MWBoone Blog

Lessons From the Labor Market

MWBoone Associates — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:01:20 +0000

More than four million children were born in the United States in 1990, the most in any year since the tail end of the baby boom in 1961. Twenty-two years later, in 2012, more than 1.8 million will earn a bachelor’s degree and either enter the workforce or move on to more schooling (graduate school). In addition, approximately 3.2 million students, most born in 1994, will graduate from high school this spring, and face the same choices as college grads…

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Lessons From the Labor Market

Treasury Momentum

MWBoone Associates — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:27:53 +0000

Treasuries continue to enjoy a spring renewal with prices continuing their slow inexorable march higher and the 10-year Treasury yield approaching the low end of the long-standing trading range [Figure 1]. Since September of last year, the 10-year Treasury yield has…

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Treasury Momentum

License to Spend

MWBoone Associates — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:47:47 +0000

In our 2012 Outlook we wrote, “U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) is likely to produce below-average growth of about 2% in 2012, supported by solid business spending and modest, but stable, consumer spending” and that U.S. business spending would grow at several times the pace of consumer spending in 2012. With data on GDP now in hand…

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License to Spend

The “Wall Street” Election Poll

MWBoone Associates — Tue, 08 May 2012 08:19:30 +0000

The biggest event for investors over the next six months is likely to be the November elections in the United States. The outcome of the elections will define the political context and leadership for policies that address the looming fiscal imbalances coming to a head in early 2013…

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The “Wall Street” Election Poll

Financial Matters Following a Loved Ones Death

MWBoone Associates — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:10:48 +0000

Making sensible financial planning decisions after the loss of a family member or personal friend can be quite a challenge…

Financial Matters Following a Loved Ones Death

Spring Slide Indicators Update

MWBoone Associates — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:34:50 +0000

One month ago we provided our list of the 10 indicators to watch that seemed to precede the stock market declines in 2010 and 2011 and may warn of another spring slide. In both 2010 and 2011 an early run-up in the stock market, similar to this year, pushed stocks up about 10% for the year by mid-April…

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Spring Slide Indicators Update

New Paradigm in Global Growth

MWBoone Associates — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:16:26 +0000

For the third year in a row, as April turns into May, global financial markets are growing concerned over a slowdown in global economic activity. From a U.S. perspective, we continue to monitor several key metrics…

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New Paradigm in Global Growth

Comfortably Numb

MWBoone Associates — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:40:32 +0000

After climbing the wall to five-month highs in March 2012, Treasury yields are back down to their lowest levels since late February. The three-week spring break excitement in the bond market that witnessed the 10-year Treasury spike briefly to 2.4% is likely over, and Treasury yields have moved steadily lower since early April.…

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Comfortably Numb

Most Asked Fed Question May Go Unanswered

MWBoone Associates — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:05:44 +0000

This week marks the first anniversary of the latest round of increased transparency by the Federal Reserve (Fed) as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will kick off a second year of post-Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting press conferences on Wednesday, April 25. Bernanke’s first post-FOMC press conference was held on April 27, 2011. Bernanke also held press conferences after the FOMC meetings that ended on June 22, 2011, November 2, 2011, and January 25, 2012. While the media is likely…

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Most Asked Fed Question May Go Unanswered

Spring Allergies or Something Worse?

MWBoone Associates — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:52:33 +0000

In April, the markets seem to be suffering from a case of spring allergies. One day they are feeling better and climbing higher, the next they weaken and drop. Like pollen-induced sneezes, the almost involuntary market spasms at each of the data points have resulted in a noticeable uptick in volatility after a very quiet first quarter. In fact, so far during April nearly half of the trading days, six out of 14, have seen more than a…

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Spring Allergies or Something Worse?