Blogs

The past several years have witnessed a fundamental shift in how many people view sustainability worldwide. Moving forward, understanding—and centering—the three pillars of sustainability may be crucial to thriving as a business. While there are other factors at hand, it seems the Covid-19 pandemic provided an inflection point for many individuals. A 2021 study spanning 24 countries found 58% of adults are more mindful of their environmental impact than ever before as a direct result of the pandemic. Furthermore, 85% are willing to change their personal lives to combat the planet’s...

Skilled labor plays a critical role in keeping the cogs of the economy running smoothly. The manufacturing industry’s ongoing skilled labor shortage is marked by some concerning trends. While the manufacturing industry, like many others, faces challenges related to economic uncertainty and inflationary spirals, it’s also dealing with global logistics backlogs, supply chain bottlenecks, and cyberattacks. The continued loom of a talent shortage may affect the industry’s growth momentum. Lower productivity in the manufacturing sector and a reduced ability to meet customer demands are both...

Quarterly Market Review: Q3 2023 By: Paul Dickson, Director of Research and Giri Krishnan, Senior Portfolio Manager Does a Resilient 2023 Portend Trouble in 2024? Economic trends continuing through the third quarter prompted the Federal Reserve (Fed) to hike rates again. The Fed cautioned that further tightening, or at least a prolonged period of tight monetary policy, may be necessary. Concerns over the impact on economic activity are growing as it is now 18 months since the beginning of the tightening cycle. Expectations are rising that the surprising resilience of the economy this year - in...

Quarterly Market Review: Q2 2023 By: Paul Dickson, Director of Research and Giri Krishnan, Senior Portfolio Manager An Unsinkable Economy? A tight labor market and continued high consumer demand appear to have staved off a recession – possibly until 2024 (if even then). This resilience has meant continued inflationary pressures and points toward more Federal Reserve rate hikes this summer. So far, the U.S. economy has defied many economists’ more dire predictions. Hopes are growing for a “soft landing,” even after the most dramatic tightening of monetary policy since the early 1980s. The risks...

Quarterly market review: Q1 2023 By: Paul Dickson, Director of Research and Mark Stevens, Chief Investment Officer Staying the Course Speculation that the Federal Reserve will reverse course in its battle against inflation or change its policy target to a higher one is likely misplaced. A recession – hopefully a mild one -- is the most likely outcome with “policy triage” applied for unintended victims. The Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary tightening program recently had its first birthday. On March 15, 2022, the Fed increased its Effective Federal Funds Rate (Fed Funds Rate) by 25 basis points...