Blog
The Markets
Last week, the U.S. stock market showed why it’s a good idea to stay invested through bouts of volatility.
Major U.S. stock indices notched sizeable gains as investors celebrated a trade truce with China and better-than-expected inflation numbers,1 while brushing off a tepid consumer sentiment reading. Here’s what happened:
The administration negotiated a trade truce with China. The United States and China agreed to reduce tariffs for 90 days. U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports will fall to 30 percent, while China’s tariffs on U.S. imports will drop to 10 percent.2 The Wall Street Journal reported, “The agreement lowered tariff levels far more than Wall Street had expected, with one analyst…calling the deal a ‘best-case scenario’ for investors. Goldman Sachs cut its U.S. recession odds to 35 [percent] from 45 [percent] and boosted its growth forecast.”2
Inflation is closing in on the Federal Reserve’s target. Prices increased by 2.3 percent year over year in April. That put headline inflation just a smidge above the Fed’s two percent target. When the volatile categories of food and energy were excluded, prices were up 2.8 percent year over year.The price of eggs fell by 13 percent month to month leading a decline in the cost of food. Five of six major grocery store food group indexes moved lower in April.3
Consumers were concerned about inflation. While the Consumer Price Index’s April inflation numbers were encouraging,4 the inflation numbers in the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Survey were less so. “Year-ahead inflation expectations surged from 6.5 [percent] last month to 7.3 [percent] this month…Long-run inflation expectations lifted from 4.4 [percent] in April to 4.6 [percent] in May…,” reported Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu.5
The U.S. bond market was in a less cheerful mood than the U.S. stock market last week. On Friday, Moody’s lowered the rating for U.S. government bonds on concerns about the deficit (the difference between how much the government spends each year and how much it takes in through taxes) and rising interest costs.6 The rating service explained:
“Successive U.S. administrations and Congress have failed to agree on measures to reverse the trend of large annual fiscal deficits and growing interest costs. We do not believe that material multi-year reductions in mandatory spending and deficits will result from current fiscal proposals under consideration.”6
Over the week, U.S. stock markets saw solid gains with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index moving into positive territory for the year to date.1 U.S. Treasury yields ended the week near where they started.7
Data as of 5/16/25 | 1-Week | YTD | 1-Year | 3-Year | 5-Year | 10-Year |
| Standard & Poor’s 500 Index | 5.3% | 1.3% | 12.5% | 14.1% | 15.1% | 10.8% |
| Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index | 1.6 | 10.5 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 2.6 |
| 10-year Treasury Note (yield only) | 4.4 | N/A | 4.4 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 2.2 |
| Gold (per ounce) | -4.3 | 21.9 | 33.9 | 20.7 | 12.9 | 10.0 |
| Bloomberg Commodity Index | -1.8 | 2.2 | -3.0 | -8.3 | 9.9 | -.4 |
S&P 500, Dow Jones Global ex-US, Gold, Bloomberg Commodity Index returns exclude reinvested dividends (gold does not pay a dividend) and the three-, five-, and 10-year returns are annualized; and the 10-year Treasury Note is simply the yield at the close of the day on each of the historical time periods.
Sources: Yahoo! Finance; MarketWatch; djindexes.com; U.S. Treasury; London Bullion Market Association.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. N/A means not applicable.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY? Memorial Day offers a blend of celebration and remembrance. It’s the time when we honor the men and women who bravely sacrificed their lives in service to the United States of America. The holiday reminds us that freedom is not free and gives us an opportunity to remember those who fought and died defending our country. See what you know about Memorial Day by taking this brief quiz.
- How do we remember the fallen on Memorial Day?8
- Flying the flag at half mast
- Participating in The National Moment of Remembrance
- Placing flags and flowers in cemeteries
- All of the above
- What type of flower is traditionally worn on Memorial Day?9
- A sunflower
- A poppy
- A chrysanthemum
- A rose
- The Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest award for military valor in action. More than 3,500 soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardians, marines, and coast guards have received the honor. How many double Medal of Honor recipients have there been?10
- 7
- 12
- 19
- 22
- Visitors to military cemeteries on Memorial Day may see coins on headstones. The type of coin left behind has significance. When a person leaves a nickel on the headstone of a service member, it means they:11
- Appreciate the veteran’s service
- Trained together at boot camp
- Served together
- Were there when the veteran died
How do you celebrate Memorial Day?
