It's that time of year again, when we are pleased to share LPL Research’s Midyear Outlook 2020: The Trail to Recovery.  It provides investment insights and market guidance for the year ahead, taking into account the unprecedented 6 months we've just experienced.  Read more here.

2020 is an election year, and as we get closer to November, we expect this to replace COVID-19 and the recession at the top of investors’ minds. The makeup of Congress may influence stock market performance, and how stocks and the economy perform prior to the election may forecast who will win.

Here’s an idea for a delicious and fun snack to help you enjoy the holiday.  Wishing you and yours a safe, socially-distanced, and happy July 4^th!

Nearly four months ago, in late February, the 10-year Treasury yield broke to its lowest level ever, undercutting the record lows from 2016 of 1.32%. Over the following two weeks, as fears surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic intensified, interest rates experienced an unprecedented collapse, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note eventually trading as low as 0.31% on March 9 (Bloomberg).

Among developed markets, we maintain our preference for US equities over international, but the bout of strong performance for the MSCI EAFE Index relative to the S&P 500 Index in late May through early June and the latest weakness in the US dollar are noteworthy.

Stocks staged perhaps the strongest rally in history—a more than 44% gain for the S&P 500 Index from March 23 through June 8—before pulling back about 3% late last week.

The strongest 50-day rally in the S&P 500 in over 70 years has sent a signal that the economic recovery is gaining steam and may look more like a “V” than a “U,” a square root, checkmark, or swoosh.

2020 is one of the most historic years we’ve seen, and we’re not even halfway through it.  To best sum it all up, here are 10 charts that tell the picture of 2020 so far, from LPL Research.

As Miami-Dade County prepares to re-open non-essential businesses over the next few weeks, we wanted to let you know that effective 6/1 we will be available for non-emergency, in-person meetings once again. While full servicing via teleconferencing will always be available for those more comfortable with that option, we look forward to welcoming you back to our offices in person.

To ensure maximal safety for our valued clients and for our team, our “new normal” for office visits, as per the guidelines, will include these already operational changes:

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 recently reached the somber and staggering milestone of 100,000 lives nationwide. It is difficult to wrap our heads around a pandemic of this magnitude, one that has left so many of our friends and neighbors grieving, and so many others struggling with financial devastation.