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Once again, we are left in monetary limbo. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 75 basis points last week, taking the Fed Funds rate to 4%. Unfortunately for investors trying to understand how to value future cash flows, the Federal Reserve was also uncertain about… More >>

At Phillips & Company we interact with thousands of clients each year. The data points we gather by listening are incredibly powerful. It’s not infrequent at this stage in an economic cycle, especially with the massive drawdown in portfolios, that clients ask why we… More >>

It’s a difficult task as an investor to allocate capital when we are in the midst of so much interest rate uncertainty. The formula is pretty straight forward for equity investors. We want a premium return over the risk-free rate (10-year Treasury). Everyone might want… More >>

  “No amount of sophistication is going to allay the fact that all of your knowledge is about the past and all your decisions are about the future.” Ian E. Wilson (former Chairman of GE) Last week’s inflation data dealt a crushing blow to any hope of avoiding the full… More >>

At the heart of the economic debate surrounding inflation is consumer demand. I’ve argued that around 60% of inflation is supply driven, but that’s not part of the current conversation. The argument goes something like this: if inflation moderates the Fed can pause rate… More >>

Our Q4 2022 Look Ahead is available for review. The video link is here and the PDF version is here. In this post, we highlight some key themes we see in the coming quarter. The Fed is on course to move the terminal fed funds rate to 4.25% by year-end. Historically the… More >>

After another painful week on Wall Street a healthy dose of despair might be setting in. The S&P 500 closed near the bear market low and is now down 23% from the peak in January. 1 Investor sentiment is now back to Great Financial Crisis levels according to the… More >>

Last week’s extreme negative market reaction to recent inflation data adds more salt in the wound. With an almost certain 75bp rate increase coming this week, the S&P 500 dropped 4.77% last week in anticipation of the lift. 1 This year the S&P 500 is down 19%… More >>

Tomorrow we will get a critical update on inflation festering in the U.S. economy. Expectations are pointing to a lower reading, which could create a fear that the Fed will overreact by raising rates much higher than needed to moderate inflation. 1 It’s hardly a… More >>

Within just a couple of weeks (September 20-21), the Fed will reconvene to determine the amplitude of the Fed Funds rate. Most market participants are expecting a ¾ point rate increase, while we believe a ½ point increase is still in the cards. 1 I’ve focused on… More >>