Stephen Kates

A new Fed chair and a tentative peace agreement turn the page on a rocky few months.Oil prices and a hawkish Fed competed for market control.

Stocks rose as market leadership broadened beyond tech, while the record-breaking SpaceX IPO tested investor appetite for risk.

The Federal Reserve's credibility is being inflated away

The U.S. economy delivered exactly the kind of labor market report investors spent much of last year hoping for.

You won't find much evidence for de-dollarization, but you will find colorful visuals.

Yields climbed toward levels that have historically made investors nervous, yet stocks pressed on and continued to grind higher.

An emergency fund is a dedicated, easily accessible cash reserve, ideally holding enough liquid cash to cover essential living expenses for several months.

Despite rising oil prices, sticky inflation, ugly consumer sentiment, and a cautious tone from the Fed, there was just no holding the market back

The Dow lagged and finished lower, a reminder that leadership remains uneven and the markets can’t go straight up forever.

Markets surged to record highs this week, capping three straight weeks of gains as fears of a prolonged energy shock faded

While pressure on global supply has not meaningfully changed, the recent price decline may offer some temporary relief as negotiations (hopefully) begin.

President Trump’s Wednesday prime-time press conference turned into a meeting that should have been an email, since little new information was shared

For as long as the conflict stretches on, there will be little else that will dominate the market psyche, so get used to it.

U.S. equities slipped this week as investors faced the familiar problem of strong fundamentals and thick levels of uncertainty.

It turned into a volatile week that pushed equities lower at the same time that underlying economic fundamentals began to show gradual improvement.

Patience will pay off for investors if they can manage risk well enough to avoid what appears to be an overreaction-prone market.

The quickly shifting tides of White House policy can be paddled safely if you keep one eye on the horizon and don’t fight the current too hard.

Equities remain steady. Market leadership is rotating and broadening as past champions fade and new ones advance.

Living in times of tumult, change, and growth is transformative... but it can also be difficult or dangerous. We live in interesting times.

Although the recent correction may feel jarring, the speed and magnitude of this year’s rally made a mood reset useful and potentially healthy.

While the spending and growth will be made up for, it doesn’t change the damage done at a particularly precarious time for the economy.

Concerning statements from OpenAI mid-week led to a lot of speculation that the company may be in trouble.

Past bull markets have lasted five years on average, so unless the Fed or a recession crashes the party, this rally could easily have a few birthdays left.

After a six-month climb that lifted the S&P 500 by roughly 35% without a meaningful pullback, the rally finally hit some turbulence.

The U.S. government shutdown has now stretched into its second week, making it the fourth-longest in history.

Despite the noise this is more noise than signal, the economy is entering this shutdown with momentum.

The standout was a sharp upward revision to second-quarter GDP, now at 3.8%, powered by resilient consumer spending and stronger business investment.

Regardless, the market is ready to believe the best-case scenario and sent stocks uniformly higher.

Competing economic signals are arriving just in time for the Federal Reserve’s September 17 meeting, where rate cuts are widely expected.

The unemployment rate crept up to 4.3%, the highest in three years but still low by historical standards.

After losing ground for most of the week, the S&P 500 rallied over 1.5% on Friday, lifting the index just shy of an all-time high close.

Markets continued to climb the wall of worry, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting fresh all-time highs.

Markets digested a heavy dose of policy headlines this week, from fresh tariffs to major tax changes. #tech #tariffs

The core of this new law is a capstone gift to a subset of Americans who may fear the credit card is about to be cancelled. #Trump

The markets just kicked off summer with a bang. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs this week, climbing 24% and 33% respectively #markets

Powell emphasized the Fed is staying patient amid ongoing uncertainty. Eight members see two rate cuts this year while seven expect none. #Fed

Low hiring is frustrating job searchers, but low firing is showing companies are attempting to see past uncertainty. #markets

Markets had a rollercoaster ride in May, but the destination was solid gains. Especially for technology. #markets

U.S. and China hit the brakes on their escalating tariff war, announcing a 90-day suspension of recently imposed tariffs #tariffs

Progress here could be a game-changer, as even a temporary tariff reduction could ease economic strain. #strategy

Powered by a trio of encouraging developments: cooling trade tensions, solid corporate earnings, and a better-than-expected April jobs report #markets

Volatility will stick around like an uninvited dinner guest, but long-term investors should stay the course. #investing #tariffs

Investors are clearly jubilant after the announced pause of the Trump admin’s reciprocal tariffs. However, this is far from over. #Trump #tariffs

It was a bad week. I guess I should have saved my 'volatile ends' title from last week for this week. #markets #investing

As the first quarter closes, market volatility remains high, fueled by inflation concerns and newly and yet-to-be announced tariffs.

Meanwhile, the Dow Jones dropped 3.07%. Now all major indexes in negative territory for the year. #markets

What a week. The U.S. economy appears to be cooling, but it’s too early to call for a recession just yet. #economy #markets

Stumbled this week, with the S&P 500 briefly erasing its year-to-date gains before rebounding slightly on Friday to end the week with +1.4% YTD #market

The right or wrong narratives can create or destroy wealth. #stories #finance #investing

The S&P 500 hit a new record last week, climbing over 2% as earnings season delivered positive surprises. #markets