Austin A. Frye was featured in a Bloomberg News article about what financial advisors are telling high net worth clients about a possible tax hike.  As journalists Laura Davison and Ben Steverman write, "Top earners are seeking guidance before their rates on capital gains rise—and they’re being told to buckle up. Read more

LPL Research believes investors are appropriately optimistic, given the improving economy, the pace of vaccinations, fiscal stimulus, and surging earnings.  While valuations are elevated, they still appear reasonable when factoring in interest rates and inflation. 

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Global stock markets are off to a strong start in 2021 as the world begins to emerge from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, vaccinations are increasing, the economy is expanding, unemployment is falling, and stimulus continues to flow through the economy.

The outstanding fourth-quarter earnings season we had in 2020 is a tough act to follow, but 2021’s first quarter has the makings of another potentially great earnings season. The reopening of the economy continues to move forward, and corporate America has done an excellent job managing through the pandemic.

The U.S. economy’s recovery from the pandemic continues to surpass our expectations, aided by the accelerating vaccine distribution, massive stimulus, and America’s desire to resume some semblance of normal daily life. Despite having raised our 2021 economic and earnings growth forecasts on February 8, we are doing so again.

“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Mark Twain

The bear market ended one year ago this week, finishing one of the fastest and most vicious bear markets of all-time—one that led to a drawdown of 34%.

Bond yields have been on the move lately, but stock prices have also been rising.

Fourth-quarter earnings season is in the home stretch, and it’s been a good one. After raising our 2021 earnings forecast for the S&P 500 Index in our Weekly Market Commentary on February 8, our upgraded forecast may now be too low, based on what we have learned from corporate America during the three weeks since.

Increasingly more people realize that their sustainability concerns can be address through their investments. As more investors embark on the sustainable investing journey—learn what it is, why one pursues it, and how to do it—assets into sustainable funds will continue and investors will have more choices from which to construct sustainable investing portfolios.