Wealth Management Blog | WrapManager | WrapManager's Investment Policy Committee (3)

Nuveen Feels Reasons for Optimism Outweigh Reasons for Caution

Posted by WrapManager's Investment Policy Committee

May 10, 2018

Nuveen Feels Reasons for Optimism Outweigh Reasons for Caution

Reasons for Optimism Slightly Outweigh Reasons for Caution

Corporate earnings were in focus for much of last week. Results continued to come in stronger than expected and earnings are on track for their best quarter since 2010. But concerns remain that earnings growth may have peaked in the current cycle. Investors also focused on economic data, including another drop in U.S. unemployment and indications that global growth momentum may be slowing. Amid these crosscurrents, stocks were mixed, with the S&P 500 Index dropping 0.2% for the week. Technology was a standout performer, while telecommunications and healthcare lagged.

Upside and Downside Risks May Result in Ongoing Volatility

We do not believe that we are close to the end of the current cycle of global economic expansion, but the endgame may develop more quickly than many investors expect. At this point, it appears that upside and downside risks for the economy and financial markets may be pretty well balanced.

Lord Abbett Weighs in on Appreciating Net Unrealized Appreciation

May 3, 2018

Net unrealized appreciation allows for favorable tax treatment of withdrawals of an employer's stock - but understanding the rules is crucial. Of all the various ways to reduce one’s taxes in retirement, net unrealized appreciation (NUA) is often misunderstood or overlooked altogether. The rules may be complicated, but a plan participant who owns company stock and is separating from service or retiring should be aware of NUA before rolling his/her retirement account into an IRA or a new employer’s plan. Net unrealized appreciation of employer stock held in an employer-sponsored retirement plan permits gains that occurred inside the plan to be taxed outside the plan (e.g., brokerage account) at preferential long-term capital gains rates. [+] Read More

A Comparison of Perspectives: Nuveen & BlackRock Share Weekly Investing Outlooks

April 26, 2018

As market volatility continues to be a focus point for investors, money managers are keeping a close eye on key market indicators. This week we share the market commentaries presented by Robert C. Doll, CFA, the Senior Portfolio Manager and Chief Equity Strategist at Nuveen Asset Management, and Richard Turnill, the Global Chief Investment Strategist at BlackRock. While their analyses highlight many of the same economic and market factors, their interpretations have distinct flavors. Doll feels that while the “equity markets have been buffeted by a number of credible threats so far in 2018,” it “shouldn’t be enough to actually cause a bear market,” yet, “these risks will need to ease before stocks can regain their footing.” Interestingly, Turnill feels that “the market environment in 2018 has returned to a more ‘normal’ mix of lower returns and higher volatility,” which “reflects rising economic uncertainty and less room for growth to exceed expectations,” but should not “spell the end of the equity bull market, now in its ninth year.” Continue reading for a more detailed analysis of the current market from both Nuveen Asset Management and BlackRock Investment Institute. [+] Read More

Tax Reform Favors Charitable Giving From IRAs Finds Lord Abbett

April 19, 2018

Qualified charitable distributions (QCD) are poised to become even more popular under the new tax law. While the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) generally doubled the standard deduction, while eliminating many itemized deductions, financial advisors will want to update their clients on the potential tax-saving benefits of qualified charitable deductions (QCDs) now that they have been made permanent. Remember that a charitable contribution is itself an itemized deduction, so most taxpayers will no longer receive the full deduction value—unless all other itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction amount. In other words, far fewer taxpayers will itemize, thus fewer taxpayers will be able to take advantage of the deduction for charitable giving. [+] Read More

Main Management Reviews Q1 Market Volatility and Its Impact on the Uncertainty Index

April 12, 2018

Taking A Look Back at Major Market Milestones of First Quarter 2018 The first quarter of 2018 was anything but a continuation of the market behavior we saw in 2017. After historically low volatility and positive total returns for each of the 12 months in 2017, January continued the trend of higher markets with nearly historic lows in volatility. Then came February. Registering volatility levels below 15 for the month of January, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) spiked 116% on February 5, the highest daily move ever recorded. On that same day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 1,175 points, or -4.6%, its largest single-day point decline in history and the worst day performance-wise since August 2011. The volatility spike was so violent that it even resulted in the shutdown of a widely-traded inverse VIX product. [+] Read More

J.P. Morgan Releases 2Q 2018 Guide to the Markets

April 5, 2018

J.P. Morgan Quarterly Guide to the Markets Now Available JP Morgan's Guide to the Markets (GTM) for the second quarter of 2018 is now available for your review. The comprehensive 71-page includes detailed charts illustrating: S&P valuation measures The length and strength of economic expansions Interest rates and inflation [+] Read More

Nuveen Believes Market Fundamentals Remain Solid Over the Long-Term

March 29, 2018

Are investors overly pessimistic about downside market risks? While fundamentals haven’t changed significantly, volatility has picked up recently and stocks have been trading in a broad range between their early February highs and the low established in last month’s correction. The U.S. and global economies appear on sound footing, inflation pressures appear contained, the labor market remains strong, corporate earnings are solid and interest rates have been rising only modestly. Given this divergence between our views and market behavior, we think it makes sense to focus on why we think some risks may be overstated. Read a summary of Nuveen Asset Management's weekly investment commentary below, or download as a PDF. [+] Read More

JP Morgan Examines Economic Growth and Employment

March 22, 2018

JP Morgan's weekly update offers investors an at-a-glance summary of economic news and reports.This week's update looks at: • Economic growth • Corporate profits • Employment • Changes at The Fed Read an excerpt from this week's update below, or download JP Morgan's complete economic commentary. [+] Read More

Nuveen Weighs the Effect of Trade Tariffs & Investors Bidding Up Stock Prices

March 15, 2018

Investors look past trade risks as stocks gain ground... President Trump’s proclamation of 10 - 25% trade tariffs dominated most of the financial headlines last week, but investors looked past the negatives to bid up stock prices. The S&P 500 Index rose 3.6% last week. Half of that gain came on Friday, following a strong labor market report that showed jobs increases and stable wages. For the week, industrials, financials, technology and materials were all up over 4%, while utilities lagged. Treasury yields also rose last week in the face of stronger economic data. Read a summary of Nuveen Asset Management's weekly market review below, or download the entire investment commentary as a PDF. [+] Read More

In Their Own Words: Dorsey Wright Explains Selective International Investing Through Their Systematic Relative Strength Strategy

March 13, 2018

Although the US is arguably the largest and most diverse economy in the world, international diversification, where appropriate, might be to able help reduce the overall risk in your portfolio by investing non-correlated assets. While diversification does not guarantee profit or protect against loss in declining markets, international investing can be an important component of a well-diversified portfolio. [+] Read More