Weekly Focus – Think About It
“Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history. Sometimes a chicken can save a man’s life.”12
– Mary Roach, Author
Answers: 1) d; 2) b; 3) c; 4) b
* These views are those of Carson Coaching, not the presenting Representative, the Representative’s Broker/Dealer, or Registered Investment Advisor, and should not be construed as investment advice.
* This newsletter was prepared by Carson Coaching. Carson Coaching is not affiliated with the named firm or broker/dealer.
* Government bonds and Treasury Bills are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value. However, the value of fund shares is not guaranteed and will fluctuate.
* Corporate bonds are considered higher risk than government bonds but normally offer a higher yield and are subject to market, interest rate and credit risk as well as additional risks based on the quality of issuer coupon rate, price, yield, maturity, and redemption features.
* The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. You cannot invest directly in this index.
* All indexes referenced are unmanaged. The volatility of indexes could be materially different from that of a client’s portfolio. Unmanaged index returns do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment. You cannot invest directly in an index.
* The Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index covers approximately 95% of the market capitalization of the 45 developed and emerging countries included in the Index.
* The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.
* Gold represents the 3:00 p.m. (London time) gold price as reported by the London Bullion Market Association and is expressed in U.S. Dollars per fine troy ounce. The source for gold data is Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GOLDPMGBD228NLBM.
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), commonly known as “The Dow,” is an index representing 30 stock of companies maintained and reviewed by the editors of The Wall Street Journal.
* The NASDAQ Composite is an unmanaged index of securities traded on the NASDAQ system.
* International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. These risks are often heightened for investments in emerging markets.
* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.
* The risk of loss in trading commodities and futures can be substantial. You should therefore carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. The high degree of leverage is often obtainable in commodity trading and can work against you as well as for you. The use of leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains.
* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.
* Economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.
* Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.
* The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee it is accurate or complete.
* There is no guarantee a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.
* Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.
* Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
Sources:
[1] https://www.barrons.com/market-data?mod=BOL_TOPNAV or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-19-25-Barrons-DJIA-S&P-Nasdaq%20-%201.pdf
2 https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-tariffs-trade-war-05-12-2025 or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-19-25-WSJ-US-China-Agree-to-Large-Tariff-Cuts%20-%202.pdf
3 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf [report and Table 2]
5 https://www.sca.isr.umich.edu
6 https://ratings.moodys.com/ratings-news/443154
8 https://www.memorialdayfoundation.org/education/how-to-observe-memorial-day/
9 https://www.rd.com/article/memorial-day-poppies/
10 https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/lists/double-recipients
11 https://dma.mt.gov/MVAD/MVAD-Images/Coins-on-headstones-meaning.pdf
12 https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7682393-heroism-doesn-t-always-happen-in-a-burst-of-glory-sometimes
The Markets
The winds of uncertainty are blowing, and the waters are choppy.
In recent weeks, United States stock markets saw steady gains, recovered from the April downturn as investors set aside uncertainty,” reported Connor Smith of Barron’s.1
Last week, investors became more cautious as they considered:
Trade successes and negotiations. Last week, President Trump announced a trade deal with the United Kingdom2 and, over the weekend, U.S.-China trade negotiations began. “With talks between the US and China about to start, trillions of dollars are hanging in the balance for American companies. The average member of the [Standard & Poor’s 500 Index] made 6.1% of its revenue from selling goods in China or to Chinese companies in 2024, according to an analysis from Bloomberg Intelligence’s Gina Martin Adams and Gillian Wolff,” reported Rita Nazareth of Bloomberg.3
The outlook for the economy. Last week, the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged. Fed Chair Jerome Powell offered assurances that the economy is solid, the unemployment rate remains low, and inflation is closer to the Fed’s two percent goal but not there yet. In a post meeting press conference, Powell stated,“…we’ve judged that the risks to higher employment and higher inflation have both risen [compared to March]…there’s a great deal of uncertainty…”4
The outlook for company earnings. Companies in the S&P 500 Index performed well in the first quarter. Overall, the earnings growth rate for companies that have reported so far is 13.4 percent, reported John Butters of Factset.5 However, as Butters explained, analysts lowered [earnings per share] estimates more than normal for S&P 500 companies because of uncertainty, including a possible economic slowdown or recession.6
