Articles by Brian Kozel

The Pace of Change

By |2022-05-13T15:39:23-07:00May 6th, 2022|

The current pace of change has disoriented investors and put downward pressure on prices and this volatility may not subside in the short-term.

A Lot Can Change in a Quarter

By |2022-06-30T11:42:52-07:00April 1st, 2022|

Q1 2022 Market Commentary
We expect commodity prices to remain elevated in the near term and any recovery in stock and bond prices to be tempered while investors reevaluate growth expectations in a less interconnected world.

Patience Amidst Inflation

By |2022-03-25T14:34:12-07:00March 18th, 2022|

Inflationary pressures on consumers are likely to persist in the near term. As we look past moments of heightened market volatility, remaining invested and diversified has provided the most resilient outcomes for our clients.

Geopolitical Gyrations

By |2022-03-04T15:56:56-08:00February 18th, 2022|

Even though risks feel elevated in current headlines, the reality is that there are always risks, and opportunities, for financial markets. We focus on taking the appropriate amount of risk based on your situation, not based on market unknowns.

Facebook’s Flop

By |2022-02-18T14:43:44-08:00February 4th, 2022|

Meta is one of the largest companies globally and the decline had a direct impact on major stock market indices. This changing landscape for Meta has broader lessons about the lifecycle of investments in innovative companies.

The Changing Seasons

By |2022-06-30T11:41:54-07:00January 7th, 2022|

Q4 2021 Market Commentary
January brings the annual tradition of envisioning the year ahead. In financial markets, this means attempting to predict what can not be controlled.

A Market Christmas Carol

By |2022-01-14T15:45:49-08:00December 17th, 2021|

Visited by three spirits representing the arc of his past, present, and future, Scrooge was given the gift of perspective. It is a tale that holds valuable lessons for investors.

Familiar Unknowns

By |2021-12-17T14:25:01-08:00December 3rd, 2021|

While the emergence of the Omicron variant is troubling as a public health issue, it is familiar territory for the economy. As we face new variants and risks, we believe a long-term strategy will continue to serve our clients well.

Noisy Normalization

By |2021-10-15T15:27:57-07:00October 1st, 2021|

Q3 2021 Market Commentary
Investor sentiment is slowly shifting from the optimism of early-2021 when investors believed ‘when this pandemic is over, things will be better,’ to a more pragmatic outlook that acknowledges the pandemic is not over and may linger.

The Snarled Supply Chain

By |2021-10-01T15:42:24-07:00September 17th, 2021|

We often take for granted how products arrive at our doorsteps or on store shelves. The pandemic has caused a snarled supply chain, and the resulting scarcity is driving up product prices.

Lessons from Fukushima

By |2021-09-17T14:22:35-07:00September 3rd, 2021|

Transitory disruptions to the global supply chain persist and the impact on long-term valuations grow as investors question how companies will recover and protect their profits against future disruptions.

The Callous Market

By |2021-09-07T13:56:04-07:00August 20th, 2021|

History offers many examples of war and tragedy that can be used to analyze how markets make sense of the potential financial impacts during a crisis.

Mixed Messages

By |2021-08-20T14:45:52-07:00August 6th, 2021|

The prevailing story in the markets over the past year has been economic recovery, pandemic progress, and Fed support. The story has supported price growth but hinges on a “just right” middle path to keep those three pillars in balance.

Olympic Trials & Tribulations

By |2021-08-06T13:01:04-07:00July 23rd, 2021|

The Olympics reliably provide great drama. Whether it’s enough to justify the cognitive dissonance of hammering forward with the Games amid a health crisis is another question

Cycles of Recovery

By |2021-07-26T11:34:54-07:00July 9th, 2021|

Q2 2021 Market Commentary
Global economic activity has picked up over the last three months, reflecting pent-up demand but still faces several road bumps as the pace of recovery varies between nations.

Echoes of Past Excess

By |2021-07-09T15:10:42-07:00June 25th, 2021|

Investors face the question of whether high equity prices are a sign of speculative excess or a reasonable conclusion based on pandemic-altered demand and a recovering economy.

Innovation Begins with Investment

By |2021-06-25T13:03:39-07:00June 11th, 2021|

In a showing of bipartisan support, the US Senate voted for the Innovation and Competition Act. It provides widespread support for research and development in technology and science, representing a long-term view that will hopefully drive needed patterns of change.

Help Wanted

By |2021-06-04T16:25:54-07:00May 21st, 2021|

The national employment headline numbers don’t tell the full story of a fraught employment landscape, with ‘help wanted’ signs outpacing job applications in recent weeks.