4th Quarter of 2015
Entering 2015 we opined that volatility would likely continue and that has certainly played out both in the U.S. and abroad. We expect choppy markets to continue as the markets work through flat corporate earnings, plunging oil prices, china's slowing economy and uncertainty from the Fed on interest rate policy.
We are still long term bullish on the U.S. stock market and developed Europe in general. September and October has historically been a seasonally weak period for U.S. stocks. Should this be the case, October has also marked potential bottoms of past markets, including the last two largest market declines in 2011 and 2014. We'll be monitoring our indicators and the markets very closely and potentially adjust portfolios where appropriate.
Still near the top of our client's minds is the collapse in oil prices and what it means to oil stocks, the U.S. and world economies and where the bottom may be for the commodity. We have our opinions for this year and longer term and look forward to sharing our thoughts with you.
Finally, we continue to receive positive feedback from our retirement planning software "Goal Planning and Monitoring." My team and I look forward to meeting with you to share some of our new ideas. We greatly appreciate and value our client relationships and their continued trust and confidence. We also value your referrals this past year and the new relationships that we have developed. We continue to look forward to the future with optimism.
Best regards,
Ken
Views expressed are not necessarily those of Raymond James & Associates and are subject to change without notice. Information provided is general in nature, and is not a complete statement of all information necessary for making an investment decision, and is not a recommendation or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Past performance is not indicative of future results. There is no assurance these trends will continue or that forecasts mentioned will occur. International investing involves additional risks such as currency fluctuations, differing financial accounting standards, and possible political and economic instability. These risks are greater in emerging markets. Investing always involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss. No investment strategy can guarantee success.