Last week, major U.S. stock indexes finished flat to slightly lower.7 Yields on many maturities of U.S. Treasuries moved slightly higher over the week.8
Data as of 5/9/25 | 1-Week | YTD | 1-Year | 3-Year | 5-Year | 10-Year |
| Standard & Poor’s 500 Index | -0.5% | -3.8% | 8.6% | 12.4% | 14.1% | 10.4% |
| Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index | 0.1 | 8.8 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 2.5 |
| 10-year Treasury Note (yield only) | 4.4 | N/A | 4.5 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 2.3 |
| Gold (per ounce) | 2.3 | 27.3 | 43.0 | 21.3 | 14.3 | 10.8 |
| Bloomberg Commodity Index | 1.3 | 4.1 | 0.3 | -6.3 | 10.7 | -0.1 |
Sources: Yahoo! Finance; MarketWatch; djindexes.com; U.S. Treasury; London Bullion Market Association.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. N/A means not applicable
NO, YOU DON’T NEED TO STOCK UP ON TOILET PAPER. During the pandemic, concerns about supply chains and shortages led some people to stock up on items like toilet paper. As it turns out, the frenzied buying may have been the cause of those shortages.9
Today, people are concerned about items that are typically imported from other countries becoming scarce. Last week, Bloomberg published the “Ultimate Tariff Buying Guide” to help people understand “what to purchase right now, what to skip and what’s a maybe.”10 Claire Ballentine and Will Kubzansky of Bloomberg advised that “right now” purchases may include:
Kid stuff. A lot of the equipment parents rely on – car seats, strollers, cribs, toys – are made in China so prices may rise significantly.Parents don’t have to worry about disposable baby care items as “diapers, wipes and most infant formulas won’t see a huge impact from tariffs because the majority of these products are manufactured domestically.”10
Computers, smart phones, and electronics. While these goods currently are exempt from reciprocal tariffs, they are subject to other types of tariffs. If you have a student headed to college in the fall who will need electronics or you’re considering replacing your current smartphone, tablet, or computer, you may want to accelerate the purchase.10
Automobiles. “If you already planned to buy a car sometime in 2025, bringing your purchase forward a few months could save you thousands of dollars,” according to a source cited by Ballentine and Kubzansky.10
It’s a good idea to be prepared for higher costs if you’re planning to travel outside of the United States, too. “Due to tariffs shaking global markets, the [U.S.] dollar has weakened this year. That downward trend shows no signs of subsiding, so international travelers should expect worse deals when scoping out a trip or traveling abroad,” reported Ballentine and Kubzansky.10
Weekly Focus – Think About It
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”11–Sun Tzu, Military strategist
* These views are those of Carson Coaching, not the presenting Representative, the Representative’s Broker/Dealer, or Registered Investment Advisor, and should not be construed as investment advice.
* This newsletter was prepared by Carson Coaching. Carson Coaching is not affiliated with the named firm or broker/dealer.
* Government bonds and Treasury Bills are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value. However, the value of fund shares is not guaranteed and will fluctuate.
* Corporate bonds are considered higher risk than government bonds but normally offer a higher yield and are subject to market, interest rate and credit risk as well as additional risks based on the quality of issuer coupon rate, price, yield, maturity, and redemption features.
* The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. You cannot invest directly in this index.
* All indexes referenced are unmanaged. The volatility of indexes could be materially different from that of a client’s portfolio. Unmanaged index returns do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment. You cannot invest directly in an index.
* The Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index covers approximately 95% of the market capitalization of the 45 developed and emerging countries included in the Index.
* The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.
* Gold represents the 3:00 p.m. (London time) gold price as reported by the London Bullion Market Association and is expressed in U.S. Dollars per fine troy ounce. The source for gold data is Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GOLDPMGBD228NLBM.
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), commonly known as “The Dow,” is an index representing 30 stock of companies maintained and reviewed by the editors of The Wall Street Journal.
* The NASDAQ Composite is an unmanaged index of securities traded on the NASDAQ system.
* International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. These risks are often heightened for investments in emerging markets.
* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.
* The risk of loss in trading commodities and futures can be substantial. You should therefore carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. The high degree of leverage is often obtainable in commodity trading and can work against you as well as for you. The use of leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains.
* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.
* Economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.
* Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.
* The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee it is accurate or complete.
* There is no guarantee a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.
* Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.
* Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
Sources:
1 https://www.barrons.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-05092025/card/the-market-had-a-banner-two-weeks-now-things-get-dicey–rHXi6aRToipIR0drAYQ2 or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-12-25-Barrons-Market-Banner-Two-Weekds%20-%201.pdf
2https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-u-s-uk-reach-historic-trade-deal/
3 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-08/stock-market-today-dow-s-p-live-updates?srnd=undefined or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-12-25-Bloomberg-S&P-500-Wavers%20-%203.pdf
4 https://www.federalreserve.gov/mediacenter/files/FOMCpresconf20250507.pdf
7 https://www.barrons.com/market-data?mod=BOL_TOPNAV or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-12-25-Barrons-DJIA-S&P-Nasdaq%20-%207.pdf
9 https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2020/05/coronavirus-toilet-paper-shortage/
[1]0 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-08/what-to-buy-before-tariffs-take-effect?embedded-checkout=true or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-12-25-Bloomberg-Ultimate-Tariff-Buying-Guide%20-%2010.pdf
The Markets
American companies did well in the first quarter.
During earnings season, publicly held companies tell investors how they performed during the previous quarter with a particular focus on earnings, which reflect company profits.
Currently, we’re more than halfway through earnings season, and companies in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index have reported solid performance results overall.1 “Both the percentage of S&P 500 companies reporting positive earnings surprises and the magnitude of earnings surprises are above their 10-year averages,” reported John Butters of FactSet.1
As of last Friday, 72 percent of S&P 500 companies had reported earnings, and the blended earnings growth rate was 12.8 percent. If earnings stay at this level, we will see a second consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings growth for the S&P 500, reported Butters. 2
While first quarter earnings were strong, it’s unclear whether future earnings growth will be as robust. “During the month of April, analysts lowered EPS [earnings-per-share] estimates for the second quarter by a larger margin than average…Analysts also continued to lower EPS estimates for [calendar year] 2025,” reported Butters.2
The reasons for changing expectations may be related to two words that have been popping up more than usual on earnings calls: “tariffs” and “uncertainty”.3
“Several companies noted that the uncertainty surrounding tariffs is making businesses hesitant about investment decisions. That means they are delaying stocking up on inventory (or in some cases, overstocking), hiring, and dealmaking,” reported Sabrina Escobar of Barron’s. “All the uncertainty has made it hard for companies to make accurate projections for the year ahead.”3
Last week, major U.S. stock indexes rose. “As of Friday, the S&P 500 index had risen nine days in a row, its longest streak since 2004. It jumped 10.2% in that span – 2.9% of that in the past week – a remarkable performance given the cloud of uncertainty hanging over American businesses,” reported Avi Salzman of Barron’s.4
Yields on most maturities of U.S. Treasuries moved higher over the week.5
Data as of 5/2/25 | 1-Week | YTD | 1-Year | 3-Year | 5-Year | 10-Year |
| Standard & Poor’s 500 Index | 2.9% | -3.3% | 12.3% | 11.0% | 14.9% | 10.4% |
| Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index | 3.0 | 8.7 | 9.6 | 5.8 | 8.4 | 2.5 |
| 10-year Treasury Note (yield only) | 4.3 | N/A | 4.6 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 2.1 |
| Gold (per ounce) | -0.8 | 24.5 | 42.0 | 20.2 | 13.7 | 10.5 |
| Bloomberg Commodity Index | -1.1 | 2.7 | 0.6 | -7.7 | 10.7 | -0.2 |
S&P 500, Dow Jones Global ex-US, Gold, Bloomberg Commodity Index returns exclude reinvested dividends (gold does not pay a dividend) and the three-, five-, and 10-year returns are annualized; and the 10-year Treasury Note is simply the yield at the close of the day on each of the historical time periods.
Sources: Yahoo! Finance; MarketWatch; djindexes.com; U.S. Treasury; London Bullion Market Association.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. N/A means not applicable.
HONEY, I SHRUNK THE ECONOMY! Last week, there were a lot of headlines about the U.S. economy after the Commerce Department shared information showing the U.S. economic expansion stuttered in the first quarter of this year. From January to March, the U.S. economy contracted, -0.3 percent annualized, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) adjusted for inflation.6
The reasons for an economic contraction weren’t obvious. Many companies were doing well, and business investment was solid. Consumer spending slowed but remained healthy. Government spending dropped a bit, but the fly in the economic ointment was imports from other countries.6
“An enormous surge in imports was the big outlier in this GDP report. Normally, big increases in imports rarely coincide with outright declines in headline GDP because stronger imports usually mean more spending, not less,” reported a source cited by Megan Leonhardt and Matt Peterson of Barron’s.7
Why are imports part of U.S. productivity?
