ hit 5000, a level it hasn’t seen since – until today – March 2nd, 2015. Whether or not it will maintain a closing price above 5000 remains a work in progress, but in all likelihood, we’ll get there. To be honest, I wasn’t so sure that […]
The Broadleaf Growth Equity Portfolio gained a solid 2.6% during the fourth quarter, bringing its full year return to 11.8%. While lagging the overall market’s return for the year, our results on a one, three and five year basis remain in the top half of our peer group and are in solidly positive territory. Our […]
Our portfolio enjoyed very strong third quarter results in both absolute and relative terms, bringing year to date returns slightly ahead of the S&P 500. While no one should focus on short term investment results, it’s amazing what a difference a quarter can make. The performance was relatively broad based across the portfolio, with notable […]
I hate to blow up everyone’s inbox with a second Economic Update in just over a week, but I guess I just did. Usually, I don’t have anything intelligent to say more than once every month or so and since I’m not a journalist, I’m never forced to make stuff up just to sell papers. […]
Our last piece, Quick Thoughts, generated one of the highest open rates of any Economic Update we’ve sent, so we’ll take that as a clue and stick with the format. Before we get started, we would like to make a short comment on Robin Williams life and death. While he, quite sadly, was not the […]