Charts & Chat - February 18, 2024
Eric Boyce • February 18, 2024
This week, CEO Eric Boyce, CFA discusses: 1. review of the most recent inflation report and what it means for interest rates 2. analysis of the retail sales data - don't get too focused on the monthly data; watch for more systemic trends 3. manufacturing remains in a soft patch - positive implications from productivity and spending in the next cycle could be strong 4. small business remains guarded - healthy stance 5. equity opportunity in dividend paying stocks and in international

By Eric Boyce
•
April 27, 2026
This week, CEO Eric Boyce, CFA discusses: 1. inflationary impacts on important spending sectors over time confirm the divergence of consumer sentiment and stronger economic performance 2. inflationary impacts of AI buildout precede the disinflationary impacts over time; also, AI/technology impacts on the credit markets 3. drivers of consumer net worth growth, spending influence of top 30-40% of income earners, deceleration in real net income 4. housing update; increase in mortgages to lower credit tiers 5. increase in commercial lending; higher import prices 6. increase in large merger deals in 2026; large capital spending expectations from AI related firms 7. stock and bond correlations high - making the case for alternatives from a risk/reward standpoint 8. educational slides on the power of long term investing and managing the emotions of interim volatility

By Eric Boyce
•
April 13, 2026
This week, CEO Eric Boyce, CFA discusses: 1. final 4Q GDP revision reflects weaker year-end environment. First quarter estimates are trending down, reflecting pressure from geopolitics 2. personal income trending lower, although credit outstanding remains flat 3. PCE prices are elevated, primarily from goods prices - housing continuing to drop 4. energy market impacts from Iran conflict - disproportionate impact on lower income, Asia energy markets 5. forward looking equity returns look to be more limited, following three years of above average returns - private investments will likely play a greater role going forward 6. still a considerable gap on individuals with retirement plans, even at the higher income levels 7. earnings estimates moving higher, especially for tech firms; accordingly, tech P/E multiples back down to overall index average