You may be scratching your head, wondering why imports – goods produced in other countries – are included when determining the value of all goods and services produced in the United States.8 The short answer is: They’re not.9
Broadly, U.S. GDP is measured by adding up:
- Personal consumption expenditures (consumer spending)
- Investment (business expenditures, household purchases of homes)
- Government spending (mandatory and discretionary)
- Exports (goods made in the U.S. and shipped elsewhere)
The final step is subtracting imports, which are goods that were made elsewhere. Imports are deducted because they’re in consumption, investment, and government spending numbers. To understand what was produced in the United States, imports must be subtracted.9 The St. Louis Federal Reserve offered an example of how that works.
“…if $10,000 in imported parts are used in the production of a car in a U.S. factory (an “American” car) and the car is sold in the United States for $30,000, then the $30,000 counts as personal consumption expenditures; but $10,000 is subtracted to account for the value of the imported parts, so the effect on U.S. GDP is $20,000.”9
The GDP report raised some interesting questions
The report about U.S. economic performance raised some questions that have yet to be answered. Why didn’t U.S. GDP reflect the purchase of imports? What happened to the imported goods? It’s possible the surge in imports was overestimated. It’s also possible spending and investment were underestimated, opined the source cited by Leonhardt and Peterson.7
We may have answers over the next two months. Last week’s report was the first estimate of economic growth, and it may have included data that was incomplete or will be updated. We’ll see two more estimates before the end of June.10
For now, it may be enough to know that first quarter GDP appears to reflect “the anticipated impact of tariffs rather than an actual downturn,” as Randall Forsyth of Barron’s reported.11
Weekly Focus – Think About It
“It’s funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools – friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty – and said ‘do the best you can with these, they will have to do’. And mostly, against all odds, they do.”12
– Anne Lamott, Author
* These views are those of Carson Coaching, not the presenting Representative, the Representative’s Broker/Dealer, or Registered Investment Advisor, and should not be construed as investment advice.
* This newsletter was prepared by Carson Coaching. Carson Coaching is not affiliated with the named firm or broker/dealer.
* Government bonds and Treasury Bills are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value. However, the value of fund shares is not guaranteed and will fluctuate.
* Corporate bonds are considered higher risk than government bonds but normally offer a higher yield and are subject to market, interest rate and credit risk as well as additional risks based on the quality of issuer coupon rate, price, yield, maturity, and redemption features.
* The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. You cannot invest directly in this index.
* All indexes referenced are unmanaged. The volatility of indexes could be materially different from that of a client’s portfolio. Unmanaged index returns do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment. You cannot invest directly in an index.
* The Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index covers approximately 95% of the market capitalization of the 45 developed and emerging countries included in the Index.
* The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.
* Gold represents the 3:00 p.m. (London time) gold price as reported by the London Bullion Market Association and is expressed in U.S. Dollars per fine troy ounce. The source for gold data is Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GOLDPMGBD228NLBM.
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), commonly known as “The Dow,” is an index representing 30 stock of companies maintained and reviewed by the editors of The Wall Street Journal.
* The NASDAQ Composite is an unmanaged index of securities traded on the NASDAQ system.
* International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. These risks are often heightened for investments in emerging markets.
* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.
* The risk of loss in trading commodities and futures can be substantial. You should therefore carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. The high degree of leverage is often obtainable in commodity trading and can work against you as well as for you. The use of leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains.
* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.
* Economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.
* Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.
* The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee it is accurate or complete.
* There is no guarantee a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.
* Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss. * Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
Sources:
[1] https://insight.factset.com/sp-500-earnings-season-update-may-2-2025
3 https://www.barrons.com/articles/tariffs-earnings-calls-stock-ccab0e3b or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-05-25-Barrons-CEOs-Are-Saying-These%20-%203.pdf
4 https://www.barrons.com/articles/stock-market-rally-risk-91fd1c10?refsec=the-trader&mod=topics_the-trader or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-05-25-Barrons-Stock-Market-Winning-Streak%20-%20%204.pdf
6 https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2025-04/gdp1q25-adv.pdf [report, Table 1)
7 https://www.barrons.com/livecoverage/inflation-gdp-economy-pce-data/card/why-the-u-s-economy-isn-t-as-weak-as-it-looks-0WgAY8LrRIT8X8X3fZQ1 or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-05-25-Barrons-Why-The-US-Economy-Isnt-as-Weak%20-%207.pdf
8 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/realgdp.asp
9 https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/page-one-economics/2018/09/04/how-do-imports-affect-gdp
10 https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/relia.pdf
11 https://www.barrons.com/articles/stock-market-economy-tariffs-0e9bf1d5?refsec=up-and-down-wall-street&mod=topics_up-and-down-wall-street or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/05-05-25-Barrons-Stocks-Are-Back%20-%2011.pdf
12 https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/159902-it-s-funny-i-always-imagined-when-i-was-a-kid
The Markets
How’s everybody feeling?
