From the Desk of Our CIO
From Santa Claus to Krampus: How Rising Yields & Inflation Are Reshaping Markets for 2025
While equity investors enjoyed another strong year of returns, the end of the year finished with a whimper as opposed to a bang. The Santa Clause rally never really materialized as equities chopped sideways throughout December, though with global equities posting a +18% gain on the year in USD terms, wishing for a continued equity […]
Invested Newsletter
INVESTED: December Edition
Good morning! As 2024 wraps up, this month’s Invested newsletter highlights Viewpoint Foundation’s community-driven initiatives in mental health, financial literacy, and the arts. We also explore market trends like rising coffee and cocoa prices, climate-driven chili changes, and expert investment insights for 2025. Plus, check out tips for lasting New Year’s resolutions and 2024’s groundbreaking […]
From the Desk of Our CIO
Riding the Digital Wave: Bitcoin’s Role in the New Commodity Supercycle
2024 has been an interesting year in commodity markets. As we’ve written about previously, we believe de-globalization and supply chain diversification have kicked off a confluence of supply and demand factors that has initiated a new commodity supercycle. However, this commodity supercycle is likely to be different than the last cycle, which began in the […]
From the Desk of Our CIO
Chocolate Crisis Redux: Should the Easter Bunny Start Hedging?
The cocoa market has been relatively quiet over the past few months, with volatility subsiding from the eye-watering levels in the late spring when the price of cocoa was going parabolic. Although volatility hasn’t completely disappeared, prices have been rangebound between $7,000 and $10,000 per ton as market participants try to gauge how the harvest […]
Invested Newsletter
INVESTED: November Edition
Good morning! Discover the latest trends and insights in this month’s Invested newsletter! In this issue, we focus on the ripple effects of the recent U.S. election and Donald Trump’s return to the presidency. From sweeping tariffs and pro-growth energy policies to their implications for global markets, explore timely insights from Viewpoint’s own Scott Smith, […]
From the Desk of Our CIO
Steadying the Ship: Scott Bessent’s Vision for U.S. Economic Stability
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve (Fed) authors a semi-annual financial stability report that assesses the resilience of the U.S. financial system. Included in the report is a survey of financial market participants regarding what they view as near-term risks to the system, and the most recent update that was released a few […]
From the Desk of Our CIO
Drill, Baby, Drill: Trump’s Return Fuels U.S. Oil Boom & Market Shifts
As financial markets digest the implications of another presidential term for Donald Trump—this time with a more definite mandate as the Republicans control both legislative branches of Congress—one of the outcomes has been a rising U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar has gained +3% against a basket of global currencies since the election, due to expectations […]
From the Desk of Our CIO
Trump’s Return to the White House: What His Economic Agenda Means for Markets & the Working Class
In a historic week, the United States elected Donald Trump as their 47th president, only the second president to be elected for non-consecutive terms after Grover Cleveland in 1893. While not a landslide in relation to Obama’s first term where he won 365 seats and almost 54% of the popular vote, the outcome of last week’s […]
From the Desk of Our CIO
Market Fireworks Ahead: U.S. Election & Fed Decision Drive Volatility as Investors Brace for High-Stakes Week
Investors are bracing for an eventful week in financial markets, with the U.S. election on Tuesday followed by the Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate policy meeting that culminates on Thursday. As to be expected, volatility markets are placing a premium on near-term crash protection, though we’ve also seen the whole volatility futures curve move higher […]