Blog

  The start of 2016 has certainly been a tumultuous one. The S&P 500 is down almost 8%. [i] It's times like this when investor panic sets in. I hear statements like: “What happens if the market goes to zero?” “The world is a dangerous place and stocks are… More >>

  In the wake of the worst five-day performance to start a new year for U.S. stocks, ever (S&P 500 down 5.98%), it's a good time to review our Look Ahead. This week’s post reviews our 2016 Q1 Look Ahead. Please click on the following link to watch our video… More >>

  This time of year brings the traditional wishes of health, happiness, and prosperity for 2016. We at Phillips and Company certainly echo those wishes for you and your family. Another time honored tradition is the making of New Year's resolutions. In fact, 45% of… More >>

  This time of year brings out some of the strangest behavior Wall Street can exhibit. Despite being wrong year in and year out, Wall Street analysts continue to make wild guesses at where the markets will be in the coming year. We at Phillips and Company avoid this… More >>

  Now that the Fed has raised the Fed Funds rates from effectively zero to .25%, we can move on to the next item on the Wall of Worry to wring our hands over. In last week’s post, I laid out our broad perspective on where we are in the market cycle. In summary, we are in… More >>

  On the eve of the first interest rate increase in nearly a decade, markets have naturally become quite jittery. When you consider the number of issues investors are digesting, an increase in volatility is not a surprise. First, the U.S. Federal Reserve may tighten… More >>

  Friday was another strong confirmation that the U.S. consumer is heading in the right direction. The U.S. Department of Labor released their monthly jobs figures and they continued to show strength. The U.S. Economy added 211,000 jobs in November along with strong… More >>

  The U.S. Consumer would appear to be taking a more cautious approach to their spending habits compared to last year’s holiday shopping season. However, there may be a reversal in trend coming. Black Friday sales were down by 1.5% over last year’s numbers according to… More >>

  Here is what we can put in the books at this point in the year. 1) Third Quarter earnings per share continue their shrinking trend, putting us in an earnings recession for the first time since 2009. With only 19 companies left to report for the S&P 500, it's likely… More >>

  The events in France on Friday have reminded the world we are in dangerous and unpredictable times. Americans need little reminder, as the horror of the 9-11 attacks are etched into our collective memories. France will now likely follow in the footsteps of America as… More >>