If you said, “Not great,” you’re not alone. There is an abundance of negative sentiment today. Many people – from consumers to small business owners, and from asset managers to investors – are feeling less optimistic. Here’s the data.
- The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Survey’s final data for Aprilshowed that sentiment tumbled for the fourth month in a row. “While this month’s deterioration was particularly strong for middle-income families, expectations worsened for vast swaths of the population across age, education, income, and political affiliation…Labor market expectations remained bleak. Even more concerning for the path of the economy, consumers anticipated weaker income growth for themselves in the year ahead. Without reliably strong incomes, spending is unlikely to remain strong amid the numerous warning signs perceived by consumers,” wrote Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu.1
- The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Optimism Index fell from February to March, settling just below its long-term average. “The implementation of new policy priorities has heightened the level of uncertainty among small business owners over the past few months. Small business owners have scaled back expectations on sales growth as they better understand how these rearrangements might impact them,” stated NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg.2
- The Bank of America Global Fund Manager Survey showed that, in April, asset managers were the most bearish they’ve been in three decades with sentiment around economic growth particularly low. “Fund managers are extremely gloomy, with 82 [percent] of respondents…expecting the global economy to weaken,” reported Michael Msika of Bloomberg.3
- The American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Sentiment Survey found that 55.6 percent of investors were feeling bearish about how the stock market will perform over the next six months. That is well above the historic average of 31 percent bearish.4
It’s fair to say that sentiment has been at extremely low levels. A contrarian would point out that this could be a positive development. When everyone is bearish, contrarians are bullish. They tend to look for opportunities to augment portfolio holdings with attractively priced investments that may help achieve long-term goals.
If you don’t share a contrarian outlook, stay focused on the importance of remaining invested as stock and bond markets move higher and lower. “All of this chaos underlined something that is historically true for the stock market – the sharpest percentage drops and largest percentage gains are often not far apart. For that reason, walking away from the market after a big drop could mean missing out on the market’s best days,” reported Gordon Gottsegen of MarketWatch.5
For example, major U.S. stock indexes fell by more than two percent last Monday but, by the end of the week, the indexes had recovered those losses and moved higher. There were two drivers behind last week’s gains. The first was hope for a resolution in the U.S.-China trade war and the second was renewed confidence that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will remain in his position, reported Connor Smith of Barron’s.6,7 Yields on longer maturities of U.S. Treasuries moved lower over the week.8
Data as of 4/25/25 | 1-Week | YTD | 1-Year | 3-Year | 5-Year | 10-Year |
| Standard & Poor’s 500 Index | 4.6% | -6.1% | 9.4% | 8.8% | 13.9% | 10.1% |
| Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index | 2.7 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 4.5 | 7.6 | 2.1 |
| 10-year Treasury Note (yield only) | 4.3 | N/A | 4.7 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 1.9 |
| Gold (per ounce) | -0.9 | 25.5 | 39.9 | 20.0 | 13.8 | 10.6 |
| Bloomberg Commodity Index | -0.3 | 3.9 | -0.4 | -6.8 | 11.5 | 0.1 |
S&P 500, Dow Jones Global ex-US, Gold, Bloomberg Commodity Index returns exclude reinvested dividends (gold does not pay a dividend) and the three-, five-, and 10-year returns are annualized; and the 10-year Treasury Note is simply the yield at the close of the day on each of the historical time periods.
Sources: Yahoo! Finance; MarketWatch; djindexes.com; U.S. Treasury; London Bullion Market Association.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. N/A means not applicable.
STORIES HAVE INFLUENCE AND SO DO STORYTELLERS. Anyone who reads (or listens to) a lot of books, blogs and stories knows that the narrator is important. Sometimes, a story is told from a single point of view and other times it will have multiple perspectives. No matter how many narrators tell the story, each one presents the situation (or series of events) they are describing in a way that reflects their point of view and/or values.9
The stories that are told about an economy or events that may affect that economy can be powerful because they also can influence human behavior and affect investment decision-making.
“The idea that emotional states may affect the economy has a long intellectual history. John Maynard Keynes regrettably missed his chance to coin ‘vibe-cession’, but he wrote extensively about how peoples’ instinctive ‘animal spirits’ drove crashes and recoveries. Taking this idea one step further, economist Robert Shiller has advocated for a more detailed study of economic narratives, or contagious stories that shape how individuals view the economy and make decisions,” according to Joel Flynn and Karthik Sastry of VoxEU.10
Tariff turmoil has offered some insight into the influence of storytellers and narratives on investors. For example, last week, Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal of Bloomberg’s Odd Lots reported that the head of economics research at a market research company compared recent ups and downs of the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index with the presidential advisor or cabinet member who was telling the administration’s story.11 He found that:
“…since the beginning of March, the S&P has lost a total 719 points on days when [Commerce Secretary] Lutnick and [Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing] Navarro have been the biggest stories. On days where [Treasury Secretary] Bessent is in the news, we’ve seen the S&P 500 go up by a total of 52 points.”11
Flynn and Sastry’s research concluded, “…contagious narratives are an important driving force in the business cycle…Not all narratives are equal in their potential to shape the economy, and the fate of a given narrative may rest heavily on its (intended or accidental) confluence with other narratives or economic events.”10
Weekly Focus – Think About It
“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”12 –Abraham Lincoln, Former U.S. President
* These views are those of Carson Coaching, not the presenting Representative, the Representative’s Broker/Dealer, or Registered Investment Advisor, and should not be construed as investment advice.
* This newsletter was prepared by Carson Coaching. Carson Coaching is not affiliated with the named firm or broker/dealer.
* Government bonds and Treasury Bills are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value. However, the value of fund shares is not guaranteed and will fluctuate.
* Corporate bonds are considered higher risk than government bonds but normally offer a higher yield and are subject to market, interest rate and credit risk as well as additional risks based on the quality of issuer coupon rate, price, yield, maturity, and redemption features.
* The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. You cannot invest directly in this index.
* All indexes referenced are unmanaged. The volatility of indexes could be materially different from that of a client’s portfolio. Unmanaged index returns do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment. You cannot invest directly in an index.
* The Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index covers approximately 95% of the market capitalization of the 45 developed and emerging countries included in the Index.
* The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.
* Gold represents the 3:00 p.m. (London time) gold price as reported by the London Bullion Market Association and is expressed in U.S. Dollars per fine troy ounce. The source for gold data is Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GOLDPMGBD228NLBM.
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), commonly known as “The Dow,” is an index representing 30 stock of companies maintained and reviewed by the editors of The Wall Street Journal.
* The NASDAQ Composite is an unmanaged index of securities traded on the NASDAQ system.
* International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. These risks are often heightened for investments in emerging markets.
* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.
* The risk of loss in trading commodities and futures can be substantial. You should therefore carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. The high degree of leverage is often obtainable in commodity trading and can work against you as well as for you. The use of leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains.
* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.
* Economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.
* Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.
* The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee it is accurate or complete.
* There is no guarantee a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.
* Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.
* Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
Sources:
[1] https://www.sca.isr.umich.edu or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/04-28-25-U-o-M-Survey-of-Consumers%20-%201.pdf
2 https://www.nfib.com/news/monthly_report/sbet/
3 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-15/investors-haven-t-been-this-bearish-in-30-years-bofa-poll-shows or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/04-28-25-Bloomberg-Investors-Havent-Bean-This-Bearish%20-%203.pdf
4 https://www.aaii.com/sentimentsurvey or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/04-28-25-AAII-Investor-Sentiment-Survey%20-%204.pdf
6 https://www.barrons.com/market-data?mod=BOL_TOPNAV or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/04-28-25-Barrons-DJIA-S&P-Nasdaq%20-%206.pdf
7 https://www.barrons.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-042225?mod=hp_LEDE_C_1 or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/04-28-25-Barrons-Dow-Finishes-Up-More-Than%20-%207.pdf
9 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narrative
10 https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/macroeconomics-narratives
11 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-04-23/today-s-a-bessent-day-and-stocks-are-up? or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2025/04-28-25-Bloomberg-Todays-a-Bessent-Day%20-%2011.pdf